According to 4:10-13, Paul applies the secret he has learned to his circumstances in prison. As a prisoner in Rome, he was far away from many of the believers and from many churches which had been raised up through his ministry. No doubt, during his imprisonment, he suffered both psychologically and physically. He was in need of a material supply. It certainly was not easy for him to be in prison under such circumstances.
According to the record in the New Testament, when Paul was journeying in Europe for the ministry, the church in Philippi was unique in taking care of Paul’s material needs. In 4:15 he says, “And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I went out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the account of giving and receiving but you only.” Paul’s use of the word account here indicates that the Philippian believers’ supply of material things to the apostle opened an account with him. As we shall see more fully in the next message, the believers in Philippi had opened an account with Paul in a way similar to opening an account in a bank today. More than once, the Philippian saints had made deposits into this account. In verse 16 Paul reminds them, “For even in Thessalonica you sent both once and again to my need.” In verse 17 Paul again refers to the account the believers had opened with him: “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit which increases to your account.”
We have pointed out that the Philippian believers had opened a heavenly account with Paul and were known for the way they had supplied his material needs. However, when Paul was in prison, he had certain physical needs. Because Paul was still human, he expected the Philippians to continue remembering him. But for a period of time, the Philippians did not do this. This is implied by Paul’s word in verse 10: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you caused your thinking for me to blossom anew; wherein you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.” Notice the words at length and blossom anew. For some time, the Philippians’ thinking of Paul had been dormant; it might even have withered. Their thinking for him certainly was not blossoming. But when Paul wrote this verse, winter had passed, and spring had come. He could now say that their thinking for him had begun to blossom anew. Paul was very kind in saying, “You did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.” In Paul’s words, however, there is the implication that before this blossoming anew of their thinking for him, Paul had hoped to receive from them some material supply. He had hoped to be supplied by the church which was unique in having opened a heavenly account with him. But for a period of time, no deposits came in. The “blossoms” had withered during the winter. But now that spring had arrived, there was a new blossoming.
It was sovereign of the Lord that the material supply from the Philippians had stopped temporarily. Yes, they had opened an account with Paul, but what is the use of an account if no deposits come in? This time when there was no supply was a time of testing for Paul, a time for him to be abased. No doubt, when Epaphroditus came with the supply, making a large deposit into the heavenly account, that was the time for Paul to abound. Therefore, in verse 12 he could declare, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound.” He knew both how to be humbled and be in lowly circumstances and also how to live with abundance.
In verse 12 Paul uses some puzzling expressions. He says, “in everything and in all things.” What, we may ask, is the difference between everything and all things? Are not these identical terms? Also, at the beginning of the verse Paul says that he knows “both how to be abased” and “how to abound.” But toward the end of the verse he reverses the order and says that he has learned the secret “both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to be in want.” In studying the Word we must pay attention to matters such as these.
In these verses Paul indicates that he was in want; he needed a material supply. When he was in want, he was abased. In the presence of the jailers, the guards, and even the whole praetorium he was in want and was abased. Perhaps others said of him, “Poor prisoner! No one takes care of him, and nothing comes as a supply to him.” Then suddenly Epaphroditus arrived with a gift from the Philippians. In verse 18 Paul says, “But I have all things and abound; I have been filled, receiving from Epaphroditus the things from you, a fragrant odor, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.” Now that Paul had received their rich supply, he was not lacking in anything. He could say, “I have all things and abound.”
Before Epaphroditus came, Paul was abased. After he came with the supply, Paul was abounding. But he did not know how long this abounding would last. He knew that probably the time would come when once again he would be in want. He had been in a low situation; now he was at a peak. But perhaps in not too long a time he would be low again. This was the reason he first said, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound.” But because Epaphroditus had arrived with the supply, Paul then changed the order and said, “I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to be in want.” Knowing that his circumstances could change again very soon, Paul said that he knew not only how to be abased and how to abound, but also how to abound and how to be in want.