Philippians 4:13 Strong in Him Who is invigorating me!

For All am I strong in Him Who is invigorating me – Christ!

By “all things” Paul is referring to everything he spoke of in the previous verse. Abundance and deficiency, being full and hungry. In all these circumstances, Paul was self-sufficient (:11) and content, independent of circumstances. So Paul does not mean, as his words are often understood, that he could or is capable of everything. Such an explanation takes Paul’s words out of context.

We do even more violence to this text by quoting only half of the sentence. “I am strong in all things,” period. Because by cutting like this you completely miss the secret of Paul’s strength. This is not muscle talk from him. And he is also not a self-righteous powerhouse. Paul is strong, yes. Because against every circumstance, in all its extreme forms, he appears to be able to cope. But he does not have that strength and energy of his own. That he is strong in all things he owes entirely to the risen Christ, who had once called him. Since then he has had only one purpose: to know Him and the power of His resurrection (3:10). That is the unlimited power (Gr. dunamis = power) that is available to him and to us!

Delen: