What does it mean that the Lord is at hand?

Explanation:

At first, it is not clear what Paul means by the Lord is at hand. He does not include any grammatical connections to what precedes or follows, but the phrase could be interpreted differently depending on how Paul intends to connect it with the immediate context.³ For example, if he connects it to what precedes, he may have in mind that the Philippians should display reasonableness because Christ’s return is soon. If the clause connects with what follows, Paul may have in mind that the Lord’s presence is close to the Philippians, so they should not be anxious. Interestingly, that he does not include a connective, coupled with the fact that the clause works with both what precedes and what follows, suggests that he is using the clause as a double entendre.⁴ Thus, we should not choose between a temporal and spatial sense, because Paul intends for the Philippians to have both in mind when they read that the Lord is at hand.⁵

Counterargument:

It is hard to see why the imminent return of the Lord would encourage the Philippians to display their reasonableness. Paul has just called on them to imitate his example (Philippians 3:17) before explaining that the end of the enemies of the cross of Christ is destruction (Philippians 3:18–19). In other words, those who do not imitate Paul but resist the gospel will be destroyed in the end. The warning that the enemies of the cross will be destroyed is enough to encourage the Philippians to display their reasonableness to all. On the other hand, reminding the Philippians that the presence of the Lord is near would be a great comfort to them in their anxiety. Thus, it is more likely that Paul left out any connectives because the clause the Lord is at hand is better suited with what follows than that he uses the phrase as a double entendre.

Response to counterargument:

This counterargument has it that because Paul earlier warned the Philippians about the destruction of the enemies of the cross, he would not encourage them to be reasonable on account of the Lord’s return. The logic of this argument implies that if Paul already encouraged the Philippians’ behaviour a certain way, he would not encourage such behaviour again. On this logic, it makes no sense for Paul to call on the Philippians to display reasonableness, because he already encouraged them in Philippians 3:17 to follow his example, which entails displaying reasonableness.

Of course, Paul does call on the Philippians to display reasonableness, even though he has just called on them to imitate him, so it is not unlike Paul to repeat varying instructions regarding behaviour at various points in his letter. And if it is not uncommon for Paul to repeat instructions about behaviour, then it is not uncommon for him to encourage that behaviour in various ways. That is, in Philippians 3:18 he encourages behaviour by suggesting the enemies are destroyed, and in Philippians 4:5 he encourages the behaviour by noting the Lord’s return. Further, there is also a sense in which Paul does not alter how he encourages the Philippians’ behaviour. For he encourages the Philippians to imitate him not simply because if they do not, they will be destroyed, but because Christ will soon return to transform their bodies. Likewise, Paul calls on the Philippians to display reasonableness because Christ will soon return. And it is also the case that the nearness of the Lord is a great comfort in times of anxiety. Thus, Paul has a double meaning in mind.

Explanation:

It is important to notice that there are passages from Scripture that support the notion that Paul likely means the Lord’s return, as well as passages that support the notion that he means the presence of the Lord is at hand.⁶ For example, in 1 Corinthians 16:22, Paul uses an equivalent phrase that suggests the Lord’s imminent return when he writes, Our Lord come! At the same time, passages such as Psalm 34:18 indicate that the closeness of the Lord is a comfort to the broken-hearted. So the Lord is at hand could just as easily mean the Lord’s return is imminent as it could mean the Lord is at hand to comfort. Now, to decide between these we ought to look at the immediate context. But when we do, we notice that the context supports both that Christ’s return is imminent and that the nearness of the Lord is a comfort. The context supports that the Lord’s return is imminent because Paul has already mentioned the Lord’s return in Philippians 3:20, which suggests Christ’s return is top of mind. At the same time, he addresses the anxiety of the Philippians by calling them to pray, which suggests Christ’s presence in the midst of the struggling. Thus, Paul likely uses the phrase as a double entendre to mean both.⁷

Counterargument:

The context supports the notion that when Paul says, The Lord is at hand, he means that the Lord’s return is soon. That is, both what precedes and follows could be taken to support the notion that Paul is saying the Lord’s return is soon.⁸ For the return of the Lord is both a source of encouragement to display reasonableness, and comfort in the face of anxiety. It is a source of encouragement to display reasonableness because it implies that loving one’s neighbour and persevering through hardship will soon be rewarded. Likewise, while one’s anxieties might seem overwhelming, our time here is short, and Christ will soon return. Given that the simplest interpretation is the most likely and that it is simpler for Paul to have one meaning in mind rather than two, when he says, The Lord is at hand, he likely means the Lord will soon return.

Response to counterargument:

First, while the imminent return of the Lord would be a comfort to those who are anxious, the particular context has to do with offering prayers and requests to God. The reminder that the Lord is at hand in the sense of close proximity fits well with the advice to pray and bring one’s supplications to God. Second, that Paul has one meaning in mind is not necessarily the simplest interpretation. Paul is not writing a theology textbook, but a letter, and letter writers might use compelling literary devices to capture the attention of their reader. Likely, Paul excludes any connectives and introduces this ambiguous phrase because he wants the Philippians to reflect on the Lord’s imminent return, and nearness.

The weakness of this view is that it is hard to know for sure when an author has a double meaning in mind. We expect writers to be clear, and a double meaning can cause some confusion. Still, these can also be an effective rhetorical device, which seems to be what Paul is doing in Philippians 4:7.

Explanation:

After exhorting the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord and to let their reasonableness be known to all, Paul writes, The Lord is at hand. There is some ambiguity in what he means, because the term at hand can be used in both a temporal and spatial sense. If Paul uses the term in a temporal sense, he means that the Lord’s return is soon. And if he means it in a spatial sense, he is saying that the Lord’s presence is not far away. Given the New Testament emphasis on the anticipation of Christ’s second coming, Paul likely uses at hand in a temporal sense.¹¹ Thus, he is saying that the Lord’s return is soon. For example, in 1 Corinthians 16:22 he ends his letter by writing, Our Lord, come! Further, in Philippians 3:20 he motivates the behaviour of the Philippians by reminding them that when Christ returns, he will transform their lowly bodies. Given the emphasis on the Lord’s return, Paul likely has the Lord’s return in mind.

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that Christ’s return implies fear and judgment. We can deduce this from passages like Matthew 24:45–51, where Jesus says that the wicked servants will be cut to pieces when the master returns. This is a problem because Paul is encouraging and motivating the Philippians in this section, but it is unlikely that he would do that by reminding them of judgment. The Philippians have anxieties that Paul aims to dispel by reminding them that the Lord is at hand.¹² Of course, reminding them that the Lord is returning soon would instill a sense of fear and watchfulness, not comfort, so it is unlikely that Paul has Christ’s temporal return in mind.

Response to counterargument:

The problem with this is that even if the return of Christ can be thought of as a day of judgment, the thought of it can also bring unspeakable joy. In fact, Paul has already leaned on the joy and hope of Christ’s return only a few verses earlier when he encourages the Philippians to imitate him (Philippians 3:17), and then reminds them that they are citizens of heaven that await Jesus’ return, who will transform their bodies to be like Christ’s glorious body. Likewise, in other passages Paul uses the return of the Lord as a point of encouragement. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17–18 he explains that when Christ returns, believers will be caught up in the air to be with the Lord always, before exhorting them to encourage one another with these words. Clearly, for Paul, the return of Christ was a source of comfort and joy. Thus, a reminder of the Lord’s return is consistent with the notion that Paul offers the Philippians comfort in this section.

Explanation:

Paul says that the Lord is at hand but he offers no cue in the clause to help us decide whether it relates to what comes before, or after, its usage.¹³ Thus, we ought to use the immediate context to help us decide what Paul intends by the phrase. When we look at the immediate context, we notice that Paul is exhorting the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to all (Philippians 4:4).¹⁴ We can detect that this command to reasonableness is an exhortation because the verb to make known is in the imperative mood. Of course, it is difficult to be gentle when one is suffering under the hand of persecution, and persecution is what the Philippians will face for their faith. Thus, Paul wants to encourage them to be gentle, even in the midst of suffering, which he does by reminding them that the Lord is at hand. In other words, Paul reminds the Philippians that the Lord will soon return, to encourage them to be gentle in the face of suffering.¹⁵

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is twofold. First, the immediate context is not simply the verse that precedes the phrase but also what follows. Thus, given that Paul offers no grammatical clues as to whether the phrase connects to what precedes and what follows, we have to consider both to determine Paul’s meaning. Second, the notion here is that the Lord’s return will encourage the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to all, but this is not clearly the case. That is, it is not clear that the Lord’s return would motivate the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to all. On the other hand, what follows the notion that the Lord is at hand is for the Philippians not to be anxious, but to bring everything to God in prayer. Now, the Lord’s being near in the sense of spatial nearness would certainly be a comfort in the face of anxieties, and would encourage the Philippians to bring their prayers to Christ. Thus, we ought to understand the clause the Lord is at hand based on what follows, which suggests that nearness is a spatial and not a temporal notion.

Response to counterargument:

In fact, even if it is the case that the clause the Lord is at hand should be understood in terms of what follows, this does not undermine the notion that Paul has Christ’s temporal return in mind. For it is a comfort to know that the Lord will return shortly, so that the Philippians should not be anxious. That is, there is no reason for the Philippians to be anxious about anything because soon the whole earth will pass away and the Lord will return.¹⁶ So the phrase could have to do with Christ’s return, whether it modifies what precedes or what follows.

The weakness of this view is that it is not common to point to the Lord’s return by saying that the Lord is at hand. One might say that the Lord will return soon or that the Lord will come back on the day of judgment. Still, to say that the Lord is at hand implies a spatial connotation.

Explanation:

When Paul says that the Lord is at hand, it’s not clear whether he means that the Lord’s return is soon or that the Lord’s presence is close at hand. Given that Paul comforts the Philippians in this section, it is most likely that Paul has in mind that the Lord’s presence is close at hand.¹⁷ We know Paul comforts the Philippians in this section because in Philippians 4:6, he tells the Philippians not to be anxious about anything, implying that they were anxious about some things. Added to this, we know that the nearness of the Lord’s presence is a comfort for God’s people. For example, in Psalm 145:18 we read that the Lord is near to all who call on him in truth. And in Psalm 34:18 the psalmist writes that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and he saves the crushed in spirit.¹⁸ Given that the Philippians face anxieties and that the Lord is near to the broken hearted, we can deduce that Paul reminds the Philippians that the Lord is near in the sense that his presence is close at hand.

Counterargument:

It is true that Paul addresses the Philippians anxiety by encouraging them to bring their concerns to God in prayer. But this does not entail that the clause the Lord is at hand means that the Lord’s presence is close. For the fact that the Lord will return soon would also be a great comfort to the Philippians.¹⁹ Thus, Paul relieves the anxiety of the Philippians by reminding them that the Lord will soon return.

Response to counterargument:

While it would be a comfort for the Philippians to remember that the Lord will soon return, we know from passages like Ps 34:18 that the close presence of the Lord is especially comforting. For there the psalmist explains that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted, as in, the Lord’s presence is close to those who are anxious. Thus, there is a strong connection between receiving comfort and the nearness of the Lord, which implies that the nearness of the presence of the Lord is what Paul has in mind.

The only weakness of this view is that we know from the context that Paul has Christ’s return in mind. That is, in Philippians 3:20–21 the apostle speaks of awaiting the Saviour from heaven and how Christ will return to transform our bodies. These are temporal notions concerning the Lord’s return. Now, a few short verses later Paul reminds the Philippians that the Lord is at hand. That the Lord is at hand fits closely with the theme that the Lord will soon return.