13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
It is both common and good to memorize Scripture. Sometimes we need verses at the ready in order to give glory to God in moments of celebration. Other times we lean on them for our own strength, or to instill strength in others. In fact, throughout the Bible, we are reminded to ground ourselves by meditating on and living according to the Word of God.
Yet even unbelievers quote — and misquote — some of the most popular verses in the Bible. Phrases like “Money is the root of all evil” or “An eye for an eye” are repeated everywhere yet are among the most misquoted and taken out of context. Believers are not immune to this — but the effects can be long lasting and unintended. For the Christian, misquoting or taking Scripture out of its intended context can lead to a weakening of faith, lack of trust in God’s Word, and in the worst-case scenario, lead to a complete falling away.
When Scripture is misunderstood or made to mean what the human experience wants it to mean, false expectations are formed. Beliefs become anchored in promises God never made. And when those expectations collapse, high hopes come crashing down — not because God failed, but because His Word was never understood as He intended. Often the Father is blamed when the child never truly knew His heart.
Another glaring issue is the challenge of translating Hebrew and Greek to English. Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament. Sometimes English does not always have a word for what the original text expressed. Other times, English requires the order of the original words to be rearranged so the sentence flows in a way English is naturally spoken. This is where the phrase “lost in translation” becomes more than a cliché: it becomes a reality that can twist or dilute what the text was meant to convey. This is partly the case with Philippians 4:13. Another issue is taking Paul’s words out of the context of struggle-to-strength, and instead placing them into the realm of promise and personal achievement.
Most English translations read “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The original Greek order is, “All things I can do“, and this makes a profound difference. The Greek reflects a posture of endurance through struggle. The English translation carries a posture of personal ambition. Personal ambition sets unrealistic expectations — but endurance through struggle is the true power and strength Christ provides — a strength that often enables us to meet or exceed our own expectations.
Now that we understand the original order and posture of Paul’s words, we can further extract what he meant by “all things.” Rarely does a single verse or phrase in Scripture stand on its own: the surrounding text is usually required to fully grasp the weight of what is written. Philippians 4:13 is no exception. The meaning of all things only becomes clear when read within Paul’s conversation about being content in hardship.
Philippians 4:11 says, “for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” The phrase “I am” in verse 11 naturally leads into “I can” in verse 13. If we were to lace verses 11 and 13 together, Paul’s thought could actually be expressed this way: “for I have learned in whatsoever state I am… I can do.” His ability to “do” in verse 13 flows directly from his contentment in verse 11. The strength he speaks of is not for selfish ambition, but for personal endurance through struggles and circumstances he’s in.
Now let’s take a look at what “all things” are. In verse 3, he speaks of the women who “labored in the Gospel” with him — a reference to spreading and living the Gospel. In verse 8, he instructs the Philippians to think on things that are “true, just, pure, lovely, have virtue and are worthy of praise.” But it is verse 12 that most scholars and theologians agree defines the “all things” of verse 13. In it Paul writes:
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Here is where we see the true posture of endurance through circumstances, not the pursuit of selfish ambitions. Paul’s “all things” are not achievements, goals, or dreams — but they are a wide range of experiences he has endured by depending on Christ’s strength within himself.
We are given the essence of “through Christ who strengthens me.” With the correct understanding, Paul’s thought could fully be expressed this way: “I can endure all circumstances I find myself in, through the strength I have in Christ.” Given the size limitations of the parchment his letters were written on — and the fact that much more thought was given to the context of writings back then compared to now, there was no need to oversimplify what would have been clear to his original readers.
We must remember that Paul nor any of the other writers of scripture wrote to an audience thousands of years in the future — nor were their thoughts interrupted by chapter and verse divisions. They wrote to people who shared their language, understood their culture, was familiar with the struggles of their era. Their readers instinctively understood the text — something we tend to lose when we lift a single verse out of its original setting.
God’s promises never fail, and the inspiration given to the writers of scripture needs no new clarification in order to fit our culture. We must, however, adapt our culture in order for Scripture to be effective in our lives. This does not mean so-called “going back to the Stone Age” or abandoning technology that defines our generation. Technology advances every generation and creates a culture around that technology. What doesn’t change is the human condition — and that is what makes Scripture relevant, powerful, and effective today.
When you read Scripture, give to it the thought and patience it deserves. “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” is a helpful acronym for the Bible because it reminds us that we are reading an instruction manual. One with a wealth of wisdom that does not promise a life free of struggle, pain, or affliction — yet offers peace, prosperity, and patience in the midst of them. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Scripture, with the correct understanding, gives life — and an abundant life.
Amen.