Philippians 4:8
Asks each believer to think about things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. If you’ve ever sought to apply that kind of mindfulness, you may have emphasized so-called spiritual things. And you’d have good reason to do so. Most of the terms employed by the Apostle point in the direction of our relationship with God through the saving work of Jesus our Messiah.
Things that are “true” line up with what God has revealed through his word. The “noble” things become incarnated through practices encouraged in the book of Proverbs. That which is “right” conforms to the standards set by God’s character. “Pure” things show up in moral behavior that brings glory, rather than shame, to the name of our God. The vocabulary Paul selected for this verse has resonance with and allusion to teaching found throughout the Old Testament.
