Philippians 4:15 (ASV)

Passage

And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only;

Nearby Context

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:14 Howbeit ye did well that ye had fellowship with my affliction.

Philippians 4:15 And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only;

Philippians 4:16 for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need.

Philippians 4:17 Not that I seek for the gift; but I seek for the fruit that increaseth to your account.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "yourselves", "philippians", "beginning", "gospel", "departed", "macedonia", "church", and "fellowship". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "yourselves" and "philippians", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Howbeit ye did well that ye had..." into verse 16's "for even in Thessalonica ye sent once...", so "yourselves" and "philippians" belong inside that flow. In Philippians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "yourselves" and "philippians" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.