Whatever Is True and Honorable; Put It Into Practice (Philippians 4:8–9)

Phil. 4:8. Finally, my brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

“Finally” means either: I will no longer enumerate in detail what rules you must observe; I will say to you in general—think on these things and do this! Or: however, having heard of peace, do not suppose that this means remaining in idleness. No, this peace demands intensified activity, only of a different kind. Think on these things—and not only think, but also do them. If you conduct yourselves thus, the peace of God will not depart from you; for then the God of peace will be with you without ceasing.

“Whatever things are true.” True is everything that God has been pleased to reveal to us. Study these truths and fill your mind with them, so that whenever it reasons, it reasons by nothing other than these truths. Then, whatever you speak about, you will speak in accordance with them as well. “I ask you to adorn your words with truth” (Blessed Theodoret). In the practical sense: everything in the world is illusory; it beckons but does not deliver, and therefore deceives—it is falsehood. Christianity both promises true good and gives it; it is true. Put otherwise: in sin and the passions there is falsehood and deception, while in Christian life and virtue there is truth. So St. Chrysostom: “What is perfectly true is the same as virtue, and falsehood is the same as vice; for the pleasure of vice is a lie, and the glory of it is a lie, and everything in the world is falsehood.”

“Honorable, just, pure”—honesty, justice, purity of heart. Here is a gradation of activity: honesty and justice encompass outward conduct; purity pertains to inner dispositions and intentions. “By ‘honorable’ is meant the outward, and by ‘pure’ the inward dignity” (St. Chrysostom). “Illuminate your life with honesty and justice” (Blessed Theodoret). Honesty and justice, though they manifest in outward conduct, proceed in the Christian from inner requirements and are not observed merely for outward considerations. Since his conscience is purified and enlightened by the commandments and by grace, not only his deeds are honest and just, but his very character is honest and just. These qualities belong not to education or social standing, but to the Christian manner of life. A Christian, however low he may stand in society by outward circumstances, is always honest and just: these virtues shine upon his brow; and nothing will cause him to act dishonestly or unjustly, so long as he is a true Christian.

Such is he in his deeds; but no different in his intentions and feelings—for he walks before God, that is, he does not depart from God in his consciousness; and therefore not only in deeds, but also in interior movements, he permits nothing that is displeasing to God. “Whatever things are pure” is said in contrast to the expression: “who mind earthly things” (St. Chrysostom). By this the Apostle exhorts to “do what is well-pleasing to God” (Blessed Theodoret). The chief matter here is intentions and aims: nothing for oneself, everything for God; nothing merely before men, but all as before the eyes of God. Nothing for oneself—neither for pleasure, nor for some benefit, nor for glory and honor. Nothing merely before men—not out of vanity or people-pleasing. In one in whom all proceeds thus, the qualities of self-denial and love for God and neighbor hold sway—the two most essential elements of which purity is composed, or the two foundations upon which it stands.

“Whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report”—as though to say: what pleases people and earns their praise—that is, people-pleasing and vainglory. But since one cannot expect the Apostle to condescend to such motives, one must conclude that it is possible to think and do what is lovely without people-pleasing, and what is praiseworthy without vainglory. The holy Apostle said of himself that he never allowed himself to live at another’s expense, but supported himself by his own labor—he would by no means allow this glory and praise of his, this praiseworthiness, to be abolished. But for what reason did he act so? So as not to place an obstacle before the Gospel, so that the preaching might not be spoken against. He is imitated by one who does what is praiseworthy not for his own praise, but so that no one might dare to speak ill of Christianity—that Christianity might be praised, or the Christian people, as the people of Christ. How much strength, and at the same time self-denial, is in one who is ready for everything so that the name of Christian might be glorified! Such a person does not live for himself alone, but lives in the whole body of the Church and, having received everything from it, sacrifices everything to it. And he lives in the Lord: for the glory of the Church is His glory, and the glory of the Christian people is the glory of Christ.

Likewise: “whatever things are lovely”—this admits nothing of people-pleasing; on the contrary, one may go counter to others and tell them the truth bluntly, yet all this is received lovingly. Loveliness denotes the tenderness of Christian love, by which, while making no concession to the vices and passions of others, it yet repels no one—being able, in a form not bitter, to reach to their hearts and lay there corrective impulses. It has in view not itself, but the true good of others, and grieves for them; but out of deep sympathy with them it does not allow itself, in the manner of its action upon them, to produce anything painful in their hearts—acting rather as a poultice which, though it may sting a little at times, at the same time imparts the pleasant sensation of healing. The model of loveliness is the actions of a mother who tenderly loves her children. This indicates only that aspect of loveliness in which it acts for the correction of others. In the ordinary course of things it is impossible to describe how lovely is a person filled with the true spirit of Christianity. The mere appearance of such a person establishes a sweet peace and draws everyone to him. It is impossible to define rules for loveliness. It flows of itself from the spirit and life in Christ Jesus, as the fragrance of a rose flows from the rose-flower.

“If there is any virtue and if there is any praise.” To speak generally once more—or, more briefly still—only what is virtuous and praiseworthy should be the object of your thoughts, undertakings, and labors. Praiseworthy, as said above, means not allowing oneself anything by which the glory of the Christian name might be diminished. Virtue denotes every good deed and every good disposition required by the commandments of God. This one word encompasses everything: stand before the Lord in your heart, and to His glory, to His pleasure, perform every good to which you are bound—as you discern—by the combination of circumstances surrounding you, without any sparing of self or self-pity. This determines what appear to be particulars, but they all proceed from one all-encompassing spirit of zeal for blameless service to God.

“Think on these things.” “Do you see that he wishes to drive every evil thought from our souls? For from evil thoughts evil deeds are born” (St. Chrysostom). The proper ordering of thoughts is a matter of great importance in the moral life. Our mind is swift-moving and cannot be idle; it therefore produces thoughts without ceasing. Material for them is supplied by every part of our nature and the whole range of our activity. Therefore, as the whole person is, so are his thoughts; and, conversely, as the thoughts are, so is the person. When a person turns from sin and the passions toward virtue and purity, his intention, though firm, does not have all of him suddenly obedient to it. That by which he formerly fed the passions and sin within him long continues to arouse sympathy in him and to call up desires. Although, having resolved not to serve sin, he does not yield to it, he cannot but experience anxiety, disturbance, and apprehension on account of it. And in this, thoughts are his first enemies—for from them everything begins. The objects of sin and the passions have already been removed, but the memory of them still crowds the consciousness. Memory together with imagination composes entire histories for the purpose of temptation; the enemy settles beside them; and from this a whole army is formed, fighting against the good aims of one who is correcting himself and striving to make progress. His first task, for this reason, is to disperse this hostile army—to gain mastery over his thoughts and make them not enemies but helpmates. The means for this is to occupy the mind with good thoughts. For as from bad thoughts bad desires are born, so from good thoughts good desires are born. And this is precisely what the Apostle now counsels. Amid good thoughts, good intentions will be formed; after intentions, deeds will follow. And a life pleasing to God will advance and be perfected.

But “think,” λογιζεσθε — may have another meaning as well, namely: take into account, reckon as valuable, worthy of attention and care. St. Chrysostom also gives the word this sense, saying: “The Apostle desires that they dwell in these things unceasingly, strive after them, make such deeds their aim.” Though even this amounts to thinking; yet it means thinking with the intention of at once putting into practice—the thinking here being a deliberation about how best to act. However, the two meanings are not far from one another; and there is no need to strain to distinguish them strictly or to draw a line of division between them, or to say that this meaning fits the present passage and that one does not: both fit; for both converge in the single person who is zealous for good.

Phil. 4:9. The things which you both learned and received and heard and saw in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Not as though what was said before is to be thought upon, while what is now indicated is to be practiced. Rather, “think on these things” there and “practice these things” here—it is all one and the same, what was spoken of there. Here he adds only: this is what I taught you by word and by deed—this is what you received. Now then—do it: and the God of peace will be with you.

The Apostle takes every care to ease their minds, so that they need not rack their heads deliberating what exactly to do—what the true, the honorable, the pure, all virtue might mean. Do as you heard from me and as you saw in me. I am not saying anything new, but the same thing you have already been taught and have received; if you cannot recall my words, look at the deeds, which are harder to forget. “Both in words did I teach you this, and in deeds did I show you the same” (Blessed Theodoret). “What an excellent instruction! In all his exhortations the Apostle holds up himself as an example. Just as above he says: ‘as you have us for an example’ (Phil. 3:17), so here too he says: ‘and heard and saw in me’—from words and from actions and from the manner of life you learned. Since it was impossible to speak in detail about everything, he spoke briefly and in general: ‘you heard and saw in me’—that is, when I was among you; as if to say: I guided you both by words and by deeds. So act accordingly” (St. Chrysostom).

“And the God of peace will be with you.” God is everywhere; yet He is not with all and not in all—because not all are with Him. Self-indulgence and the passions remove us from God—to the point that we forget Him entirely. But as soon as we choose to please God instead of pleasing ourselves, and virtues instead of passions, then we begin to be with God. And God has long been with us already. It was only sins that separated us. As soon as sins are removed, He is there. Through repentance and the resolve to please God we are reconciled with Him. He receives us as we turn to Him, graciously covers us with His love, and fills us with every power. “When we have peace with God, all the more will He abide with us. If He spared us when we were turning away from Him, how much more will He show us His love when He sees us turning back to Him?” (St. Chrysostom).