I know. The words “you can do nothing” throw up a red flag. Why? It’s because we’re all so actively doing something. That’s what I’d like to address. Jesus provided us with a crucial and valuable truth for living a Christ directed life when He said, “…without me you can do nothing.”

It’s a truth that could be viewed in two different ways. First, it can be viewed that we need the Lord’s “help” and strength in order to live the Christian life. This admission certainly has aspects of truth to it but in my opinion it subtly promotes a partnership theology. Allow me to explain. We know that God has saved us when we believed in Jesus Christ and has given us the assurance of eternal life; but now that we are saved we believe we must faithfully do our part by living out the productive Christian life. Whether we admit it or not, we think our acts of obedience merit more of God’s favor. They don’t! We think, with the Lord’s help, we can do it! We’re a team, right? Wrong!

With this mindset full and complete surrender to Jesus Christ is discarded because deep down inside we view ourselves as partners with God in living the Christian life. We never fully acknowledge Christ as our total sufficiency. We fail to understand that grace is God’s unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor at all times. We would never say this but ultimately we think, “God can’t do it without me.” Some Christians actually become defensive when told they “can do nothing” because they’re so busy doing something!

Second, the truth “you can do nothing” can be understood as a literal or exact truth. In other words, without Christ we cannot perform good deeds. Apart from Christ and His abiding presence we cannot work out our own salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible admonishes us to. We cannot breathe, walk, talk, think, speak, or hear! We cannot think or reason. We cannot plan our work or work our plan. It’s Christ enabling us and doing His work in and through us and we know it. The just shall live by faith and the object of genuine faith is always Jesus Christ.

Here’s the real problem as I see it. Most of us believe that we have contributed something to God and His work. Things like a particular talent, an effort, a great idea, or perhaps even our financial resources. We would never say it of course, but we actually start believing God needs us and requires cooperation on our part in order to accomplish His will. He will certainly use talents, energy, ideas, and financial resources to further His kingdom and minister to the needs of His body but He could do it without us if He chose. That’s the point.

Many people will reject what the Bible clearly teaches and what I’m writing about. But when we truly understand and believe that we can do nothing without Christ it will lead us to a life of complete surrender, to genuine faith, and to the acknowledgement of the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. And we will begin doing all to the glory of God. We actually start believing it. This Bible centered truth proclaims Christ as preeminent in all things. That includes living out the daily Christian life.

Personally, God has used the disease of Multiple Sclerosis as an instrument to teach that I can do nothing at all. Actually, I did not begin to truly understand the practical significance of the word “nothing” until I became weak, feeble, and really couldn’t do anything. God has adjusted the way I think and has changed my opinion on how we Christians actually live the genuine Christian life. Let me remind you, I am not suggesting you need some type of personal illness or catastrophe in your life to learn this truth.

Give careful attention to the words Christ used. When He said, “without me you can do nothing.” In no way was He suggesting we will do nothing. Without Christ we can do nothing. As we begin to understand and receive His sufficiency in all things and then surrender our will to His, our view of how a person lives the daily Christian life changes. We recognize the need to simply abide in Christ, the need of allowing Christ, by faith, to live His life through us, and the need to simply yield the fruit He desires to produce in our lives. We begin to comprehend the true meaning of doing all things through Christ. The burden of trying is removed and the liberty and freedom wrought by trusting is realized. God has equipped you with unique talents, personality, mental capacity, and desires. I exhort you to yield fully to Christ and follow Him. As we consider the Apostle Paul’s life, for example, we recognize that he was fulfilled and victorious as a Christian because he had one single purpose and passion in life. Paul did not find fulfillment as a result of being a positive thinker. He did not measure his success or failure by good health, worldly possessions, or popular demand. Nor was he an ambitious or results-oriented missionary who craved visible marks of success. He did not calculate success by the number of converts or the number of churches he established. He was not fulfilled by receiving the congratulatory praises of others. Paul’s purpose and passion in life was to know, proclaim, and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). The Apostle Paul lived an exchanged, abundant, and full life as a follower of Christ. Paul was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and did what Jesus directed him to do. Paul was content regardless of his circumstances in life because his life was Christ (Philippians 4:11–12). That is why he concluded, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

In addition, we observe in scripture that the daily activities of Paul’s life were not the results of good organizational skills. Self-discipline and resolve didn’t get the job done either. His actions were the result of following Jesus Christ. In other words, it was not his work; it was Christ’s work in him. Paul truly understood that without Christ he could do nothing. Christ directed his life. And so it was with each New Testament saint; Christ was their life.

Let’s carefully examine our understanding of what the genuine Christian life should look like. Should the Christian life be run like a secular corporation? Pause and reflect on what I’m asking. Should we be in the business of planning our work and then working our plan? Be honest. Does God need our intellect, ingenuity, involvement, or inspiration to accomplish His will? Of course, He doesn’t. What am I saying? The Christian should be organized but it is Christ who orchestrates the direction of our lives. The Christian should be confident and positive but our confidence and positive confession should always be centered in Jesus Christ, not some mantra or catchy religious saying. The Christian life is not wrapped up in the things we do, but rather, what and who we are in Christ. The genuine Christian life is the work of Jesus Christ in us. I guess each of us know in our hearts that Christ is the one whose in control of all things but often our personal disciplines and drive end up directing us away from His total sufficiency and squeezes Him out of our life. We mentally abandon the very foundation of our faith and end up floundering in the world of self-effort. We’ve all done it. And we have all felt the stress of attempting to live out the Christian life in our own strength and resolve. Jesus Christ can and will direct our thoughts, words, and actions. His life can be our life. We can live a Christ directed life.

We can each be more aware of peoples greatest need, which is salvation through belief Christ. We can all be more diligent at sharing the Gospel of Christ with others. Instead of suggesting a 1001 ways to accomplish this, I thought I’d share a simple, but powerful truth. “Follow Jesus and HE will make you a fisher of men.”

As a pastor, I was always on a mission to equip believers with the tools necessary to be effective ambassadors for Christ. Soul winning seminars. Training classes. Rallies. Special Sunday’s with emphasis on outreach. Principles. Process. Procedure. But not once did I encourage fellow believers to love and follow Christ.

Purpose to do this one thing, believer. Follow Christ. He will make us fishers of men. Seek Him. Know Him. And your heart will change. You’ll see the world differently.

Exposure to wrong teaching can snowball and produce years of bondage. This happened to me regarding grace. This particular teacher at a popular seminar back in the 80′s, taught two aspects of grace. The first aspect was regarding salvation. He was accurate on this point. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). Unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor. We did nothing to receive God’s pardon for sin. Freedom from the penalty of sin was complete. It was final. Nothing could be added to make our sanctification and position in Christ more complete. “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

The second aspect of his persuasive, yet erroneous teaching, was that grace as a Christian was merited. He interpretted this verse, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6) to mean as a Christian we earn more grace through humility. He once wrote that grace reigns through righteousness. Not the righteousness of Christ but our acts of righteousness. Thus promoting the idea that at salvation we do not receive grace in full measure on a permanent bases . And that grace is merited and conditional to our behavior as a Christian. He even changed it’s meaning by coining this new definition. “Grace is the power and desire to do God’s will.” The opposite is true. “Grace is the power of God’s unmerited favor when we fail to do God’s will!” Can you see what happened? Instead of standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made me free, I was once again entangled in the yoke of bondage. (Romans 5:1.) Trying to obey the 1001 rules of Scripture in an effort to please God. Bondage!

Friend, remember this, grace is always the unmerited favor of God. It is never earned. God favors you! What then does “more grace” mean? It simply means that God gives to the humble more understanding, more perception, more knowledge of, and more discernment of what we already possess in Christ. The humble get it. They know the Christian life is all Christ. There is peace, rest, joy, acceptance, and genuine love for others.

But it’s not so with the proud. They are self-righteous. Self-centered. Striving, working, and laboring to get more of what is already theirs in Christ. God resists the proud. The proud do not understand grace. They think grace is license to sin. They believe the teaching of grace promotes a undisciplined life. Those who are ignorant of grace are paranoid of it’s message. They fear discussing it’s rue meaning. In some cases it may indeed result in abuses. But that does not change God’s mind.

You see beloved, grace is never earned, merited, or based on our behavior. It is always conditional to the one who is full of grace–Jesus Christ. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” ( Ephesians 4:7). Amazing!

Each year Israel made the journey for the annual atonement for sin. 1000′s of animal sacrifices resulted in a stream of blood flowing from the Temple. Sacrifices that could never take away the sins of the people. So each year the pilgrimage was made for more sacrifices.

Jesus Christ, by one offering, has perfected the believer forever. Have you received this one offering that will perfect and sanctify you forever? Do we not show a lack of understanding and ignorant faith by not fully receiving this truth? We strive. We labor. We toil. We work. We change the externals. All in an effort to appease and please God. To satisfy His Holy demands against sin. Beloved, there is no good deed, no discipline, or no resolve that improves the one offering. It cannot be done through your sacrifices. The sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, has perfected you. “Be ye perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect.” It is done believer! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness.

As I know the great and complete sacrifice of my Savior, it constrains me to love Him. To serve Him. To honor Him in my thoughts, my words, and my deeds. Not to merit more of God’s favor, but because He gives to me, through Christ, unmerited favor. Favor that is based solely on the merits of Christ alone.  Bask in this truth and be transformed.

Let no man ever condemn you. In Christ, we are made the righteousness of God. Not based on future behavior. Not contingent on holy choices, righteous thoughts, pure words, or devout deeds. Do you know this believer? Jesus has made it so. We are acceptable to God based solely on the merits of Christ alone. Christ alone is worthy of praise and adoration. Rejoice in Christ today dear friend for His unspeakable gift!

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Some believe “spiritual abuse” does not exist in the Church. It does. And just because you “say” it does not exist does not make it go away. I hope you are not in an abusive Church and never are. But please know it is very dangerous. Do you know the signs? Below, are some thoughts that can help. if you’re in an abusive environment chances are your’re in denial. So I’m asking you to pray and carefully consider these words.

“Spiritual abuse occurs when someone in a position of spiritual authority, the purpose of which is to ‘come underneath’ and serve, build, equip and make God’s people MORE free, misuses that authority placing themselves over God’s people to control, coerce or manipulate them for seemingly Godly purposes which are really their own.” Jeff Van Vonderen author of “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.”

What is Spiritual Abuse? (By Richard Damiani)

Spiritual abuse has been called “the rape of the soul” because of the devastation it causes to both the soul and the emotions. The body of Jesus is supposed to be a place of grace, love, acceptance, mutual ministry and growth. In a spiritually abusive, mind controlling church or group the church becomes the kingdom of the pastor who rules with authoritarianism. The members become extensions of the leadership, and the focus of the church is not mutual ministry, but becomes centered on the pastor/elder, or eldership. All revolves around the leader(s). You are there for their benefit, even while they claim to be serving you.

There is constant power posturing by the pastor, and he is deeply concerned with his image as “the anointed man of God.” Real questioning of his authority and interpretation of the Bible is not permitted. To question him is to question God, since he is “God’s mouthpiece” to you. Any disagreement brings a harsh response, even shunning, from the leaders and the other members. No discussion or independent thought is permitted, and no books, speakers, ministries, music, or style of life except those that the pastor approves of are allowed.

Rather than grace, a strict legalism is enforced in preaching and practice. Legalism does not refer to rules, but it is the false teaching that we earn God’s love and smile by what we do and do not do. God only loves those who perform just right, and he gives grace and blessing to you only if you follow the pastor’s teachings. Rather than resting in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the only basis for our acceptance and favor with God, legalistic ministries teach that you must be holy, even perfect, or God will not smile on you. The pastor defines holiness according to his personal convictions, and you are not free to have any convictions but his. God is seen as the great Judge, not as your loving Father who runs to you in passion, forgiveness and acceptance.

Instead of the church being a place of acceptance of God’s children where they are in their walk with God, the pastor and leadership impose their timetable for growth, and they criticize and shun any who don’t “grow as they should.” Instead of being a place of hope and peace, the church becomes a place of condemnation, as sermon after sermon is about God’s law, God’s holiness, and your failure to obey. Even the slightest “disobedience” is seen as great spiritual failure, and the membership becomes self-absorbed with their own lives and “failures” as the pastor defines them.

The same abuse dynamics as are found in sexual, physical and emotional abuse are used:

1. Powerlessness and Loss of Voice -The pastor or eldership holds all the power. To question them is to question God. Even the smallest words of disagreement are condemned as murmuring, gossip, slander, backbiting, whispering, and disaffection. It is to have the spirit of the sons of Korah who stood against Moses and were swallowed into the earth as punishment for questioning the “Lord’s anointed.” You cannot think for yourself, but must think as the pastor dictates. You cannot speak openly, or you will be condemned as sinful, and you cannot leave without cutting all ties to the only social contacts you have allowed yourself.

2. Loss of Dignity – Your individuality before God is lost, as you become a clone of the pastor or of the group. Your spirit, soul and emotions are made to conform to the group, and you feel only as the group dynamic allows. Rather than being a unique individual before God and man, you become a carbon copy like all the other carbon copies in the church; except for those who will “not grow” as the pastor or eldership dictate.

3. Loss of Relationship – Abusive churches isolate the member by subtle and overt means. Sinners are condemned rather than pitied and loved, so you isolate yourself from meaningful redemptive relationships outside of the church. Other ministries, books, etc. are condemned, and other churches are assailed as not having the truth that you possess. Slowly, the membership becomes self-contained, associating only with itself in any meaningful way.

4. Trauma – Fear of failure and condemnation, fear of leaving, loss of control of your ability to think and act for yourself without the eldership’s approval, and threat of expulsion and banishment are all components of abuse. If you finally leave, the extent of the trauma is overwhelming.

This is what I want to say to you, my brothers and sisters in Jesus. Leave off following a man and a church and follow Jesus alone; you haven’t seen anything yet!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
Plans to give you a hope and a future.

-Jeremiah 29:11

Your Brother in Jesus,
Richard Damiani

If you want to contact me you can do it by e-mail at newhopecounsel@hotmail.com. All contacts will be kept in the strictest confidence.

In his book, “Transforming Grace,” Jerry Bridges put it well. “Despite God’s call to be free and His earnest admonition to resist all efforts to curtail it, there is very little emphasis in Christian circles today on the importance of Christian freedom. Just the opposite seems to be true. Instead of promoting freedom, we stress our rules of conformity. Instead of preaching living by grace, we preach living by performance. Instead of encouraging new believers to be conformed to Christ, we subtly insist that they be conformed to our particular style of Christian culture. We don’t intend to do this and would earnestly deny we are. Yet that’s “the bottom line” effect of our emphasis in Christian circles today.

….We are much more concerned about someone abusing his freedom than we are about his guarding it. We are more afraid of indulging the sinful nature than we are of falling into legalism. Yet legalism does indulge the sinful nature because it fosters self-righteousness and religious pride. It also diverts us from the real issues of the Christian life by focusing on external and sometimes trivial rules.”

What if fellow church members disagree with my opinion or understanding of a particular Scripture? What if they like different types of music? What if they dress differently? What if they are not raising their children just like we are raising ours? So what! What if they do not share my same personal convictions or preferences? What if they leave one local church and join another? Are they now shunned? Are they outcasts? Do you talk about them behind their back, judge them, or accuse them of falling away from holiness because they are not just as you are? You’re a coward and self-righteous! When you see them do you stare them down with condemning disapproval? Or as a hypocrite do you put on a fake smile and spew the lie, “I love you brother” while in your heart you’re nodding with self-righteous disapproval? If any of these carnal, childish, or ignorant thoughts have crossed your mind you do not understand real Christian unity. In Christ we must allow fellow Christians to be different without letting our personal bias twist the Holy Scriptures into supporting our personal opinion.

Our real unity revolves around Jesus Christ. He is the one constant. People are different. Let them be. The one absolute that yokes us together as one is Christ. How He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. In the midst of unique and personal differences we are one in Christ. May the prayer of Jesus be our creed. John 17:20-21 says, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

“Sin is almost the only thing we have in common with everyone else, and so at the feet of Jesus where sin is cleansed is the only place where we can be one. Real oneness conjures up for us the picture of two or more sinners together at Calvary.” –Roy Hession

There is great strength in knowing the marvelous work and gift of Christ on our behalf in His death for our sin, burial, and resurrection. Great rest. Free from wrath. Free from judgment. Free from condemnation. Forgiven. Cleansed. Redeemed. Reconciled. Sanctified. And made the righteousness of God in Him. By faith let this glorious realty constrain us to love Jesus and serve Him in willing obedience. Know that the unmerited favor of God reigns and rules all the way to eternal life.

The justification given for this is that it is a “bad report” and is gossip. Now I don’t want to judge the heart of any member, leader, or Pastor who teaches this but I can tell you from my own experience it breeds a lofty and unrealistic reputation of an individual, a church group, or a particular ministry group. Since problems are never discussed the reputation is one of cream-of-the-crop. It creates the idea that there are no problems and everyone is some type of super saint. It is a clever way of never exposing our real problems. It creates an image that is not honest and provides a way for leadership to control others and public image.

Since a problem is never exposed, often the opinion from outsiders is that of holiness, perfection, high standards, and the appearance that all is well. This teaching is so dangerous, that I actually heard one family say, “We cannot be a part of your church because y’all are just too good.” What?! Are you kidding me?

I pray anyone who may promote this teaching will prayerfully reflect on what I am teaching in this post and not react. I’m asking you to be a critical thinker. To escape the snare of being told what to think and start learning how to think.

What does the Bible teach?

I’d like to begin by pointing out the fact that God Himself has contradicted the idea that if you aren’t part of the problem or the solution, you shouldn’t discuss it. That’s bizarre. As the body of Christ your problem is my problem. Suppose on my way to bed one night, I stump my little toe on the door jamb. As my toe is throbbing in pain, can you imagine the mouth saying, “Sorry little fella, you’re on your own.” No! The brain instructs the leg to elevate the foot. Then he inspires the hand and fingers to massage the toe. He calls on the mouth and voice to offer some moans of sympathy. The body goes to work.

Consider the fact that Holy Scripture exposes in detail problems in local churches for all of us to read and for all of us to learn from. It is spread over the entire body of Christ. Why did God do this? What business is it for the Churches of Ephesus to know what is going on at Corinth? What benefit is there for Philippi to know the issues at Thessalonica? It is two-fold.

First, God wants to always expose the problem so it can be dealt with. So we can repent. So we can start doing what is right. The other reason to expose problems is so that others will fear and not be ensnared by the adversary’s plot to destroy the body of Christ. “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Timothy 5:20). It is a great motivator. It is exhortation, edification, and encouragement to do right.

I am not suggesting that we meddle in peoples lives and expose every minute sin. But I am saying that when a particular sin affects many believers, it should be lovingly dealt with. It should be exposed. The sad part is that those in the body of Christ who expose the problem are accused of being the problem. How twisted. This is another clever and crafty ploy of leadership. The person who exposes the problem becomes the guilty party. They are accused of being gossips. They are accused of causing division. They are accused of sowing discord. They are accused of not submitting to authorities. These are all damaging lies.

As one of my friends recently reminded me, we talk about problems in our own families. We expose them. We deal with them. We talk about them in order to bring about reconciliation with God and one another.

Some may think, “How does this affect the lost?” It will show them that we are imperfect. That we’re not “holier-than-thou” and that we have the same struggles and conflicts in our own lives. But hopefully, the way we respond to each other is so Christ- like that they notice the difference and see we love one another and how we encourage one another to be more like Christ. Hopefully they will observe how Christians deal with problems among themselves.

 Finally, it’s really a pride issue. Exposing a problem lets everyone know you’re not perfect and that you attend an imperfect church. I’ve got news for you, you are and do.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

It is well known that if you quote people out of context you can have them say just about anything you want. We all know that politicians are expert at this craft–especially around election time! Unfortunately, that’s exactly what some people do with the Bible. It’s amazing what the Bible can be made to say if it’s quoted out of context. In fact, it’s often said that a biblical text out of context becomes a pretext. That is, it is used for the purpose of presenting ideas which are more in line with the mind of the speaker than with God’s mind.

Now most Christians do not deliberately pull Scripture out of context. We all have our pet peeves and axes to grind, but let’s hope that we don’t willfully twist and distort Scripture to serve our own purposes. However, many Christians unwittingly take Bible verses out of context by ignoring the context. In fact, it is sad to say that most Christians habitually run the risk of pulling Scripture out of context because they do not give enough attention to the surrounding context.

Let us take Philippians 4:13 as an example of what it means to be controlled by context. What does the Bible mean when it says, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”? Does it mean that I can lift 500 pounds if I have enough faith? Does it mean I can jump off a ten-story building and not break a bone because I have supernatural strength? Does it mean that I can walk on water as Christ did on the Sea of Galilee? Certainly no Christian in his right mind takes Philippians 4:13 that far out of context. But what about other cases?

Consider those Christian students who take on too great a work load–academics, athletics, action groups, and other wholesome activities. They go without proper rest and constantly push themselves to take on more load. Is it right for these students to claim Philippians 4:13 for “success” in all of these areas? Does the context of this verse allow such a claim? Should such students feel they have failed in faith or that the strength of Christ has failed them if they end up on the verge of a burn-out? Has the promise of Philippians 4:13 proved false–or has the verse been taken out of context?

Consider further the Christian man or woman who launches out into a new career or even a new ministry for the Lord without first doing some serious preparation and wise planning. Does Philippians 4:13 predict prosperity as long as the strength of Christ is claimed in faith? Suppose the new career doesn’t work out or the ministry folds. Is it right for the Christian man or woman to be frustrated and uptight with the Lord because Philippians 4:13 doesn’t work? Is the strength of Christ really good for “all things” or has Philippians 4:13 been twisted out of context?

Contributing even further to the confusion concerning the proper interpretation of Philippians 4:13 are those Christians who use the verse to explain why they are so successful in various endeavors. Take the Christian businessman, for example, who quotes Philippians 4:13 in his talk at a testimonial dinner to account for his financial success. This sounds pretty good at first, but where does that leave all the poor struggling Christian business men and women in the audience who are not doing so well financially? Isn’t the strength of Christ good for them too? Has Philippians 4:13 been taken out of context? Or what about the record-setting Christian athlete who humbly quotes Philippians 4:13 to explain the triumph? It all sounds so great, and it certainly comes from an attitude of praise, but when this verse is used as an explanation for athletic accomplishments it raises a serious question. Again we must ask about the Christian athletes who are not so talented and did not win any medals. They also trained and tried their hardest but they either lost or never even qualified. Where was the strength of Christ for them? Certainly many of them had as much faith in the promise of Philippians 4:13 as the winning Christian athlete. Was this verse pulled out of context again?

The problem in all the examples above is that the context of Philippians 4:13 was ignored. The use of this verse by all those well-meaning Christians was not controlled by the context, and thus the verse was made to say things that were never intended by the Holy Spirit. Context is so important for our appreciation and application of Scripture. Studying the context is not only helpful but mandatory for the proper interpretation of any passage of Scripture. Checking out the context safeguards us from far-out interpretations that God never had in mind when He inspired the text. A good under-standing of the context acts as a control over our ideas of what a particular verse means. Knowing the context eliminates the need for guesswork and “inspired imagination!” There is less “I think it means…” and “I feel it means…” kind of interpretation when the context of a passage of Scripture is comprehended.

What exactly do we mean by “context”? Context is more than just the surrounding verses of any text of Scripture. Context means the surrounding paragraphs and chapters and ultimately the whole book of the Bible in which the text is located. The more we come to know the historical background and the original occasion and the intended purpose of that book, and the theme and the structure and the argument of that book, the more we will be helped and controlled in our interpretation of any text in that book of the Bible. By the way, this is why one of the best ways of studying Scripture is the “book by book” method. God did not compose the Bible by putting together isolated verses here and there, but rather He gave His Word by books. Why not study it the way God gave it? This is not to say that topical studies or meditations on favorite passages or even “just-open-and-read-anywhere” approaches to the Bible cannot be profitable. But studying the Bible by books has the added advantage of coming to know what is so vital for proper interpretation: the overall context of any verse in that book.

The basic and obvious reason why understanding context is so important is that God did not write a single verse of Scripture without a context. There is always an historical context and a literary context to any verse in the Bible. Therefore the question of “What does this verse mean to us today?” should always be preceded by “What did this verse mean when it was written”? What was the historical situation? Who was writing and to whom was he writing? When, where and why was this Scripture written? What type of literature was used? Was it prophecy, parable, poem, letter, historical narrative or some other form of literature? Knowing the answers to these questions is all part of knowing the context of the verse, and this knowledge enables us to properly proceed from “What did it mean then?” to “What does it mean now?” Once we’ve done this homework, our applications for today will be more sound and less speculative because they are based squarely on God’s original intention of the text.

Now let us look briefly at the context of Philippians 4:13 and see how even an abbreviated contextual awareness can help us with the interpretation of this verse. The apostle Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote this letter to the Philippians (See Acts 28). The church at Philippi was founded about ten years previously, on Paul’s second missionary journey (See Acts 16). A Christian brother named Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25, 4:18) had come from Philippi to Rome with a financial gift to help Paul’s needs. One of the purposes for the letter to the Philippians was to thank the believers there for their gift and to explain Paul’s situation in Rome. Now notice the verses immediately surrounding Philippians 4:13. Paul was very thankful for the gift and also for the fact that the Philippians were concerned about him (4:10, 14-19). The apostle also stressed (4:11-12) that regardless of his circumstances, he was content because he had learned to depend on the Lord to meet his needs. It is in this context that we have the confident statement of verse 13. In times of need and hardship Paul was not worried or uptight because he had come to know from experience that he could depend completely on Christ for strength. And we can, too! That is the wonderful promise of Philippians 4:13 for us today–in context!

Guided by context control, we see that we shouldn’t claim Philippians 4:13 for financial success or good grades or gold medals, but we can certainly claim it for strength in time of need. Remember also, from the overall context, that the needs that Paul faced were all because of his service for Christ, not hardships resulting from selfish ambition or irresponsibility or negligence. This should further control our interpretation and application of this promise for today.

Are you facing any needs, difficulties or hard times right now because of your decision to stand for Christ? Then you too, like Paul, can claim with all confidence, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

 This essay may be forwarded or printed and freely distributed with acknowledgment.