Section 8
of what Paul says concerning giving and receiv ing in Philippians 4:10, 14-20. In these verses Paul speaks of blossoming, fellowship, a sacrifice to God, a sweet odor, and God supplying every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. All these terms and expressions indicate that even the giving and receiving of material things is intimately related to the experience of Christ. On our side, it is related to life; on God's side, it is related to His glory. We give and receive in the way of life, in the fellowship of life. When we do this, there will be the blossoming in life, the sign that life is flourishing, that there is a nor mal circulation of life in the Body of Christ. The issue of this giving and receiving in the fellow ship of life is the glory of God.
In giving to the apostle, the believers partici pated in the ministry of life. Paul's answer upon receiving their gift was also a ministry of life, both to the believers in Philippi and to all the saints who read this portion of the Word. By this we can see that even the giving and receiving of material gifts can become a rich experience of Christ which issues in the glorification of God. God comes in to visit both the ones who give and the one who receives in such a way as to express His splendor, His glory. Thus, the fellowship in