Philippians 4:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.

NIV: Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings.

NASB: Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.

CSB: Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you greetings.

NLT: Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people — all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings.

KJV: Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.

NKJV: Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.

This verse begins the conclusion to Paul's letter, consisting of the final three verses of Philippians. Paul's conclusion begins with a request to pass along greetings. Paul refers to all of the Philippian believers as "saints" here, as well as in the first verse of the letter (Philippians 1:1). In Philippians 4:22, he will add that all the saints with Paul, meaning all the Christian believers Paul was working with in Rome, send greetings to the Philippians. Unlike today's perception of saints as a special class of spiritual individuals, the New Testament portrays every true believer as a saint, a word meaning "holy one."

Paul adds greetings from the believers with him in Rome. The use of anthropoi indicates this group may consist of both "brothers and sisters" and is not specific only to men. The church in Rome was growing rapidly during this time, expanding even from the time Paul wrote the book of Romans, in about AD 56. Just six years later, it appears Paul has reached many more with the gospel.

Philippians 4:21–23 concludes Paul's letter to the church at Philippi. As with many of his other writings, Paul emphasizes brotherhood and the grace of God. In several of his epistles, Paul closes out his remarks with an appeal to the grace of God, through Jesus Christ. As a man drastically transformed by that grace, Paul had good reasons to remind others of it often.

Paul specifically asks two Christian women, Euodia and Syntyche, to settle their personal dispute. Other Christians are encouraged to act as reasonable, Christ-filled people. Paul notes that his experiences have taught him to be content with whatever material blessings he has. This reliance on the power of Christ not only allows believers to be content, it produces peace in our relationships to other Christians. This also requires a deliberate choice to set our attention on positive things. Paul extends sincere thanks to the Philippians for their generous support.

After putting suffering and hardship into perspective in the previous three chapters, Paul now gives specific thanks to the Philippians for their support and generosity. Prior passages in this letter have explained concepts like humility and hope, as well as a focus on Christ. Positive attitudes, and beneficial thinking, are especially important. In this concluding section, Paul calls on the Philippians to act with ''reasonableness,'' especially as they handle disagreements within the church. Paul is confident that God will bless these faithful Christians for their generous support.

Philippians is Paul's discussion of living the Christian life. In this letter to the church of Philippi, Paul highlights themes such as joy and glory. He also puts great emphasis on how a Christian's thinking—their attitude—affects the way they live out their faith. Paul is very thankful for the support of the Philippian church, but is also concerned about the influence of various false teachers. This letter is less theological than most of his other writings, and more practical.

Accessed 11/21/2024 11:42:46 PM