Philippians 4:11
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
Paul is thanking the Philippians for their generous gift, while making clear that his joy in it does not stem from desperate need but from a learned contentment.
What Does Philippians 4:11 Mean?
Paul clarifies that his thankfulness for the Philippians' gift does not arise from desperate need, because he has learned to be content whatever his circumstances. He is careful that his gratitude not be mistaken for complaint or neediness -- "not that I speak in respect of want." Instead, he reveals a settled inner state: contentment that holds steady regardless of his outward situation. Crucially, Paul says he "learned" this; it did not come naturally or instantly but through experience, discipline, and walking with God through varied conditions.
The phrase "in whatsoever state I am" covers the full range -- as the surrounding verses show, Paul knew both abundance and need, being full and being hungry. His contentment was not the comfort of always having enough but a learned stability that did not rise and fall with his fortunes. The word for "content" suggested self-sufficiency in the surrounding culture, but Paul transforms it: his sufficiency, as the next verses make clear, is found in the strength Christ supplies, not in himself. For the reader, this verse is deeply practical and hopeful: contentment is not a personality trait reserved for a fortunate few but something that can be learned, grown into through trust in the One who sustains us in every condition.
In the Original Language
The adjective "autarkēs" (content) meant self-sufficient in the surrounding culture; Paul reframes it as a learned sufficiency that, as the next verses show, rests in Christ.
Cross References
“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”
- Philippians 4:12
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
- 1 Timothy 6:6
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
- Hebrews 13:5
Application
Trust that contentment can be learned over time, growing into a steady peace that does not depend on having plenty but rests in Christ in every circumstance.