Philippians 3:1-14 – “The best, not the rest”
By James Galbraith
First Baptist Church, Port Alberni.
October 29, 2006
Text
3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If others think they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in b Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Introduction
Have you ever been at the point in a discussion or argument where you simply stop debating and say “Enough!!”
I have to admit, I reach that point fairly often in my parenting journey. I think we all reach that point in certain areas – it’s just part of being human.
This portion of the letter we’re reading together is much like one of those “Enough!” moments.
Throughout his ministry, the Apostle Paul has been hounded by a group of people set on making people work for Christ’s free gift of grace.
These people cannot accept that God would freely give salvation to those who simply believe in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so they try to add their own ideas and requirements to the gospel.
Almost every letter he writes confronts this issue, and Paul is now taking time to address it here, in hopes that the Philippians will be ready to defend themselves against this attack on their faith.
Rejoice…
The same words that he uses here for “Finally” mean more then just “Good Bye”. Indeed, they are better understood as, “There’s one more thing I want to talk about “, then as “See you later”.
His declaration to “Rejoice in the lord” is a lot like a command bellowed to someone when they are in mortal danger.
Any one who has cared for children will be familiar with hollering, “NO” just as a child is about to stick their in a socket. The care-giver is not trying to hurt or boss the child, he’s trying to save her from danger.
Likewise, Paul is calling the Philippians to take joy in the Lord, whatever may be ahead. What better preparation to face false teaching then to rejoice in what God has done, and what he is doing?
Those who are focusing on the greatness of God are less likely to be pulled away from him then those who are preoccupied with other things.
It’s evident that Paul has shared the following thoughts before, but considers them important enough to repeat.
Those dogs…
He spares nothing in the next few lines - beginning with a three-pronged insult that if directly translated should not be repeated in church.
2-32Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
To fully appreciate the severity of Paul’s words you have to know the problem he was confronting.
He is attacking, with vigour, those who insisted that any new Christians also had to comply with Jewish laws and customs, such as circumcision. This can be called “Judaizing” the gospel.
This is not the type of problem that attracts a lot of attention today, but to Paul it was the one issue that set him off.
It boils down to this. These folks were adding to the gospel things that took away from the power of the pure message and perverted it into another system of rules and regulations.
They were saying, in essence, that what Christ did was not enough, and that Paul could not stand for an instant.
And to understand how vile the insult he delivers is, let’s look at the what these words meant back then.
Dogs were not considered pets in this day and age. In fact, they were about the lowest form of animal life imaginable for both Jews and Gentiles alike. It is likely that he chose this animal to generate disgust in both the Philippians’ minds and in the minds of those who sought to “Judiaze” them.
“Men who do evil” was in direct contrast with what these men thought they were accomplishing. They saw themselves as improving the faith that Paul had started in these believers, but Paul regarded them as the antithesis to the gospel he was trying to preach.
Mutilators of the flesh was a direct reference to the act of circumcision, which the “Judiazers” insisted on for each new male convert, regardless of age. Paul saw this as little more than useless mutilation, and let them know so in no uncertain terms.
By contrast, the Philippians, along with Paul were “the true circumcision”!
Now, this is not the type of picture we use to describe ourselves today! It was, however, the physical sign every Jewish male had to show he was a true follower of God.
And since circumcision was the physical mark of being God’s chosen people, what Paul is saying is that it is those who believe by faith who are truly God’s children - as opposed to those who say you have to work for your salvation.
He then affirms that we worship through God’s spirit, and not just our own - another example of us not working for God’s love but worshipping because of it.
We honour God because he has enabled us to do so - we are so thoroughly dependent on him that we need to lean on him to worship him!
This is the exact opposite of what the Judiazers were pushing - a salvation which is worked for and earned on our own merits.
Finally, Paul explains that we glory not in the flesh, but in our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, he is drawing a word picture. “In the flesh” is a phrase used to indicate works or deeds.
As Christians our actions are products of our faith, they do not earn us our salvation from God.
The Judiazers, by insisting on observing Jewish law and custom as part of their faith, were saying that we have to earn our standing with God.
The best, not the rest
After making this proclamation Paul then delivers a three-part testimony from his own life that backs up the importance of what he has said here.
1. A BLAST FROM THE PAST
The First part is a challenge to the Judiazers that comes out of Paul’s past as a natural - born Jew.
4-6 - though I myself have reasons for such confidence.If others think they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
Before Paul became a Christian he was on the fast track to becoming a prominent Jewish religious leader. If any one could claim to be closer to God through his own deeds, it was Paul.
In his time, there were two important parts of the Jewish faith - your birth line and your deeds. Paul makes points for each of these to show how much he had achieved under the Jewish faith.
His reference to circumcision shows that he was born a Jew and circumcised on the eighth day of life, just like all Jewish males. He mentions this to show that he was not merely a convert to Judaism, but born into it.
“OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN,” are references to his birth-line. If he had been a race horse he would have fetched a high price - for his ancestry commanded respect from any Jew. Of all the original tribes of Israel, only Benjamin and Judah stayed true to the covenant God made with David for his people, so his lineage was consider first-rate.
“A HEBREW OF HEBREWS” - in every way Paul sought to live out the Jewish faith. This term also bridges the former bragging points, which were concerned with his birth-line, with the next three points, which focus on his actions.
IN REGARD TO THE LAW, A PHARISEE - Pharisees made their mark by showing a complete adherence to the law of the God - both the Old testament and the Torah - which served as a type of commentary or appendix to the Law and the Prophets. Paul was one of the up and coming Pharisee’s of his day.
AS FOR ZEAL, PERSECUTING THE CHURCH – As a Jew, he was so violently opposed to the growing church that he sought to destroy it. The early church knew this, and Paul’s reference to it here shows that he realizes where misguided devotion can take you. Those who sought to add Jewish rules and regulations to the Christian faith were acting just as badly as he had before he became a Christian.
AS FOR LEGALISTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS - FAULTLESS. Paul is not saying that he was perfect, but as to the observable keeping of the law, not one infraction could be pinned on him.
So that was “Super Paul” at his best, before his salvation. He was a driven, highly successful religious leader. If he had been applying for a job, his resume would have been at the top of the list.
But what this so-called bragging all amounts too is a big set-up.
He is not bragging to bolster himself,
but to bolster the incredible work of Christ which has taken over his life.
He has taken everything that the Judiazers hold dear,
proven that he had achieved far more than they could ever hope too,
and then he brings it all down with one fell swoop.
What really matters
READ VERSES 7-11 - But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in b Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul has just finished reviewing his past life, to show how steeped he was in what the Judiazers stood for. As a Jew, would have had them beat on every front – his birth line was the best, his actions faultless and his reputation superb.
In this paragraph, he now looks at his current life and completely rejects the emptiness of what he once was.
Imagine a millionaire walking away for his fortune and you have a picture of what Paul has just done. Or a doctor turning away from medicine. Or a athlete retiring at the very peak of his career.
Paul has taken all he ever accomplished on his own and compared it to an empty hole. Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to the change in his life since he met Christ.
He is so adamant on this point that he repeats it three times. This was a very Jewish method of expression - repeating something with just a bit of change every time.
Notice how his distaste intensifies every time he repeats this thought -
1. whatever was to my profit - I consider loss
2. everything I consider loss
3. I consider them (all things) RUBBISH
This last term, rubbish, is literally street talk - a vulgarity - that refers to excrement. In the Greek, it’s “skubala”. On the street, it’s a four letter word that rhymes with ”hit”
I once lost a bet over this word. I could not bring myself to believe that Paul would engage in such language in the New Testament. My Bible school cohort bet against me, and together we explored every nuance of this word.
Imagine my chagrin when I realised I was losing the bet.
My worst fears were confirmed years later when my Regent College New Testament professor, who not only wrote several respected commentaries but actually was appointed the editor for a complete New Testament commentary series AND was one of the translators of the NIV and the TNIV, unleashed his literal interpretation of the term on his class of unsuspecting students.
The translators, in this case, have opted for decorum over a literal translation. My point in all this - look at how far Paul is willing to toss aside his former way of life that he may know Christ more and more.
Look, too, at how he draws closer to Christ with each phrase -
1. For the sake of Christ,
2. knowing Christ, my Lord
3. and gaining Christ.
As he tosses his old ways farther away he is drawn closer and closer to the source of his new found faith. Why?
Because of the profound sense of freedom he has through what Christ has done for him. He is considered righteous - clean - pure - without sin - before God because of what Jesus has done for him.
Look at what it says - He did not “make his way to Christ by righteousness”.
He is found in Christ to be without sin through faith. There is nothing he could possibly do to match what has been done - it is left for him to simply believe.
That is why he is so bombastic with these false teachers! Their attempts to add anything to this simple message of faith corrupt the core of the gospel,
that in Christ God’s love and forgiveness is free and ready.
He goes on in verses 10-11 to share some very personal thoughts about his Saviour. He wants to know Christ though and through - nothing could be more important, and nothing better stand in his way.
There’s a very ancient hymn that St. Patrick himself is credited with writing, and the chorus communicates what Paul is trying to say -
Christ be with me, Christ within me; Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me; Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me; Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me; Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
He wants to associate so thoroughly that it seems he is going to lose himself in Christ. Almost, but not quite. Paul is quite aware of himself, and looks to his future with Christ in the next 3 verses.
READ VERSES12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Paul has shared how his life before Christ was full of achievement,
greater, in fact, then any of those to whom he is directing these words to.
He then shares how all of what he did is comparable to filthy street trash compared to knowing Christ, and that he desires to know Christ better and better.
Paul is now completing his testimony, which has started with his past and led into the present, with how he sees the future with Christ.
His very first thought puts so much perspective to his relationship with Christ. “NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED ALL THIS, OR HAVE AREADY BEEN MADE PERFECT, BUT I PRESS ON…”
Oh thank heaven for these words! Paul is telling us that he’s not there yet!
The Super Apostle Paul, who wrote a good chunk of the Bible we read today, is still growing in his faith! The one who has enjoyed such new found freedom gives us the freedom to not have to be perfect!
So, so often people are turned away from the faith because it makes them feel unworthy. They see themselves as insufficient, immature or simply inadequate for such a life and lifestyle, and quit before they even try.
Paul is saying that he’s still trying, still growing, and is going to do so for as long as he can. His goals are lofty, even intimidating, but he’s willing to concede that he has not arrived.
His ultimate goal is to enjoy everything that Jesus has prepared for him in Heaven - he pictures it as a prize, and his life is a path to that prize. Notice he does not refer to his pace, but only to his focus and desire.
Growing as Christian is not a race against others, we are competing with no one. It is a journey, one fraught with danger, prone to setbacks and agonising in progress. But it is Paul’s life pursuit, and he will pursue it with a passion that flings the impediments of the past away for the freedom of the future.
SO, IN OUR 21ST CENTURY WORLD, HOW DOES ALL THIS PLAY OUT?
1. The obvious starting point is our priorities. Is it possible that we, for all our love of Christ and knowledge of the gospel, may be seeing, even living our faith through something else? Culture? Family? Career? Race? The gospel is to be our centre point, and other things are to be interpreted by it.
Paul is warning us with shockingly graphic terms to not contaminate the gospel. A Christian lives for it and by it. He does not change it for any reason. It needs no improving, no updating and no modification - it is God’s work and he did it right the first time.
2. Another thing that stand out for me is the closeness Paul desires between his Lord and himself. I recoil from closeness at times, because I know that I as I take Jesus Christ more seriously that I am going to be confronted with some painful things to deal with.
I have to admit that sometimes I like Jesus, but that I like him over there, or over there.
That’s the opposite of Paul, and the opposite of what Paul is teaching us here.
As he draws closer to Christ he draws closer to the glory of the life Christ has ready for him. It must hurt because growth and conflict and battling with the past always do, but past the hurt there is beauty and freedom and life.
That is what Paul presses on for, and he is calling us to do the same.
He calls us to press forward toward our complete salvation,
and to know God better and better on the journey.
To do that, we have to toss aside what hinders and simply open our lives more and more to Him.
Are you ready to do that today?
