Philippians: Giving Increases our Accounts

Philippians 4:13-20, Luke 6:38

“You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭20‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

We are nearly at the end of Philippians. What a marvelous epistle! Paul acknowledges that the saints at Philippi were the only ones that he preached to and converted that shared gifts with him. They supported him more than once when he was in Thessalonica and are even now giving him an abundance. The AI image that Steve created shows these devout believers creating a “care package” for Paul, with parchment paper for writing, some food items, some jarred oils, money and a blanket. The closed bag that the woman is handling might contain some dried fruits or nuts.

Paul is not seeking gifts - he is perfectly satisfied and content to rely on God. But he sees that giving is good for the givers. This giving increases the profit in their heavenly accounts. Let’s do a word study!

Profit comes from the Greek noun καρπός or karpós (Strong’s G2590), with the following Biblical usages:

1. fruit

   1. the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields

   2. the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity

2. that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result

   1. work, act, deed

   2. advantage, profit, utility

   3. praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering

   4. to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary), is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life

This profit (fruit) is not seen in any earthly monetary investments, but is credited to our eternal accounts and the treasures we build in heaven. This is good commentary from Keith Krell (Crossroads Bible Church) quoted in Precept Austin:

Think about it: Who benefits most from a gift to God’s work? You might say, “Well, that’s obvious. The recipient does.” Really? Here, Paul says that the primary beneficiary of your faithful giving is YOU! And I don’t just mean the warm feeling you get inside when you help someone. Paul is talking about something that goes far beyond that. Whenever you invest your time, treasures, and talents in God’s kingdom, God deposits fruit (karpos) into your ERA (Eternal Retirement Account). So God, others, and you benefit when you give. God pays in many ways, including eternal rewards that you are commanded to store up for yourself in heaven....It is important to understand that you become a partner with whomever you support. If you support our church, anything that the Lord allows our staff and ministries to accomplish, you share in. This means that when you stand before Christ, you will be rewarded for the fruit that comes from our ministry. Even though the Philippians were 800 miles away from Paul, they supported his ministry, and through Paul’s fruit, the eternal pay off for them will be great! Perhaps you need to spend more time investing in your ERA than in your IRA. We need to ask, “Where can our money have the most eternal impact?” (Money in the Bank).

There is no room in your casket or cremation urn for the money you have saved or the possessions you have accumulated that your family will sell for pennies on the dollar at an estate sale. There is no use for those things in Heaven. But you can have an abundant life now and forever by investing in what this commentator calls your Eternal Retirement Account. We are not made poorer by giving generously to others. As Jesus says in Luke 6:

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭38‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

Paul has received everything in full and has an abundance, from the gift that Epaphroditus brought from the saints at Philippi. It is a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice and pleases God. Here’s another great commentary from Jack Arnold, quoted in Precept Austin:

Paul again commends them for the gift and said it was payment in full. In essence, he is saying, “you have met your obligations and then some.” These gifts to Paul were an act of worship on the part of the Philippians. These gifts were “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” These sacrificial gifts were given out of a pure heart that loved God and wanted to see His kingdom furthered in this world. NOTE. In the Old Testament, believers offered up physical, animal sacrifices. In the New Testament, believers offer sacrifices but they are spiritual in nature. As a believer-priest, the Christian is to offer his spiritual sacrifice of money to God (Heb. 13:15-16 - Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.). Only God knows the true motive of the heart in giving. God always wants us to give as an act of praise and worship.

(ILLUSTRATION) Someone has said, “Some people give according to their means and others according to their meanness.” There was this farmer who discovered that his favorite cow had given birth to twin calves, one white and the other black. He said to his wife, “You know, dear, I think we ought to give one of these calves to the Lord. We will raise one for ourselves and give one to the Lord who has given us this unexpected blessing.” She said, “Which one are you going to give to the Lord?” “Well,” he said, “I haven’t decided yet. We’ll treat them alike and feed them the same and when it comes time to market them we will then decide which one to give to the Lord.” So he fed the calves, took care of them, and they grew through the summer. Then one day he came into the house looking miserable, and his wife said, “What is the matter?” “Oh,” he said, “A terrible thing has happened. The Lord’s calf has died.” She said, “But I thought you hadn’t chosen yet which one it was.” “Oh, yes,” he said, “All the time I was thinking that the white calf would be the Lord’s, and it was the Lord’s calf that died.” POINT: It is easy to rationalize our financial commitments to the Lord when it is really going to cost us something. (Joy in Giving)

God gives to us out of the infinite riches that He has. This giving follows repentance and obedience to His will and is not a prosperity gospel, but one of shared mutual interests that benefit our accounts in Heaven and our missions on Earth. A preacher named Joe Stowell has this superb Spurgeon story quoted in Precept Austin:

God’s plan is simple—give to gain. In other words, give to the kingdom and God will take care of your needs.

The great British preacher Charles H. Spurgeon once learned about this kind of trust while trying to raise money for poor children in London. He went to Bristol hoping to collect £300 (which in those days was a huge amount of money) for London’s homeless children. At the end of the week of meetings, many lives had been changed and his financial goal had been reached. That night, as he bowed in prayer, Spurgeon was clearly prompted to give the money to a co-laborer of Christ named George Mueller.

“Oh no, Lord,” answered Spurgeon, “I need it for my own dear orphans.” Yet Spurgeon couldn’t shake the idea that God wanted him to part with it. Only when he said, “Yes, Lord, I will,” could he find rest.

With great peace, he made his way the next morning to Mueller’s orphanage and found the great man of prayer on his knees. The famous minister placed his hand on Mueller’s shoulder and said, “George, God has told me to give you the £300 I’ve collected.”

“Oh, my dear brother,” exclaimed Mueller,” I’ve just been asking him for exactly that amount!” The two servants of the Lord wept and rejoiced together.

When Spurgeon returned to London, he found an envelope on his desk containing more than £300. The Lord had returned the £300 he had obediently given to Mueller, with 300 shillings of interest!

Spurgeon learned what another generous believer once said: “I shovel out, and God shovels in, and he has a bigger shovel than I do.” And while the return may or may not be monetary, you can be sure that your heart will overflow with the joy of giving generously and seeing His kingdom prosper.

Photo by David Beale on Unsplash

The last two verses of this passage are repeated here, so you don’t have to scroll up. Philippians 4:19 is another oft-quoted verse, but many times for the wrong reasons:

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Just like the triathletes misuse Philippians 4:13, the prosperity preachers misuse Philippians 4:19. God will supply all our NEEDS according to His riches, not our selfish desires and wants. These needs are the things that are absolutely essential for the basics of living. Enduring Word has good commentary on this passage:

My God shall supply all your need: We shouldn’t think that the Philippians were wealthy benefactors of Paul who could easily spare the money. As Paul described them in 2 Corinthians 8, it is plain that their giving was sacrificial. This promise meant something to them!

• “He says to them, ‘You have helped me; but my God shall supply you. You have helped me in one of my needs-my need of clothing and of food: I have other needs in which you could not help me; but my God shall supply all your need. You have helped me, some of you, out of your deep poverty, taking from your scanty store; but my God shall supply all your need out of his riches in glory.’” (Charles Spurgeon)

Shall supply all your need: The promise is to supply all your need; but it is all your need (not a promise to go beyond needs) In this, the promise is both broad and yet restricted.

According to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus: This is a staggering measure of giving. Since there is no lack in God’s riches in glory, we should anticipate that there would be no lack in God’s supply.

• “The rewarding will not be merely from His wealth, but also in a manner that befits His wealth – on a scale worthy of His wealth.” (Ralph Martin)

• Spurgeon thought that this verse was a great illustration of that wonderful miracle in 2 Kings 4:1-7, where Elisha told the widow to gather empty vessels, set them out, and pour forth the oil from the one small vessel of oil she had into the empty vessels. She filled and filled and miraculously filled until every empty vessel was full.

  • All our need is like the empty vessels.

  • God is the one who fills the empty vessels.

  • According to His riches in glory describes the style in which God fills the empty vessels – the oil keeps flowing until every available vessel is filled.

  • By Christ Jesus describes the how God meets our needs – our empty vessels are filled by Jesus in all His glory.

So how should we decide how to give, how to sow into God’s kingdom? A sermon by Steven Cole quoted on Precept Austin has a great series of questions to ask yourself when determining where and how to give:

WHERE SHOULD YOU GIVE?
How should we determine where to give, since we are confronted with so many ministries and needs worldwide? Of course, waiting upon the Lord in prayer is crucial for determining where to give and how much to give. But also, there are some guidelines. The local church is God’s ordained means for propagating the gospel (Matt. 16:18), and so you ought to support its ministries. Beyond that,
(1) Support individuals whom you know personally to be faithful.
(2) Consider giving to those who are serving in difficult places.
(3) Consider whether a person is helping reach those with no gospel witness. They may be serving at the home office of a mission, but if they are part of an outreach to those who have no indigenous church in their midst, they ought to be higher priority for support than those who are reaching the already reached.
If you’re giving to a Christian organization (rather than an individual), ask some questions:
(1) What is the organization really aiming for? Is their doctrinal statement sound? Are they using biblical methods? Is their focus on the gospel as essential, and not social ministry for its own sake?
(2) Is the organization using sound financial methods? Do they belong to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability? If not, are their books audited? Will they send you a financial statement? Do they use proper fund-raising methods?
(3) Do you know and trust any of the leaders in the organization? Are they godly people of integrity? Is the leader accountable to a board, or is the board a rubber stamp?
(4) How does the organization function? Do they strive for excellence without extravagance? How much of their income goes to overhead and fund-raising (more than 25% is suspect)? Do the leaders live simply or in luxury?

Our current giving and the beneficiaries identified in our charitable trust include our church (which supports three local churches and 58 total mission partners), Christian organizations that aid others or provide comfort during times of natural disasters or tragedies, Christian organizations that help deliver people from trafficking and slavery situations, and Christian organizations that support evangelism worldwide.

We live abundantly! God sees to our needs in every way. May His glory be known forever!

My next devotional for Philippians will be on Philippians 4:21-23, Paul’s greeting and benediction; this will be followed by a summary of what we learned in Philippians. Then I will start a new series going verse-by-verse through Psalm 34.

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Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - Please help us to continue to give generously and to look to You for our needs through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 08/07/2025 to review the lexicon for profit.

Precept Austin was accessed on 08/07/2025 to review commentary for Philippians 4:13-20.

Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission. Minor formatting changes have been made to enhance readability.