18保罗的生活也是谦让宜人的见证。他乃是在罗马的监狱里写腓立比书。保罗正在受苦，而且照著四章，他还缺少供应，以致匮乏。在众召会当中，腓立比的召会是一个最顾到保罗需要的召会。但是照著主的主宰，因著某种原因，腓立比人有一段时间似乎忘记了保罗和他的需要。所以他才在四章十节说，『我在主里大大的喜乐，因为你们对我的思念，如今终于重新发生。』这话含示保罗经历了一个受苦的『冬天』，而随著腓立比人对他的关切重新发生，『春天』就来到了。但是保罗虽然遭受监禁、逼迫、攻击，被忽略，又缺乏供应，他仍然是谦让宜人的，并且他还能宣告：『我已经学会了，无论在甚么景况，都可以知足。我知道怎样处卑贱，也知道怎样处富余；或饱足、或饥饿、或富余、或缺乏，在各事上，并在一切事上，我都学得秘诀。我在那加我能力者的里面，凡事都能作。』（四11～。）他嘱咐众圣徒当叫众人知道他们的谦让宜人以先，自己先操练谦让宜人。毫无疑问，保罗周围的人都知道他的谦让宜人。他满了对人的了解、智慧、体谅、同情、怜悯和恩慈，他也满了生命的供应。
18Paul’s life was also a testimony of forbearance. He wrote the book of Philippians from a prison in Rome. Paul was suffering and, according to chapter four, he was short of supply and in want. Among all the churches, the church in Philippi was the best in caring for Paul’s needs. But for some reason, according to the Lord’s sovereignty, there was a period of time when the Philippians seemingly forgot Paul and his need. This was the reason he says in 4:10, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you caused your thinking for me to blossom anew.” This word implies that Paul had passed through a “winter” of suffering and that “spring” had come with the blossoming anew of the Philippians’ concern for him. But even though Paul was suffering imprisonment, persecution, attack, negligence, and the lack of supply, he still exercised forbearance and could declare, “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content. I know both how to be a based, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to be in want. I can do all things in Him who empowers me” (4:1 1-1 3). Before he charged the saints to let 13 their forbearance be known to all men, he exercised forbearance himself. No doubt, Paul’s forbearance was made known to those around him. He was full of understanding, wisdom, considerate ness, sympathy, mercy, and kindness. He was also full of the life supply.