Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) My God.—The expression is emphatic. St. Paul had accepted the offerings as made, not to himself, but to the God whose minister he was. Hence he adds, “my God”—the God, whom ye serve in serving me.

All your need.—Properly, every need of yours, spiritual and temporal.

In glory.—We have already noticed the constant reference to “glory” in the Epistles of the Captivity. Where the word relates to God in Himself, His “glory” is His true nature as manifested to His creatures; where it refers to man, “glory” is the perfection of man’s nature in the communion with God in Heaven. Here the latter sense is obviously to be taken. The “supplying of every need out of the riches” of God’s love can only have its consummation in the “glory” of the future. That it is “in Christ Jesus” is a matter of course; for He is to “change even our body of humiliation to be fashioned like unto the body of His glory” (Philippians 3:21).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:10-19 It is a good work to succour and help a good minister in trouble. The nature of true Christian sympathy, is not only to feel concern for our friends in their troubles, but to do what we can to help them. The apostle was often in bonds, imprisonments, and necessities; but in all, he learned to be content, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best of it. Pride, unbelief, vain hankering after something we have not got, and fickle disrelish of present things, make men discontented even under favourable circumstances. Let us pray for patient submission and hope when we are abased; for humility and a heavenly mind when exalted. It is a special grace to have an equal temper of mind always. And in a low state not to lose our comfort in God, nor distrust his providence, nor take any wrong course for our own supply. In a prosperous condition not to be proud, or secure, or worldly. This is a harder lesson than the other; for the temptations of fulness and prosperity are more than those of affliction and want. The apostle had no design to urge them to give more, but to encourage such kindness as will meet a glorious reward hereafter. Through Christ we have grace to do what is good, and through him we must expect the reward; and as we have all things by him, let us do all things for him, and to his glory.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But my God shall supply all your need - That is, "You have shown your regard for me as a friend of God, by sending to me in my distress, and I have confidence that, in return for all this, God will supply all your needs, when you are in circumstances of necessity." Paul's confidence in this seems not to have been founded on any express revelation; but on the general principle that God would regard their offering with favor. Nothing is lost, even in the present life, by doing good. In thousands of instances it is abundantly repaid. The benevolent are not usually poor; and if they are, God often raises up for them benefactions, and sends supplies in a manner as unexpected, and hearing proofs of divine interposition as decided, as when supplies were sent by the ravens to the prophet.

According to his riches in glory - see the notes, Ephesians 3:16. The word "riches" here means, His abundant fullness; His possessing all things; His inexhaustible ability to supply their needs. The phrase "in glory," is probably to he connected with the following phrase, "in Christ Jesus;" and means that the method of imparting supplies to people was through Jesus Christ, and was a glorious method; or, that it was done in a glorious manner. It is such an expression as Paul is accustomed to use, when speaking of what God does. He is not satisfied with saying simply that it is so; but connects with it the idea that whatever God does is done in a way worthy of himself, and so as to illustrate his own perfections.

In Christ Jesus - By the medium of Christ; or through him. All the favors that Paul expected for himself, or his fellow-men, he believed would be conferred through the Redeemer. Even the supply of our temporal needs comes to us through the Saviour. Were it not for the atonement, there is no more reason to suppose that blessings would be conferred upon people than that they would be on fallen angels. For them no atonement has been made; and at the hand of justice they have received only wretchedness and woe.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19. my—Paul calls God here "my God," to imply that God would reward their bounty to His servant, by "fully supplying" (translate so, literally, fill to the full) their every "need" (2Co 9:8), even as they had "fully" supplied his "need" (Php 4:16, 18). My Master will fully repay you; I cannot. The Philippians invested their bounty well since it got them such a glorious return.

according to his riches—The measure of His supply to you will be the immeasurable "riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7).

in glory—These words belong to the whole sentence. "Glory" is the element in which His rich grace operates; and it will be the element IN which He will "supply fully all your need."

by Christ Jesus—by virtue of your being "IN" (so Greek, not "by") Christ Jesus, the Giver and Mediator of all spiritual blessings.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

But my God: see Philippians 4:3: he saith my God, because he imputeth and owneth that to be done to himself which is done according to his mind unto any of his ambassadors, he having received the gift from their hand by Paul.

Shall supply all your need; will, in a gracious return to Paul’s prayer, abundantly answer (yea, above all he could ask or think) all their expectations, Psalm 41:1-3, with 2 Corinthians 9:8,10.

According to his riches in glory; agreeably to his own fulness and rich mercy, Psalm 24:1 1 Corinthians 10:26 Ephesians 2:4; gloriously, or riches of his glory, Ephesians 3:16, and goodness, Romans 2:4 9:23; sustaining and defending them liberally and powerfully here, to his own glory, and taking them hereafter into everlasting glory.

By Christ Jesus; through the mediation of, and by virtue of their communion with, Christ Jesus.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But my God shall supply all your need,.... Or "fulfil all your need": the Jews, when they would comfort any, under the loss of any worldly enjoyment, used to say, , "God fulfil", or "will fulfil thy need" (f). The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read these words as a wish or prayer, "but may my God supply" or "fulfil all your need"; I am not able to make you any returns, but I pray that my God would recompence it to you, that as you have supplied my want, he would supply all yours; but we with others, and as the Ethiopic version, read, "shall" or "will supply"; as an assertion by way of promise, though he could not, yet his God would; he who was his God, not only as the God of nature and providence, or as the God of the Israelites, but as the God of all grace; who had loved him as such, had chosen, adopted, regenerated, and sanctified him; who was his God in Christ, and by virtue of the covenant of grace, and which was made known in the effectual calling; whose ambassador he was, and whom he had faithfully served in the Gospel of his Son; this God, who had been his God, was and would be so unto death, in whom he had an interest, and because he had an interest in him, and was thus related to him, be firmly believed, and fully assures these saints, that he would supply their wants who had been so careful of him: believers, though they need nothing as considered in Christ, being complete and filled full in him, having in him all grace, and all spiritual blessings, and under believing views of this at times, see themselves complete and wanting nothing; yet, in themselves, they are poor and needy, and often want fresh discoveries of the love of God to them, fresh supplies of grace from Christ, stand in need of more light from him, and to be quickened according to his word; they want fresh supplies of strength from him answerable to the service and work they are daily called to; and as their trials and afflictions abound, they have need of renewed comfort to support under them; and have also need of fresh manifestations and applications of pardoning grace to their souls, and fresh views of the righteousness of Christ, as their justifying righteousness before God; and, in a word, need daily food for their souls as for their bodies: now God, who is also their God, is able and willing to supply their wants; and he does so, he withholds no good thing from them, nor do they want any good thing needful for them, for he supplies "all" their need; and this they may expect, since he is the God of all grace, and a fulness of grace is in his Son; and this grace is sufficient for them, and a supply of it is given them by the Spirit,

according to his riches; God is rich not only in the perfections of his nature, which are inconceivable and incommunicable; and in the works of his hands, of creation and providence, the whole earth is full of his riches, Psalm 104:24, and according to these riches of his goodness he supplies the wants of all creatures living; but he is also rich in grace and mercy, Ephesians 2:4, and it is according to the riches of his grace he supplies the spiritual wants of his people, and he does it like himself, according to the riches he has; he gives all things richly to enjoy, plenteously and abundantly:

in glory: in a glorious manner, so as to show himself glorious, and make his people so, to the glory of his rich grace; and "with glory", as it may be rendered, with eternal glory; he will not only give grace here, and more of it as is needful, according to the abundance of it in himself and in his Son, but glory hereafter: and all

by Christ Jesus; and through him, who is full of grace and truth; who is the Mediator in whom the fulness of it lies, and through whose hands, and by whom, it is communicated to the saints: or "with Christ Jesus"; along with him God gives all things freely, all things pertaining to life and godliness: or "for the sake of Christ Jesus"; not for any worth or merit in men, but for the sake of Christ, in whom they are accepted, and on whose account respect is had to their persons, and so to their wants,

(f) T. Bab. Betacot, fol. 16. 2. Debarim Rabba, sect. 4. fol. 239. 4.

Geneva Study Bible

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Php 4:19. The thought starts from τῷ Θεῷ. But God, to whom your gift stands in the relation of such a sacrifice, will recompense you.

Paul says ὁ δὲ Θεός μου (comp. Php 1:3), because he himself had been the recipient of that which they had brought as a sacrifice pleasing to God; as his God (to whom he belongs and whom he serves, comp. on Romans 1:8), therefore, will God carry out the recompense.

πληρώσει] used with significant reference to πεπλήρ., Php 4:18, according to the idea of recompense. Not, however, a wish (hence also in Codd. and in the Vulgate the reading πληρώσαι), as Chrysostom, Luther, and others take it, but a promise.

πᾶσαν χρείαν ὑμῶν] likewise corresponding to the service which the readers had rendered; for they had sent εἰς τὴν χρείαν (Php 4:16) of the apostle. To be understood as: every need which ye have, not merely bodily (so usually, following Chrysostom, who explains it as the fulfilment of the fourth petition, also van Hengel, de Wette, Wiesinger), and not merely spiritual (Pelagius, Rilliet, also mainly Weiss), but as it stands: every need. It is not, however, an earthly recompense which is meant (Hofmann), but (comp. on Php 4:17) the recompense in the Messiah’s kingdom, where, in the enjoyment of the σωτηρία, the highest satisfaction of every need (comp. on πληρ. χρείαν, Thuc. i. 70. 4, and Wetstein in loc.) shall have set in amidst the full, blessed sufficiency of the eternal ζωή (comp. Romans 8:17 f.; Revelation 21:4).[194] There are specifications of this satisfaction in the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5; comp. especially the χορτασθήσεσθε and γελάσετε, Luke 6:21, also the οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα in John 4:14, and the sarcastic κεκορεσμένοι, in 1 Corinthians 4:8. That it is the Messianic satisfaction in the ἐλευθερία τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ Θεοῦ (Romans 8:21), in the possession of the πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ (Ephesians 1:18), which is to be thought of, Paul himself states by ἐν δόξῃ, which is to be taken as instrumental (Ephesians 1:23; Ephesians 5:18) and dependent on πληρ.: with glory, whereby the Messianic is indicated. Hofmann also, though he rejects the instrumental view, comes ultimately to it: “Therewith and thus will God fulfil all their need, in that He gives them glory.”[195] Others, who also correctly join the words with πληρ., take them as a modal definition: in a glorious way, that is, amply, splendide, and the like. See Castalio, Beza, Calvin, and many others, including Hoelemann, van Hengel, Rilliet, de Wette, Wiesinger, Weiss. But what an indefinite yet peculiarly affected, and withal—by its so habitual reference elsewhere to the final judgment—misleading expression would this be for so simple an idea! And how far would it be from the apostle’s mind, considering his expectation of the nearness of the Parousia (comp. 1 Corinthians 7:29; 1 Corinthians 7:31), to promise on this side of it a hearty recompense, which was to take place, moreover, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ! An appeal is wrongly made to 2 Corinthians 9:8, where an increase of means for further well-doing, to be granted through God’s blessing, and not the recompense, is the point under discussion. Others erroneously join ἐν δόξῃ with τὸ πλοῦτος αὐτοῦ (Grotius, Storr, Flatt, Rheinwald, and others): “Proverbs amplissimis suis divitiis, id est, potestate sua omnia excedente,” Heinrichs. It is true that ἐν δόξῃ might be attached without a connecting article (according to the combination πλουτεῖν ἐν τινι, 1 Timothy 6:8; comp. 1 Corinthians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 9:11); but Paul always connects πλοῦτος with the genitive of the thing, and πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης in particular, said of God, is so constantly used by him, that it seems altogether unwarranted to assume the expression πλοῦτος ἐν δόξῃ in this passage. See Romans 9:23; Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:27. He would have written: κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, comp. Romans 9:23.

κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος αὐτοῦ] that is, in conformity with His being so rich, and consequently having so much to give. Comp. Romans 10:12; Romans 11:33. This assures what is promised.

ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ] definition annexed to πληρώσει … δόξῃ; that which is promised has its causal ground in Christ, who by His work has acquired for believers the eternal δόξα. Christ is, in fact, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης, Colossians 1:27.

[194] Hofmann very irrelevantly objects that it is out of place to speak of want in that kingdom. But just, in fact, on that account is the bliss of the kingdom the complete satisfaction of every need. Comp. Revelation 7:16 f.; 2 Timothy 4:7 f. Thus also is the perfect then put in the place of that which is in part. Consequently the idea of the satisfaction of every χρεία in eternal life, where man even beholds God, and where He is all in all, is anything but a “monstrous thought.”

[195] In order, however, to bring out of the passage, notwithstanding this ἐν δόξῃ, the idea of a recompense in this life, Hofmann makes δόξα mean the glory of the children of God which is hidden from the world, and which is the fulfilment of every want only in proportion “as there is lacking in us what, either corporally or spiritually, is necessary for the completion of our divine sonship.” Instead of such arbitrary inventions, let us keep clearly before us how great a weight in the very word of promise, which forms the conclusion of the epistle, lies in the fact that the grand aim of all promise and hope, i.e. the glory of eternal life (Romans 5:2; Romans 8:18; Romans 8:21; Romans 9:23; 1 Corinthians 15:43; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 3:4; and many other passages), is once more presented to the reader’s view.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Php 4:19. ὁ δὲ Θεός κ.τ.λ. God’s treatment of them corresponds to their treatment of Paul. They had ministered to his χρεία. so that he could say πεπλήρωμαι. That was the side of the reckoning which stood to their credit. Here is the other side. “My God shall repay what has been done to me His servant for the Gospel’s sake. He, in turn, shall satisfy to the full (πληρώσει) every need of yours.”—τὸ πλοῦτος must be read. See crit. note supr. So also in 2 Corinthians 8:2, Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 3:16, Colossians 1:27; Colossians 2:2. But ὁ πλοῦτος in Ephesians 1:18, and repeatedly both in nominative, genitive and accusative singular. Modern Greek uses πλοῦτος, βίος, θρῆνος sometimes with ὁ, sometimes with τό. LXX generally has ὁ.—ἐν δόξῃ. The phrase is regarded by some (e.g., Beng., Ws[70]., Eadie, etc.) as = “in a lavish, magnificent way”. This is to strain the sense. It is much more natural, comparing Romans 8:21, Ephesians 1:18 (τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας), to think of it as the future Messianic glory which Paul believed to be so near (so Lft[71]., Kl[72]., etc.).

[70] . Weiss.

[71] Lightfoot.

[72] . Klöpper.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. But] R.V., “And.” But surely there is a slight contrast meant, to an implied wish that he could send back some material requital of his own to alleviate their “deep poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:2).

my God] Words deeply characteristic of St Paul. See on Php 1:3 above. Bp Lightfoot well remarks that the phrase is specially in point here; the Apostle is thinking of what God on his behalf shall do for others.

shall supply] Promise, not only aspiration. He is sure of His faithfulness.—“Supply”:—lit., “fill,” pouring His bounty into the void of the “need.”

all your need] R.V., somewhat better, every need of yours. See again, 2 Corinthians 8:2, where the exceptional poverty of the converts of Northern Greece is referred to. The prominent thought here is, surely, that of temporal poverty. Cp. particularly 2 Corinthians 9:8, where the first reference seems to be to God’s ability to supply to His self-denying servants always more from which they may still spare and give. But neither here nor in 2 Cor. are we for a moment to shut out the widest and deepest applications of the truth stated.

his riches in glory] His resources, consisting in, and so lodged in, His own “glory” of Divine power and love. Cp. Romans 6:4, and note in this Series, for a similar use of the word “glory.”—Bp Lightfoot prefers to connect “shall supply, in glory, your need, according to His riches,” and he explains the thought to be, “shall supply your need by placing you in glory.” But we venture to think this construction needlessly difficult.—Anything in which God is “glorified” (see e. g. Galatians 1:24) is, as it were, a reflection of His holy glory, and a result of it. Tender providential goodness to the poor Philippians would be such a result.

On St Paul’s love of the word “riches” in Divine connexions, cp. Ephesians 1:7, and note in this Series.

in Christ Jesus] “in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead,” “in whom” the saints are “filled,” as regards all their needs (Colossians 2:9-10). The “glory” of both grace and providence is lodged, for His people, in Him.

Bengel's Gnomen

Php 4:19. Ὁ δὲ Θεός μου, but my God) who will recompense what is given to His servant. In Php 4:19 this particular statement regarding the liberality of the Philippians is concluded by the word δὲ, but; but in Php 4:20 the conclusion of the whole of this joyous passage is made by δὲ, but [‘now.’]—πληρώσει) may God supply, nay, He will fully supply. [We may perceive that this act of kindness on the part of the Philippians was indeed excellently laid out, if even it only produced this prayer of the apostle.—V. g.]—χρείαν, need) As you have supplied and relieved my need, what is empty of yours will not remain empty [it shall be filled, πληρώσει Θεός].—ἐν δόξῃ, in glory) This should be referred to the whole sentence. There are riches in glory, glorious riches, immediately at hand; then besides, God will fully supply in glory, i.e. gloriously.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 19. - But my God shall supply all your need; rather, as R.V., every need of yours, My God; the pronoun is emphatic, as in Philippians 1:3. God will accept your offerings as made to him; you have supplied my need, he will supply every need of yours. According to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Not by; it should be "in Christ Jesus." The reward is given to his saints through union with him: "Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, they are changed into the same image kern glory to glory." In glory; that is, by setting them in glory - the glory of holiness now, the glory of eternal life hereafter. Philippians 4:19

Vincent's Word Studies

In glory

This is differently connected by expositors. Some with riches, as A.V. and Rev. Others with shall supply, but with different explanations, as, shall supply your need with glory: in a glorious way: by placing you in glory. It is better to construe with shall supply, and to explain in glory as the element and instrument of the supply. The need shall be supplied in glory and by glory; by placing you in glory where you shall be partakers of glory.