Journey Through Philippians: Chapter 3

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

  • “Rejoice in the Lord” – Joy is a key theme throughout the letter. At no point should anything or any person bring me a greater joy than what I find in the Lord Jesus.
  • “To write the same things” – Spiritual reminders are beneficial in that they keep us from wandering from the truth of the gospel and tend to recenter our lives on what matters. ILL: When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper he said to “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

  • ”the dogs” – A group of Jews in Paul’s day attempted to distort the gospel by adding the requirement of circumcision plus faith in Christ as necessary for salvation (Acts 15:1). Their false way of salvation was evil as it could cause great confusion to the true message of Christ. They misunderstood the teachings of the Old Testament on circumcision and the Christian gospel of salvation by grace through faith. The Jerusalem Council repudiated their teachings and confirmed that true salvation was by faith in Christ alone (Acts 15:12–21). Yet these dedicated religious teachers persisted to follow Paul and create havoc among immature Christians with their Christ plus circumcision salvation message. They wanted to preserve the Jewish heritage at any cost. Paul confronted this group in his letter to the Galatians also. – Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 242.

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

  • “we are the circumcision” – “In disagreement with the teachings of his opponents, Paul took over their claims as belonging to the church and not to the Jews. The opponents claimed to be the true Israel, circumcised in the flesh, being the truly spiritual ones, and glorying in their worship and goodness as measured by obedience to the law. Paul turned the tables. Believers in Christ are the true circumcision (Rom. 9:24–26; Gal. 6:16), having their hearts circumcised (see Lev. 26:41; Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:25–26; Ezek. 44:7, 9; Acts 7:51; Rom. 2:28–29).” – Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 242–243.
  • In John 4 Jesus told the woman at the well that God is looking for true worshippers. Those people do not worship by ritual, but by spirit and truth.
  • “No confidence in flesh” – spiritual ritual or tradition do not make a person righteous. We can choose to glory in man’s works or either glory in the finished work of Jesus.
  • THEO: We must guard against a Catholic understanding of baptism.

though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

  • Paul lists his spiritual resume. From an outward perspective, he had done everything to be seen as righteous before man, but that doesn’t equate to righteousness before God.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

  • ”gain” – Jesus cautions us that if we gain the world, we lose our souls.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

  • A three-peat emphasis on the thought from verse 7. Once in 7, 2 x in verse 8. Each mention builds with intensity.
  • Paul’s point becomes crystal clear. Any past ‘achievement’ in which he might boast regarding man made righteousness is garbage compared to his new understanding that he can know Christ Jesus personally.
  • “Rubbish” – a Uber polite translation of the Gk, skybala. A slang term for dung.

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

  • Paul clarifies what brings right standing before God. It doesn’t come from anything man can produce. It is a gift of God, that comes through faith. Rom. 3.21-ff. Christ is the sole source of righteousness.
  • Here is Paul’s doctrine of salvation and philosophy of life. In regards to eternal salvation, humans deserve nothing, can achieve nothing, and have no reason for pride or self-assurance. God has done everything: created, disciplined, had grace, given his Son Jesus on the cross for our sin, raised Jesus, declared us righteous and justified, adopted us as his children, and promised us resurrection and eternal life. The only human part in all this, in faith, is to accept what God has done. – Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 244.

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

  • ”share his sufferings” – Who wants this?! Someone who desires Christ more than they desire comfort. Paul doesn’t mind the difficulty if it means knowing Jesus better.
  • do not overlook the connection between suffering and knowing Jesus and his power.

11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

  • Paul’s goal is not a padded spiritual resume, but it is to experience the resurrection.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

  • Paul’s motive in sanctification is not to gain the love of Christ. It is something already bestowed upon him. His motive for sanctification is the knowledge that he now belongs to Christ.

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

  • Paul illustrates his pursuit with the analogy of a marathon runner.
  • Two thoughts: Do not let the past paralyze your spiritual progress. Do not take your eyes off of the finish line.

15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

  • ”even with tears” – It should pain us to see people who claim Christ to conduct their lives as an enemy of the one to who they claim allegiance.
  • ILL: – It pains me to see someone standing on or burning the American flag. It’s disappointing to see someone do that because it shows disdain on a country where they have been given so much freedom.
  • ”walk” – places emphasis on an ongoing way of life.

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

  • ”Their end is destruction” – “But I don’t believe in a God like that is the cry of multitudes today. However that has absolutely nothing to do with it! We are not free to decide what kind of God we can live with or accept. God has revealed himself to be a holy God who will bring dreadful judgment upon all those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Like it or not, this is the way he is! – R. Ellsworth, Opening up Philippians. P. 75,76.
  • ”their belly” – meaning they worship fleshly desires. Their sole purpose in living is to gratify their own desires.
  • “They glory in their shame” – “Their moral values are so topsy-turvy and confused, they actually go around boasting of things they ought to be ashamed of! One of the surest signs of an individual or a society being utterly decadent is that of not being able to feel shame. When people take it a step further and begin to boast of shameful things, they are perilously close to being completely beyond hope. What does this tell us about our own society? Boasting about prowess in drinking and in making sexual conquests! Proclaiming sexual perversion as a normal and even desirable way of life! Slaughtering the unborn in the name of freedom and choice! All of these are shameful beyond description, but our society is not ashamed! Instead it tries to make those who condemn such things feel ashamed. It calls perversion normal and common morality abnormal, and all the while God’s judgement rumbles in the background. Let someone mention that judgement and he is roundly condemned as something of a religious fanatic and as a very cruel and unfeeling person. What a strange society! It shames those who talk of judgement and refuses to be ashamed of the sin that brings the judgement.” – R. Ellsworth.
  • ”with minds set on earthly things” – Although we aren’t told the specific group to which Paul is refering, they are characterized by this broad, yet loathsome observation. The term means to keep on giving serious consideration to something—‘to ponder, to let one’s mind dwell on, to keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention on.’ – Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 351.You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James 4:4. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col 3:2.

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

  • “But” – In contrast to those mentioned in v. 18-19 who “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ”, we acts differently.
  • “Citizenship is in heaven” – The people of Philippi were living there as colonists while their citizenship was in Rome. Similarly Christians, while living on earth, have their citizenship elsewhere—in heaven. This contrasts with those in verse 19 whose minds are exclusively on earthly things. – Robert P. Lightner, “Philippians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 662.
  • APP: Earthly goals and self-centered desires fade in importance. Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 247.
  • APP: Mature, godly believers live in anticipation not in participation. While we wait, we participate in kingdom activities, not worldly activities. Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 247.Earth cannot satisfy our longings.
    • QUES: How do I become a citizen?
      1. there are no work visas. You don’t gain salvation through good works.
      2. there are no illegal imigrants. You don’t sneak your way in.
      3. We are only made citizens through the work of the Savior.
    • “We await” – eagerly await. Suggests a tiptoe anticipation and longing.
  • “A savior” – Notice that the transformation of our bodies (the resurrection) is accomplished ‘through the gospel’. It does nor occur with out the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It does not occur without the atonement found at the cross. This IS the conclusion of Jesus saving us from our sin.

21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

  • Why look to the future rather than the present for satisfaction and joy? Because in the resurrection, Jesus has shown that he is sovereign. Everything is under his control. We have no reason to pamper and value the earthly body. It passes away. Jesus has another body for us, one like his resurrected body. It can take up citizenship in heaven with the resurrected Christ. The joy there is so great, we can forsake any pleasures earth might give. The apostle gives more details of this event in 1 Corinthians 15:51–54. – Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 247.
  • ”transform” –“to change the outward appearance, to change the form of”“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”  – Re 22:3–4.
  • ”lowly” – as in: humble. We really don’t need to be reminded of this truth every day now do we? But we all have daily reminders that we do, in fact, live in a “lowly body”. It means to have low status, or humble status.
  • ”body” – Paul focused on the physical body which would be transformed so that it became like Christ’s body. Two factors are significant. First, the body is destined for eternity. It should be treated accordingly, and people should not make earthly existence in the body their ultimate concern. The tragedy of the false teachers was, in part, that they did just that. They focused on some aspect of the body that would not last beyond this life. Second, Paul’s hope involved a physical transformation. His theology included the fact that redemption culminated in a change of the body itself. The spirit was already in a resurrection with Christ; the body awaited that change. – Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 144.
  • ”like his glorious body” -Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
    1 Co 15:49.all Christians will receive glorified bodies like His. No more will they have the limitations they now experience in their “lowly” bodies, which are humbled by disease and sin. Their resurrected bodies will be like Christ’s, and their sanctification will be completed.
    Robert P. Lightner, “Philippians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 662–663.

    Our bodies get sick, hurt, desire sinful pleasures, grow old, and eventually die. Followers of Christ have the hope that life in this world is not the end. Someday, we will have a perfect body that will never die, a body like the one the Savior now has (1 John 3:2).
    Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 247.