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Now to our God and Father be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:20)

Paul now draws this letter of gratitude, instruction, and encouragement to a close. He has shared his heart of thanks with these believers who had stood behind him and supplied him at least twice. He taught about Christ and His Life – the model for our life. He taught about the purpose of the Christlife, the pattern of this Christlife, the prize of the Christlife, and the power of the Christlife. Paul wrote a letter of encouragement to find joy in the midst of adverse circumstances.

In all of this, Paul ends by making sure that God gets all the glory (doxa). The title of glory belongs to no other – it is for God and God alone. He shares this with no one else. He is the One who has the honor, the praise and worship of all. The phrase “for ever and ever” (Greek aionas ton aionon) literally is “the ages of the ages.”^[1] Paul, here says that all glory belongs to the Father to all extremes. The word “amen” is transliterated from both Hebrew and Greek, and it is a participle of assent and affirmation. In Hebrew, it meant to be firm, faithful, and true. It came to mean “most certainly” or “so be it.” Paul is stating this affirmation for what he has just said.

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Now to our God and Father … It was common for Paul to address such attribution of praise to God the Father when closing his epistles. Meditating on what God has provided Paul and his fellow workers and how he has protected him in Christ naturally brings about this praise and thanksgiving. When Paul is pondering his purpose in life, it is to carry out the will and purposes of God and to do so, to bring glory to God forever.

[1] The way to provide the superlative form of a word in Greek is to be repetitive. Thus, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, God of Gods, etc.