This week's Epistle reading begins with one of Paul's most jubilant phrases: "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice." Having finished a brief reprimand (philippic) to some of the believers at Philippi, Paul now feels free to return to the theme of joy and thanksgiving that permeates this letter.

The tenor of verses 4-7 differs so substantially from both the preceding and following thoughts that this section has often been used as evidence of the fragmentary nature of the Philippians correspondence. While the evidence is inconclusive, some scholars suggest that the entire book is made up of bits and pieces of Pauline communiques that tradition had saved. Rather than lose all these thoughts, the church simply wove them together or inserted them into a longer letter.

Keeping in…