Contentment as an Effective Antidote to Materialism in the Church: An Examination of Philippians 4:10–20

Abstract

The 21^st-century church, like the world around it, is caught up in the allure of uncontrolled spending and conspicuous consumption. In the process, many Christians live in perpetual debt and also suffer from the various psycho-social maladies that unbridled materialism breeds. Paul’s attitude towards material things and the happiness they purport to bring is one of contentment. This exegetical paper examines the theme of contentment as exemplified by Paul in Philippians 4:10–20. As a result of adopting the attitude of αὐταρκεία, “contentment,” he could confidently face the varying vicissitudes of providence with equanimity as he pursued his calling of preaching the gospel to the gentiles, many of whom opposed him violently, oftentimes placing him in very precarious physical circumstances. Based on textual analysis of the passage, the study found that Paul presents contentment as a Christ-centered sufficiency grounded in divine enablement, expressed in the statement, ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμι αὐτάρκης εἶναι, “I have learned to be content in whatever state I am.” This attitude of contentment offers the church a theological framework for resisting consumerism and its ethical and spiritual consequences.