THE SCENARIO: The words to the title of this scenario close a blessed letter of gratitude (amongst other weighty things): Paul expressing gratitude for gifts the Philippians had sent him (Phl 4:15-20). It may have been written when Paul was imprisoned, maybe in Rome (Phl 1:3-7, 12, ). We can be sure that Paul, in gratitude, poured into this letter tearful gratitude, his heartfelt best; his gift; a reciprocal gift, a giving; the best he could give the Philippians whom he loved and longed to be near (Phl 1:8)—precious counsel like none other could give (Phl 1:9)—in attaining to the joy of the Lord to His glory, like unto our title. Now there is a Gift.
Just before in the verses preceding our scenario Paul had counseled the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always, to let a spirit of gentleness exude from within as a Christian witness to all; that they should be anxious for nothing, rather, to rejoice in their prayerful entreaty to the God of Peace who can satisfy their deepest longings in Jesus Christ, their great Advocate and Intercessor (Phl 4:4-7). And so we may understand our scenario title then as a means to that end, a means for rejoicing, anxious for nothing in prayerful entreaty to the One who embodies our title: ‘… O whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is…’, yea, think ye on these things, for thus ye come, by and by, to think like Him; to think about Him, who embodies these things, these things up high, up, up high and lofty like Him, high and lifted up; elegant, excellent things in your mind and person…be ye thus like Him beloved, rejoicing on this high plane He makes lucid and attainable…’ Praised be our great God Jehovah, true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable,excellent, worthy of praise (“O, That Name!”).
In the outworking of this scenario please consider the following:
ALHQH. hOSA ESTIN ALHQH: ‘…Whatever is true [think about such things]…’ That which is of the truth is true. What is truth? Truth is singularly God’s reality. It is the reality He qualifies. And His own know Him, know God, know His reality, through the revelation of God, which is His Word; which is the Word of God. God’s reality is made lucid and real through the Word of God, the by-default-eternal-Word, which is necessarily Truth, which is Jesus Christ, which is God revealed, which is singularly Truth. That which is of Jesus Christ is of the Truth, and is thus true. That which is not of Jesus Christ is not of the Truth, and is thus not true. And that which is of Jesus Christ is tangible; is manifestly that which He embodies; is that which He enjoins, embraces, and exudes, which we know through His Word.
The Word-aligned things of this world are discernible, and they are true. The Word-contrary things of this world are also discernible, and they are not true. Here are two things, one true, and one not true. God enjoins here thinking about that which is of the truth, about that which is true: ‘…Whatever is true…think about such things…’ Think God says: LOGIZOMAI. Think, dwell. Think or dwell on that which is of the truth, on that which is true—He enjoins a high-plane dwelling. For it is up there where He dwells. And it is good to dwell where He dwells, O my, dwelling with Him, on things True, for, ever we must contend with Word-contrary things—low-plane things, down here, not true, frustrating, deceptive, hurtful, endeavoring ever to pull us down, down; thus is muddle-thinking, low-plane thinking. Thus is Word-contrary thinking, hurtful, untrue, no joy. Joy is up high, where He is, thus He, very Joy, enjoins high-plane thoughts, high-plane thinking, on things that are of the Truth, that are True. Yea, on Him; no pie-in-the-sky, nay, His Word, up, up high, where there is much joy, surpassing; there dwelling, in His presence. Dwelling, with Him, on things, things true, His things, True.
SEMNA. hOSA SEMNA: ‘...Whatever [is] honorable [think about such things]…’ Think God says: LOGIZOMAI. Think, dwell. So many things, down here, way down, are not honorable, but are made out to be so. But they are not; they are not honorable; they are shameful. They are low-plane honor, which is not honor. And this we judge aright because we dwell on a high plane, with God, His Word, the Word of God, Honorable. With thoughts thus lifted up, way up, we rejoice, in that which is honorable; in God, His counsel, honorable, led by Him, thereupon dwelling.
Though much beset, by low-plane honor, which is not honor, which is not honorable, which is shameful, notwithstanding, aright we dwelling, even high-plane dwelling, Honorable, we rejoice intact, honorable, to God’s glory. To Him be the glory. We praise you great Jehovah God.
DIKAIA. hOSA DIKAIA: ‘…Whatever [is] just [think about such things]…’ Think God says: LOGIZOMAI. Think, dwell. What is just, even exactly just? Of a surety God is just, even exactly just. How so? Intrinsically it follows from His nature, and mechanically it follows from His omniscience; and His nature and His omniscience follow from His deity, causative, primal. God, even our blessed God Jehovah, is just. It must needs be that His decrees are just, His judgments are just, His laws are just, His mercy is just, and His Salvation is just, because He is just; because He is deity, omniscient. And His decrees, His judgments, His laws, His mercy, and His Salvation, are usward directed. Thus He extends the notion of Just down, to humankind; from Him, from the Word of God, Just, even Jesus Christ, Just. In this way humankind maintains civil order, yet perverted, not just, not exactly just, like He is just, exactly, His decrees, His judgments, His laws, His mercy, and His Salvation. Just, is not perverted, up there, high up, where He dwells. There, usward directed, is that which is just; and O a rejoicing, when there, with Him, led by Him, we dwell, on His things, Just.
Though down here, way down, Just perverted, pretentious, usward directed, besets; yet we rejoice, up high, there dwelling, with Him, led by Him, to His things, Just.
hAGNA. hOSA hAGNA: ‘…Whatever [is] pure [think about such things]…’ Think God says: LOGIZOMAI. Think, dwell. Not much down here in this world is pure. Traces of one sort or another that defile can usually be found lurking within. Notwithstanding, light is a good mundane example of purity. Though visible light for example is not pure, its constituents are; in fact they are pure and primitive. In this sense light is certainly pure at its sundry preordained places in the grand spectrum. And so God gives us a very familiar mundane tangible by which to begin to appreciate purity (Gen 1:3)—this is surely by design, because God claims to be, indeed is, Light (1Jo 1:5). Here, it follows, is holiness, which is undefiled; is pure and primitive.
It is holiness that God here enjoins upon which to dwell and think. But whence holiness? Such that one might dwell upon it, that one might attain to it? Holiness is of God, up there where He dwells, there way up high; it is attainable up there. It is acutely particular to Him, and is attainable through His Word, even LOGOS—high up; on that high plane, there dwelling, the Word of God, even Jesus Christ (“Be Holy”)—high up, attainable there (“A Letter of Invitation”, “Righteous Faith”). It manifestly resonates with His Name (“O, That Name!”). It resonates with His Name, lofty, high and lifted up, up there where He dwells up high, where He enjoins that we dwell, up there with Him, led by Him, dwelling. And thus dwelling rejoicing…in the quintessence of God, pure, holy.
PROSFILH. hOSA PROSFILH: ‘…Whatever [is] lovely [think about such things]…’ Think God says: LOGIZOMAI. Think, dwell. Lovely is a lovely word, is a lovely God-word. Our God is lovely. Thou art lovely great God; art lovely in Thy holiness. Thine finger hast created lovely things, Thy Spirit hast enjoined lovely things, after Thy manner, so lovely; we rejoice in Thee, Thy manner, lovely. How good it is that we have Thee. Praised be Thy lovely Name.
Down here, in this world, much pleasure-sick with no joy; self-lovers many, lovely is oft skin deep, is low-plane lovely, which is not lovely, even fleeting. Immorality, pornography, the attendant degradation of the lovely human mind and body (“Poernno’s Penchant”), sundry pleasure stimulants of all sorts, and so forth; low-plane lovely, which is not lovely. No joy; maybe low-plane joy, which is not joy. Unnatural (Rom 1:26-27). Debilitating (Gal 6:7-8). Low-plane lovely, which is not lovely. Up yonder high up, where God O so lovely dwells, there are we counseled to dwell, with Him, led by Him, to things lovely, high-plane lovely. One man and one woman wed, loving, high-plane lovely, thus lovely till death asunder parts. Holy matrimony, high-plane lovely. The birth of a child, into a home loving, God-fearing, righteous discipline, lovely, high-plane lovely. Dear brethren, family, friends, friendship, high-plane lovely. The heavens, the atom, gravity, light, sunrises and sunsets, tides, vistas, high-plane lovely. Redemption, Salvation, the fear of the Lord, O my, high-plane lovely. Bravery (our Lord was brave, is the standard of bravery—we praise Thee Lord Jesus), community, sacrifice, others-love, forgiveness, sharing, hugs, meals, lovely. High-plane lovely; heart-deep, invigorating, lasting, much joy.
Though beset by low-plane-lovely things, which are not lovely, we rejoice, dwelling, on a high plane, with God, led by Him, to things lovely, high-plane lovely, there dwelling.
EUFHMA. hOSA EUFHMA: ‘…Whatever [is] commendable, of good repute [think about such things]…’ Think God says: LOGIZOMAI. Think, dwell. It is on a low plane where Sin is reckoned commendable, and strutted about shamelessly; where holiness is reckoned contemptible, and sidestepped without shame. There, excellence is but a sham; is but low-plane excellence, which is no excellence at all; is but a sham. Commendable, meritorious, and praiseworthy—such is the excellent character; such is the character of excellence. Commendation, merit, and praise, these three attend excellence. Here is our Lord, forever praised, Excellent, very Excellence. It abides with Him, Up high, where He dwells, His excellent Word, commendable, so excellent, even as delineating holiness, commendable, and Sin, contemptible; unto cognizance of the same, revealing, exposing. Thus dwelling, on this high plane, with God, His Word, unto cognizance of holiness, and Sin—overcoming Sin, unto healing, we rejoice greatly, and praise Him, Excellent, very Excellence, Commendable, Meritorious, Praiseworthy.
Dearest Christian friend, ever beset are we by low-plane things; let us lift up our eyes and LOGIZOMAI up high where God does, led by Him, unto high-plane things. Thus he guards our hearts and minds, even He, our great savior God, Jesus, hO LOGOS, up high, way up (Phl 4:6-8).
Christ bless you and ever keep you snug under His blessed pinions dearest Christian friend. Help us Lord to set our minds on you, on your ways. Help us to be high-planers, high-planing in and through and with you; help us to tether our hearts to yours. Amen.
Praised be Thy lofty Name great Jehovah God, even True, Honorable, Just, Pure, Lovely, Excellent, very Excellence…Commendable, O so Worthy of Praise, Thou beloved God Jehovah.