Joy in Philippians

Michael Hardt

Christian joy or Jonah-like mood-swings?

When the people of Nineveh repented, Jonah was ‘displeased’, even ‘exceedingly’ so, and very ‘angry’ so that the Lord had to ask him ‘Doest thou well to be angry?’ (Jonah 4:1, 4). However, when the gourd had miraculously sprung up overnight, Jonah was ‘exceeding glad’, but not for long because the gourd withered and the sun beat on his head. His reaction: he fell into deep depression and ‘requested for himself that he might die’, and when God asked him again ‘Doest thou well to be angry?’ he even said: ‘I do well to be angry, unto death’ (vs. 6–9). 

Jonah goes from anger to ecstasy, and from there to depression. This is what happens to a Christian whose joy is mainly founded on circumstances: great joy in face of a little luxury, and great distress when it disappears. Happily, Christians can do better. They know a joy that lasts. 

Philippians, the letter of Christian experience and joy

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is relatively short but contains no less than 16 references[1] to joy or rejoicing: 

• joy (chara in Greek) occurs five times: 1:4, 25; 2:2, 29; 4:1;
• rejoice (chairo in Greek) occurs nine times: 1:18 (twice); 2:17, 18, 28; 3:1; 4:4 (twice); 4:10;
• rejoice with (synchairo in Greek) occurs twice, once referring to Paul rejoicing with the Philippians (2:17) and once to them rejoicing with him (2:18). 

As the frequency of references to joy seems to indicate, the matter of joy is very pertinent to this epistle, for a number of reasons: 

1. It was in Philippi that Paul had been tested as to this question of Christian joy even in adverse circumstances. Understandably, it was not immediately upon being beaten and imprisoned, but ‘at midnight’ Paul and Silas prayed — in prison and their feet firmly in the stocks. They ‘were praising God with singing’ (Acts 16:25). 
2. At the time of writing to the Philippians, Paul was in prison again, this time in Rome. Hence, he had not only been tested years ago but he was being tested at the time of writing about his and their joy. 
3. Philippians is the epistle of Christian experience. Paul does not introduce himself as an apostle but addresses the Philippian saints jointly with Timothy, as ‘bondmen of Jesus Christ’ (1:1). This is beautiful as it implies that the hidden treasures and the unquenching wells of joy are not reserved to apostolic dignitaries but open to every believer in the Lord Jesus. 

Instances of joy

We want to look next at the connection in which joy is mentioned in this letter. 

Being balanced

Considering the entire list of references will greatly aid us in being balanced: on the one hand we are preserved from rejoicing in circumstances only; on the other hand, we are helped in remaining sober — knowing the constant and never-changing source of joy (in the Lord) as well the joy arising from mercies the Lord grants us on the way. 

The following grouping may help us to see this. 

Joy from mercies granted by the Lord, or expected

Paul was able to pray for the Philippians with joy because, overall, they were in a good spiritual condition (1:4), and this particular joy would be fulfilled should they succeed in being of one mind (2:2). In this sense he gladly referred to these believers as his joy (4:1). 

Paul was also able to joy in the fact that Christ was being preached, even if motives were not entirely pure with all who did so (1:17–18). He also rejoiced at the thought of being the drink offering in connection with the sacrifice and ministration of the Philippians’ faith (2:17).

Further, Paul was able to rejoice in the fact that they had fellowship with him in the form of financial support. He valued their thinking of him (4:10). The apostle also invited them to rejoice because of the recovery of dear brother Epaphroditus who had rendered a useful service. Now the time was come to receive him with joy (2:29).

So, in one sense, all the occasions listed above were related to events and circumstances. Yet, the joy occasioned was different from Jonah’s joy of luxury: it was joy in the Lord’s gracious leading and intervention contributing to spiritual blessing of one kind or another, but including practical help granted by the Lord, such as the recovery of Epaphroditus.

Joy in the Lord

And yet — and how thankful we may be for this — there is another, deeper, source of joy that is entirely independent of circumstances, and this is the joy ‘in the Lord’ (3:1; 4:4). This is the sort of joy of which the Lord said no one can take from us (John 16:22). 

Occupation with the Lord is the Christian’s privilege, and this leads to joy, whether it is occupation with Him as the Word made flesh, as child in the manger (Luke 2:10) or as the bridegroom (John 3:29). Those gathered on the evening of the resurrection day were glad when they had seen the risen one and His pierced hands and side (John 20:20). And how they rejoiced as they saw Him ascending to heaven, His hands lifted up for blessing (Luke 24:50–53)! Even not seeing Him, we rejoice with unspeakable joy (1 Pet. 1:8). The same goes when we have Him before us as the one who will one day come to reign (Luke 19:37). And when we contemplate Him in His deepest glory, as the Son of the Father, we will have fellowship with Him and the Father, and our joy will be full (1 John 1:4). 

Hindrances

Having said this, as long as we are on earth, this joy is often dampened because we are prone to take our eyes off the Lord and are easily occupied with things that do not stand the test set out in the verses that follow. We lack ‘gentleness’ towards all and are ‘careful’ about many things as opposed to being ‘careful about nothing’, and we consider what is not ‘true’, ‘noble’, ‘just’, ‘pure’, etc. (Phil. 4:5–9). If this is so we should judge ourselves, and then the stream of joy in the Lord will be back to refresh us.

Joy and sorrow

Christians are immensely blessed. They have access to unfailing, unlimited and inexhaustible reservoirs of joys that flow unhindered by circumstances. And yet this is not to say that they do not know sorrow (or that they should pretend not to feel it). Not so in Paul’s case. In this very letter he informs us that, in the event of his fellow-worker and fellow-soldier Epaphroditus being snatched away through illness, he would have had ‘sorrow upon sorrow’ (2:27). 

At times, believers feel sorrow. But how good to know that joy in the Lord remains constant nevertheless (see e.g. Acts 5:41). 

[1] True, some commentators refer to 18 or 19 occurrences, but this because they include two or three instances where a different word is used, and a more literal translation would be ‘boasting’ or ‘glorying’ (1:26; 2:16; 3:3 JND).

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From: Truth and Testimony, 2021