Philippians 4:5 (ESV Strong's)
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
Be Reasonable!
Right in the middle of a section on prayer, peace and Biblical thinking, Paul gives us quite an admonishment. He tells us to be “reasonable.” In the Greek, Vine says this about this word:
(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) epieikes (ἐπιεικής, 1933), an adjective (from epi, used intensively, and eikos, “reasonable”), is used as a noun with the article in Phil. 4:5, and translated “forbearance” in the RV; KJV, “moderation,” RV, marg., “gentleness,” “sweet reasonableness” (Matthew Arnold). See gentle.
Paul told the young preacher Timothy the following:
2 Timothy 2:24-25 (ESV Strong's)
24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
We are in “gentleness” correct those who oppose us. We can only do “gentle” correcting if we maintain a spirit of “reasonable” thinking. And, notice why we are to be “reasonable.” It is because, “the Lord is at hand.” That gives us the sense that our “reasonableness” is not to be used to impressed the world around us, but rather to demonstrate the presence of God within us, via the Son. We should note how many times in the Gospel stories that, when confronted by evil men, Jesus remained “reasonable.” He had a sense of “forbearance” toward them. In today’s society we don’t have a lot of “reasonableness” or “forbearance.” Yet, in the midst of talking about prayer and peace, Paul tells the Church at Philippi to be a people of “reasonableness.” This might fit Solomon’s words to us:
Proverbs 15:1 (ESV Strong's)
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
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