Philippians 3
True and False Righteousness
3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
Paul, Timothy, and Epahroditus were imprisoned and sick, yet they were able to rejoice, because they had the mind of Christ. It was sad for Paul to write to the Philippians, because they were spiritually mature. It wa safe for Paul to write, because they would be able to understand.
3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!
The Greek word for "dogs" is κύων (ko-on), meaning a spiritual predator who feeds on others. This term was usually a metaphor for Gentiles. Dogs were despised in the ancient Middle East, because they traveled in packs, tore their prey apart bit by bit, and then devoured them. In Isaiah 56:10, Isaiah said, "His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber”. The dogs were false prophets who were telling everyone in Israel that Isaiah was wrong about them going into the Babylonian Captivity. They were sleeping and not able to recognize the coming judgment. They refused to bark and warn the people of the coming invasion. America today is in the same predicament. The bear is coming, but there are no dogs barking to warn them of the destruction to come. Beware of dogs. Beware of men who are constantly tickling your ears and not giving out the entire counsel of the Word of God. This is the major problem of the seeker churches today. Their pastors are dumb dogs who sleep too much and refuse to bark.
The Greek word for "evil workers" is κακοὺς ἐργάτας (kakous ergatos), meaning poisoned field-workers. These are the legalistic ones.
The Greek word for "those who mutilate the flesh" is κατατομή (katatomay), meaning teachers who teach a false circumcision. The Judaizers falsely taught that circumcision was required for salvation.
All three of these descriptions are all metaphors for the Judaizers. They were Jewish but called dogs, a Gentile term, who were actually spreading poison in the field by teaching that circumcision was needed for salvation.
3:3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials
The Mosaic Law had ended, so the old circumcision was out. The new dispensation is the church, so faith alone in Christ alone is in. The Judaizers would teach something like this:
We know the Mosaic Law better than Paul, because we are experts in the Law. After all, Paul was not one of the original 12 super-apostles who actually walked with Christ. Paul meant well, but he did not have the expertise in these matters that we do. Therefore, listen to us instead of Paul. You must be circumcised to be saved. You must keep the Mosaic Law to be saved. Now quit listening to Paul and become our converts. Place your confidence not in Paul, but in us. We even have letters of authority from the Sanhedrin to authenticate our authority. Paul has no letters of authority from the Sanhedrin, because his teachings are not accredited.
3:4 – though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more:
Paul explained that these letters of authority are nothing but human credentials. Paul had even greater human credentials than these Judaizers. Paul was willing to stack his religious life and credentials against their religious life and credentials. Paul will begin to list his human credentials.
3:5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.
Paul was circumcised on the eighth day, meaning that he had godly parents who knew and kept the Mosaic Law.
He came from the stock of Israel, meaning that he was not a half-breed of Jew and gentile, like many of the Jews of that day.
He was from the tribe of Benjamin, who was the favorite son of Jacob.
He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, meaning that he was a spiritual leader in the community.
He lived as a Pharisee, trained by Gamaliel, the greatest teacher of that day. Pharisees were conservative in their theory, attempting to bring in the Kingdom of God.
There were few of the Judaizers who could measure up to these six human credentials that Paul mentioned in writing so that all could read.
3:6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.
Paul was so zealous for God, that he persecuted the church, because he thought they were enemies of God. Many of the Pharisees relaxed after the church was run out of Jerusalem, but not Paul. He relentlessly left Jerusalem and hunted them down.
Paul kept the Mosaic Law. He called himself blameless, not sinless. He was blameless, because he kept the Jewish sacrifice system, which covered his sins until the next sacrifice.
3:7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ.
Paul no longer trusted in these things, because he now trusted in Christ.
3:8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ,
The things that Paul used to consider as precious, he now considers as dung. Paul flushed his religion down the toilet, because it stank.
3:9 and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.
Paul was in Christ, not because of the good things that he had listed above, not from keeping the Mosaic Law, but he was in Christ because he has a righteousness that comes from God. God took Paul's sin and transferred it to Christ. God took Christ's righteousness and transferred it to Paul. This great transfer occurred because of the righteousness of Christ.
3:10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death,
The Greek word for "know is γινώσκω (ginoskow), meaning to know by personal experience. The main goal of Paul was to know Jesus Christ by personal experience.
The Greek word for "power" is δύναμις (dynamos), meaning divine power. Paul wanted to experience the same divine power of the resurrection in his own life.
Paul did not fear suffering The mind of Christ gives the believer the ability to share in the sufferings of Christ. Since Christ is sitting at the right hand of God as the head of the church, Satan must concentrate his attacks on the body of Christ, which is left down here on earth.
Paul wanted to be like Christ in his death, meaning a resurrection into a new glorified body that will not die, will not age, and can walk through walls.
3:11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul wanted to be resurrected from the dead, just as the Lord Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
Keep Going Forward
3:12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.
The Greek word for "perfected" is τελειόω (teleow), a perfect passive indicative verb, meaning that Paul has not yet attained the final phase of maturity that God has planned for him. This path to perfection began as a onetime completed action of the past, namely at Paul's conversion on the Road to Damascus. This maturation process will continue into the future. Paul's goal was to be all that Christ wanted him to be.
3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,
Paul desired complete maturity, but he had not arrived there yet. There are many saints who feel comfortable in their spiritual ignorance. A mature believer knows that he has a lot more to learn.
Paul has one single thing on his mind. He wants to forget all of the mistakes of his past and reach out to the things of the future that will help him to become completely mature.
3:14 with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul saw himself as a track star running for first prize. There was an amphitheater in Ephesus that seated 100,000 people, so Paul most likely saw the Olympic games. After all, he did live in Ephesus for three years, preaching the gospel and taking the Ephesians to a high level of spiritual maturity.
The upward call of God is the high calling of God, which is to be like Christ. Paul was not running a race for salvation. He had already been given salvation as a gift. He was running so that when he reaches the Judgment Seat of Christ, he will not be ashamed of his life. Some will reach the judgment seat and be ashamed of their lives on earth. Paul did not want to be one of these kinds of athletes.
3:15 Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.
The Greek word for "perfect" is τέλειος (telios), meaning completely mature in Christ. The Judaizers thought that they had already reached perfection, or complete maturity. They were the ones who embraced this erroneous point of view. If the Judaziers think they are perfect, then God will show them the error of their ways.
3:16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained.
Paul was telling the Philippians to be an athlete. He was telling them to get out on the race track and run at the full speed that God expected them to run.
3:17 Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.
Very few people can command others to be like them, but Paul could because he had the mind of Christ. Paul informed the Philippians to watch others who possessed the mind of Christ and to learn from their examples. The only way to possess the mind of Christ is to master Bible doctrine from the entire counsel of the Word of God.
3:18 For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Those who are not with Christ are against Christ. The more Bible doctrine a believer possesses, the more enemies he will possess.
3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things.
The enemies of Christ may be confessing or professing unbelievers. Their god is their belly, as they are only interested in the things of the world. They do not think about spiritual things. All of their thoughts are based upon greed and the accumulation of earthly things, such as sex, money, and power.
3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
The Philippians have a dual citizenship. Their true citizenship is in heaven, but their secondary citizenship is on this earth, where they are ambassadors and soldiers for Christ.
Notice that the Philippian believers were waiting for their Savior, not the Great Tribulation. This is the Doctrine of Imminency, meaning that Christ can return for the Philippians at any time.
3:21 who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.
The humble bodies of the Philippians will be transformed into a new glorious body like that of Christ after His resurrection. If the Philippians are alive at the Rapture (which they are not), then they would receive the glorified bodies at that time, while they were still alive. If the Philippians died (which they did), then they will receive their transformed bodies at the Rapture, just moments before those who are alive at the Rapture. When Paul wrote this letter, the Philippians were living under the Doctrine of Imminency, meaning that Christ could have returned during their lifetime in Philippi.