To what does “all things” refer?

Explanation:

In Philippians 4:13, Paul writes, I can do all things. What does he mean by all things? We have to admit that it cannot refer to anything at all in an unqualified sense.⁴ Paul is not claiming to be all-powerful.⁵ So what might qualify what Paul means? In order to determine what qualifies what Paul means, we have to look to the immediate context. He says in Philippians 4:12 that he knows how to be content in any and in all circumstances. Thus, when he says in Philippians 4:13 that he can do all things, that points back to his use of all in Philippians 4:12. So he is saying that he can endure any and all circumstances through him who strengthens him.⁶

Counterargument:

It is obvious that when Paul says he can do all things, he does not mean that he considers himself omnipotent. Still, this does not mean that we ought to understand Paul in such a qualified sense either. Rather, he may have in mind that he can do all things related to his apostolic office, or all things that are generally possible for humans through faith in Christ.

Response to counterargument:

The argument here is that one ought to use the immediate context to determine the scope of all things. The fact that Paul uses the same word twice in Philippians 4:12 strongly suggests that we ought to utilize Philippians 4:12 to understand his meaning. If we take all in a literal sense, then Paul is saying in Philippians 4:12 that in any and all circumstances, he has learned the secret to contentment. He can do all though him who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13). In other words, he can endure any and all circumstances. Given that Paul uses the same term all twice in Philippians 4:12 and then again in Philippians 4:13, it is likely that he has the same meaning in mind with each use. Thus, he is saying that he can endure any and all circumstances through him who strengthens him. Of course, Christ also enables Paul to carry out his apostolic ministry, and to do other things as well, but this does not seem to be what Paul is saying in Philippians 4:13.

Explanation:

In order to understand what Paul means by all things in Philippians 4:13, we need to understand what he means by the verb ἰσχúω (I can do). The verb means to have power, be competent, be able.⁷ When we pair this understanding of the verb with the context, we can detect that Paul is saying he is able to cope with all circumstances.⁸ That is, Paul has the competence and ability to endure all circumstances through Christ who strengthens him.

Counterargument:

The problem is that ἰσχúω (I can do) implies not only an ability to cope with circumstances but also a power to do things. Thus, if we simply rely on the meaning of the verb to get at Paul’s meaning, we cannot decide whether Paul means he can do all things in the sense that he can cope with all circumstances, or if he means he has the power to accomplish anything.

Response to counterargument:  

The argument here is not that we can only use the verb to decide Paul’s meaning, but that when we combine the meaning of the verb with the context, we can see what Paul means. That is, based on the immediate context Paul has in mind learning to be content with little or much. Thus, when he has the power to do all things, he means that he has the power, in the sense of ability to cope, with any situation.

The weakness of this view is that it is entirely consistent with the immediate context for Paul to be making a general statement about the things he can do in Christ. That is, it would suit the context nicely if Paul said he has learned to be content in every situation, and then offered the general insight that through Christ, in fact, he can do anything. Such an interpretation fits perfectly well with the immediate context, so it is not enough to rely on the immediate context to determine Paul’s meaning.

Explanation:

Paul writes, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. We want to know what it means that Paul can do all things. We can understand what he means by considering the adjective all. Paul has the adjective all in the accusative plural neuter, which can be taken to mean all things/everything.⁹ Of course, if we take the adjective to mean all things/everything, then it is clear that when Paul says he can do all things through him who strengthens him, he means that he can do everything.¹⁰

Counterargument:

It goes against Paul’s writings to suggest that one can live a victorious Christian life and accomplish anything.¹¹ Rather, Paul’s general outlook, including his meaning in this particular passage, is that the Christian life is often difficult. He knows what it is to be brought low (Philippians 4:12), explaining elsewhere that as an apostle he received lashings, beatings, and stonings, and endured hunger and homelessness (2 Corinthians 11:25–29). Thus, he would not say that through Christ he can live a triumphant Christian life without weakness.¹²

Response to counterargument:

The argument here is not that Paul says he can live a triumphant Christian life without weakness or frailty. Obviously, Paul would not say this because he just wrote that he knows what it is to be low (Philippians 4:12) and he writes the letter from prison (Philippians 1:14). Such a characterization of this view is a straw man. Rather, the argument here is that after explaining that he knows what it is to be content in any situation, Paul makes a general comment about the fact that through the power of Christ, Paul can do anything. That is, Paul can carry out his apostolic ministry, he can endure hardship, he can enjoy bounty, he can love his enemies and pray for those who persecute him, and so on. Now, it is no surprise that through Christ, Paul can do anything, for Christ is the ruler of the universe. Added to this, Christ himself taught that if one has faith like a mustard seed, one can move a mountain, for nothing will be impossible (Matthew 17:20).

The weakness of this view is the lack of argumentation. The adjective all can be taken to mean everything or it can be taken in a more qualified sense based on the immediate context. This interpretation could be strengthened by offering an argument from rhetoric.