July 15, 2018
Evening Service

It appears the church of Philippi although a flourishing church, was unsettled by the judaizing teachers, who strived to keep up the Law of Moses, and to mix in the observances of it with the doctrine of Christ and his instructions. Paul begins the chapter with warnings against these people trying to entice others to believe like this around the time of 49-51 AD.

 

Php 3:1  Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 

Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 

 

Paul resumes his encouragement to the church of Philippi to rejoice in the Lord, to be of good cheer, and that he does not find it a burden to write the same things, or the things he had already preached to them and to other churches. Moreover, when he says for you it is safe, he means that when these things are committed to writing and not just confided to the memory, it is better and they are more likely to be preserved, not lost or corrupted. The reference to dogs and evil workers in the scripture is the same as the Jews had once referred to the Gentiles because they were not included in the original covenant. So here Paul refers to them as the dogs because they are not accepting the new covenant and truly rejecting it. He states we are the circumcision that worship the Lord in Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh. The apostle uses this word circumcision to degrade the declaration of holiness claimed by the Jews through the cutting of the flesh.

 

Php 3:4  though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 

Php 3:5  circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 

Php 3:6  concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 

Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 

Php 3:8  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 

 

In verses 4-6, this may seem as if Paul is boasting in some way, but it is actually quite the opposite. He clearly stated in verse three to have no confidence in the flesh and is just elaborating as to what the confidence is about. Paul being a true Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day as was the custom, a Pharisee which was the strictest group of the religion, a Hebrew of Hebrews being taught and trained in the very speech and spirit and not in a foreign tongue. When he was known as Saul from Tarsus, he was known to be a zealot for the law and a persecutor of the Church thoroughly and consistent, he was not half-hearted about his Judaism. In verses 7-8 he describes how everything he counted as gain to him, the things about him he thought to make him rich and strong in his heart and which he believed to be esteemed in character were a loss! The realizing of the truths which Jesus placed in his heart showed him that all things were a loss and counted as rubbish for the excellence of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord! To gain Christ as Lord of our lives is the most valuable thing we can ever do with ourselves, it is far more valuable to live for the Lord and love others through the Lord’s abundant giving of love. He will be the light unto our path, he will shield us from evil, and he will never leave us nor forsake us even to death. When the Lord begins a work within us, he will see it through to completion and will come again to receive us into His kingdom eternally.

 

Php 3:9  and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 

Php 3:10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 

Php 3:11  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

Php 3:12  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

Php 3:13  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

 

Here the writer tells us plainly of our own righteousness, there is no righteousness in ourselves. The only way we could ever be found as righteous in the eyes of God is to put on the righteousness of Jesus who God the Father sent to earth to be slain for all who believe on Him and in Him. If it were not for Jesus being willing to do the Will of God the Father, we as God’s creation would die in our sin and would never become part of the kingdom of Heaven. To die in our sin is an eternal separation from God to never be able to come into his presence, or feel His love, or share our burdens with Him, or to claim His power in our defense. The power of the resurrection from the dead is spoken of in this scripture and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death. We as Christians should feel a deep sense of gratitude to Christ for his work on Calvary; he was wounded for our transgressions and our wickedness. He died in our place for the sins we have committed and will commit and we have no works we could do or no words we can say to ever justify ourselves before our Father in Heaven, we simply and very plainly will fall short of the Glory of God! The work done by God’s Son Jesus was an act of redeeming our souls to God in Heaven because we are not and will not be worthy. Jesus is worthy of our praise and God has placed His name above all names and without Him we are lost and will have no hope of eternal life. Paul states here that he has not attained nor will attain perfection, but he presses on to lay hold of Christ Jesus as Jesus has laid hold of him. We love Jesus because he first loved us as said in 1 John 4:19. In Galatians 5:24 it says “And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” We are to press on to the prize before us and to do our best to lay hold of the things of Christ and not of man which leads to death and cannot attain salvation.

 

Php 3:15  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 

Php 3:16  Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. 

 

Paul is telling us to be of like mind, when he states as many as are mature, he means those who are aiming at perfection and are adult in their Christian knowledge. As we first become believers in Christ Jesus, we are taking in spiritual milk and are not yet ready for the solid food. Speaking to the church in Corinth 1 Corinthians 3:2  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;  He urges us to keep the white line in our sights and to continue without halting until the race is finished. Paul talks of the holding onto the Jewish ordinances, he says if anything makes you think differently, God will reveal it to you. He encourages us to not lose the part of the race we have already run, but to walk by the same rule, with the same mind to keep the glorious prize which is held out by God through Christ Jesus.

 

Php 3:17  Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 

Php 3:18  For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 

Php 3:19  whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 

Php 3:20  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 

Php 3:21  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. 

 

In verse 17 Paul says to follow his example of how to walk to have as a pattern. He says this not in a way to impress or draw attention to himself or to have disregard for humility, but to honestly show the respects to the standards at which we honor Jesus. The church of Philippi knew that he lived so as to be a proper example for others and he knew that they would feel that his life had been such that there would be no wrongdoing in his referring to it in this manner. Then he says many walk of who he has said are enemies of the cross and causes him to weep. Paul was not afraid to speak of church members when they did wrong, and to warn others not to imitate their example. The true way is, to admit that there are those in the church who do not honor Christ, and to warn others against following their example. But this fact does not make believing in Christ Jesus less true or valuable, anymore than counterfeit money makes all money bad. He goes on to say that their end is destruction, they glory in things that should make them ashamed, they are worshiping their own appetites, and their mind is set on earthly things or living to obtain them. These are the real enemies of the cross. It is not so much those who deny the doctrines of the cross, as it is those who oppose its influence on their hearts; not so much those who live to scoff and ridicule religion, as it is those who “mind earthly things,” that injure this holy cause in the world. In verse 20, The King James Version says “our conversation is in heaven” in place of citizenship in the New King James script. Today we think of conversation as being of spoken communication; however it formerly meant conduct in general. So this means our conduct should be worthy of the gospel of Christ as in the opening chapter of this book in verse 27. When Jesus came to earth and died for our sins, he then ascended to Heaven and is now there to come again one day and we eagerly await His return. He will then change our lowly bodies subject to infirmities, disease, and death to the spiritual body for which he will fashion us in the likeliness of Himself. No creature can do this, but there is One who has all power entrusted to Him over all things! Thank you our Lord Jesus for your abounding love and power.