What does Philippians 4:13 mean?
Read the two verses before it
Paul has just said he has learned to be content whether well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want (Philippians 4:11-12). "All this" in verse 13 points back to those situations. The strength is for enduring both good and hard times well.
Written in chains
Paul was in custody when he wrote Philippians, not sure whether he would live (Philippians 1:20-21). The verse comes from someone who had lost a great deal and found that Christ was enough anyway.
What it means for us
It is a deep comfort for someone in a hard season: you are not left to carry it on your own strength. It is less a promise of winning and more a promise of not being alone in whatever comes.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength., Philippians 4:13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want., Philippians 4:11-12Ask your own question →
Does Philippians 4:13 mean I can do anything?
Not in the sense of achieving any goal. In context it means Christ gives strength to stay content and faithful in every circumstance, good or bad.
Why do some Bibles say "all things" and others "all this"?
The Greek simply says "all things". Some translations, like the NIV, write "all this" to show it refers to the situations Paul has just listed.
Where was Paul when he wrote it?
In custody, most likely in Rome, waiting to hear whether he would be released or executed.
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