Section 9
learned the secret both to be abased and to abound. On the other hand, there is an implica tion that, in referring to his situation, he must have had some human feeling of worry or anxi ety. If Paul did not have any worry, why then did he refer to his situation? When he was in want, he must have had some feeling about it. Otherwise, he would not have told the Philip pians that he rejoiced in the Lord greatly that "at length" they had caused their thinking for him to blossom anew. This positive word im plies that, prior to receiving the supply through Epaphroditus, Paul was concerned.
If Paul did not have any feelings of worry or anxiety, why would he find it necessary to write such things in his Epistle to the Philippians? As a human being, Paul did undergo suffering with respect to material needs. Paul was not an angel, and he was not like a lifeless statue without feel ings. No doubt, he had learned the secret of suf ficiency in Christ. When he was in want and was tempted to worry about his situation, he applied this secret. Then, in his experience, this secret eliminated his worry. Therefore, he could have the boldness to testify that he knew both how to be abased and how to abound. The very fact that Paul knew how to be abased indicates that