Rejoice in the Lord (Php. 4:1-9)

Paul has used the image of the runner pressing on - pursuing the goal - the prize - and now he uses the image of the crown - the victor's wreath.--The crown is the public sign - the visible evidence - that Paul has not labored in vain -2-16-.--4-1 functions as something of a bookend with 1-27, where he had urged the Philippians to let their -manner of life be worthy of the gospel- so that he might hear that they were -standing firm in one spirit.---Now he concludes with the same exhortation to stand firm at the end of his epistle.--But he has some concluding exhortations to deal a problem in the Philippian church. And the problem is that the -mind of Christ- that he has been expounding is not evident in the church at Philippi...