Philippians 3
Last time we looked at the second chapter and now we move on to the next one.
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.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 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—though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: 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. In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 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, 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. 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, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil 3:1-11)
While so far the letter has been quite positive, now Paul gets harsh. His anger is not aimed at the Philippians but at those who are trying to turn them astray from the church. The people Paul describes as “dogs” are likely Jewish Christians who are trying to get the Philippians to get circumcised and take on the Jew Law. Paul faced similar people in Galatians. This is not meant as criticism of Jewish people. It is specifically aimed at Jewish Christians who struggled with Gentiles (non-Jews) having direct access to God. They believed a Gentile must convert to Judaism before becoming a Christian. Paul’s Gospel stated that faith in Jesus was enough.
These Jewish Christians had some impressive credentials but Paul had even better credentials. Even though he had that status, that meant nothing to him. He counts those human credentials as dung. “Dung” is actually too polite of a word. The Greek word that Paul uses is the vulgar term, what in English we might call the sh– word. What really matters to Paul is his relationship with Jesus. Notice that this relationship includes both sharing in Jesus’ resurrection and sharing in his suffering. The Christian life is not free from pain, but that pain has new meaning in Christ.
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. 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, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 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. Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained. (Phil 3:12-16)
The Christian life is a journey. It is not about becoming a Christian and being done. We need to keep our focus on the goal, putting aside the things behind us and continually moving closer to God.
Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example. 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. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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. (Phil 3:17-21)
Christians will often say, don’t look to other people but rather become like Jesus. The problem is that we don’t see Jesus. Paul, who had seen Jesus in person, understood this. He wanted people to imitate him. Not because Paul was more important than anyone else, but because Paul was following and submitting to Jesus. We need to be careful who we follow and imitate. We must make sure they are indeed true disciples of Jesus.
Discussion Questions
- Why would Paul not want Christians to take on the Jewish Law?
- Why does Paul not value his human credentials?
- What part of your life do you value most?
- Is there a Christian (alive or dead) that inspires you and that you seek to imitate?
- Would you be comfortable imitating you?
