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Article: Rejoice anyway. (Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7)(Living by the Word) (Column) (Column)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- November 23, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE BIBLE is full of commands to "Rejoice!," which ought to interest our "Smile, be happy" generation. But unlike contemporary injunctions to look on the bright side, the biblical commands often appear in unexpected places. Paul's letter to the Philippians is an example. Paul does not seem to be in a very good situation. We learn almost accidentally--Paul certainly does not emphasize it--that he is in prison awaiting a trial that could result in his death. He feels isolated from his colleagues and is deeply concerned (this he does emphasize) about the faithful preaching of the gospel during his captivity.
Yet in this little letter the words joy and rojoice appear ...