Philippians Chapter Three Commentary by Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 3:1-5
Verse 1. “Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a
safeguard for you.”
Paul’s final word to the Philippians and God’s ultimate
intention for you and me is that we will “rejoice in the
Lord.” In fact, we are to “rejoice always” (1
Thessalonians 5:16). To have the Lord is greater than our situation, our life,
which is partly what Paul's life is all about. He and his contemporaries weren’t in good
situations at all. At the time of these verses, Paul had been
a federal prisoner for a number of years, though he was convicted of no crime.
If he could “rejoice,” so can we, and the secret is
to look up from our troubles and look to the Lord.
Much like Paul often told his listeners to “rejoice”
in all circumstances, he had other, additional instructions for believers in all
places, of all time. His statements can be called “redundant” because he often said the
same things in different contexts. Yet he makes no apology for repeating himself
because we are slow to hear and often have to hear ideas like “have faith in the
Lord” over-and-over until the words and ideas at last begin to deeply penetrate our hearts
and minds.
Verse 2. “Beware of the dogs, beware of
the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;”
“Beware,” or literally
“mark” those among you who are “dogs.” The Jews
called the Gentiles (non-Jews) “dogs,” or “unclean,”
mainly because they did not make a distinction between “clean”
and “unclean” foods, as described by Jewish dietary
law. The opposite kind of people from the “dogs”
and “unclean” people named in this verse through
Paul’s usage of the words are those who “worship" God in
"the Spirit,” as seen in
verse 3.
“Evil workers” are, by
implication, those who are ZEALOUS in their religious activities, but their
hearts are far from the Lord. Paul spoke elsewhere of “false
apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Corinthians 11:13). Jesus said about the
Pharisees that they “compassed sea and land to make one
convert,” (Matthew 23:15), but for most of them, their hearts were far
from God. The Greek for “false
circumcision” (or “mutilation” in the NKJV)
was a contemptuous word for “circumcision,”
denoting those who substitute mere religious ritual in place of simple
faith in the Lord.
Verse 3. “for we are the true
circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put
no confidence in the flesh,”
Moses revealed the true nature of circumcision in
Deuteronomy 30:6, when he said, “the Lord your God will
circumcise your HEART and the heart of your descendents to LOVE the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” The
rite of “circumcision” was always intended to be an
outward sign of something inside; a true faith, a heart filled with love for the
Lord.
That’s precisely what Paul is stating here in
Philippians: that for someone to be utterly and truly Jewish and/or Christian is to “worship
in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus,” and he tells us the
part that is difficult for so many: to “put no confidence
in the flesh.” It’s one thing to be merely religious, but something else
entirely to ENTRUST yourself to the Lord as Paul is describing in this verse.
Verse 4. “although I myself might have
confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the
flesh, I far more:”
Paul the Apostle, who wrote the words of this letter,
was originally named Saul, and he was a very Jewish man who gives us something
of his biography in the next few verses. There were many other teachers in the
church at that time, just like now, and some of them were sound in their
teaching about the Lord. Others, however, all too often were the “evil
workers” of the preceding verse.
Paul, as we will see, was not a convert to Judaism as so
many were, but had the credential of having been BORN a Jew, a pedigree that
reached all the way back to Jacob, grandson of Abraham. He does not mention it
at this point, but he also had been born into Roman citizenship, another rare
honor. God had chosen his man well, just as all who love the Lord are carefully
chosen by Him.
Verse 5. “circumcised the eighth day, of
the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the
Law, a Pharisee;”
To be “circumcised the eighth day”
meant that Paul was not a proselyte, a convert, but he had actually been born
a Jew. Abraham’s grandson was Jacob, whose name was changed by God to “Israel.”
Other nations had come from Abraham and Isaac, his son, but only the Israelites,
the Jews, could claim Jacob as their ancestor. This Jacob ("Israel") was the one who
wrestled all night with the angel and became "a prince
with God" (a definition of "Israel"). Paul was
descended from Jacob.
Paul descended directly from Benjamin, the son of Jacob,
the tribe that gave Israel its first king - Saul, for whom Saul (also known as
Paul) was named. Paul was trained under the great Rabban Gamaliel; he spoke Hebrew
(Acts 21:40) and quoted from both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek Septuagint
translation of Scripture. He had become a Pharisee, the strictest sect of the
Jews (Acts 23:6). Paul had the credentials his opponents did not have.
Father, very few have the human credentials of Paul,
but we ALL need the Lord. We trust in Jesus Christ right now, knowing that
our destiny, our true identity is in - Him. Forgive us our sins and let us
walk with You forever. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 3:6-10
Verse 6. “as to zeal, a persecutor of
the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”
To have “zeal” is to have
intense enthusiasm for something. The Pharisees ("separated ones") thought they
kept the Law of God and were somehow “above it all,” separated from the sin that
terribly besets this world. Paul (Saul) had been a Pharisee, and he had
previously focused his
zeal on the early Church. He had sought to kill or imprison as many Christians as he
possibly could (Acts 8:3 & context).
Paul had wanted to have “righteousness,”
to be “blameless,” to be innocent, to be found “Not
Guilty” in God’s Court of Law. In those years he did not understand that “by
the deeds of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the Law is
the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). He had now learned that the more we
try to please God by our words or actions, the more we should begin to
understand that such actions will not succeed – we instead need the grace of God
given abundantly in Christ.
Verse 7. “But whatever things were gain
to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
When we REALLY come into Christ, it is like we were
blind previously, but now we can “see.” We were spiritually deaf before, but now
we can “hear.” In the lives we live before we know Christ, we have a philosophy of life that
may be
somewhat defensible, or perhaps a religion that satisfies us intellectually.
Paul had been like that, and he was even more zealous in his belief-system than most who
have ever lived.
The man had fiercely defended his religion and thought
it was “gain” to do so, but the fact is that his
religious zeal was actually a preoccupation with self. He was proud of his
ability to keep a certain set of rules and expected God to reward him for his
pride. Finally, Paul met the Risen Christ, and his attention was turned away from
self and to the Lord. It was at that point he began to recognize his previous
activities as a total “loss,” and he now knew the “gain”
that comes to those who put their trust in God through Jesus Christ.
Verse 8. “More than that, I count all
things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but
rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”
What is your GOAL in life? Or rather, what ARE
your goals, for most people have more than one. Take it from someone (Paul
the Apostle) who had very specific goals and worked extremely hard to bring them
to pass - goals change! What is valuable for you now may be "rubbish" in
just a few years or decades. Paul had been dedicated and effective in his
chosen pursuits, but now he had a spiritual perspective through Jesus
Christ, and recognized his previous interest as "trash" compared to what he now
knew.
The Lord can change you - utterly! I don't think
Paul was ever an atheist, but I was, and never expected to feel differently
about God or the things of God. Those years are now a time of "loss in view of
the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." And yes, we do
suffer loss in some areas of our lives by coming to the Lord, but to "gain Christ" is infinitely more
valuable than any "loss" we might think we have experienced in this world.
To "gain Christ" is - everything.
Verse 9. “and may be found in Him, not
having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”
That we may be "IN Him," or as Paul also says, "IN
Christ," is astonishing. And the other side of it is "Christ
IN YOU, the
hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). The holy intimacy expressed here is
beyond our ability to even remotely understand it, and yet, such love is offered
to people like you and me. We can be made one with God and through Him,
somehow even be made "one" with other
human beings (John 17:11) right now.
And the method of all this is right here in this verse
in Philippians - "through faith in Christ." We must have
His "righteousness"
in order to have the potential for true relationship with God and even with
other people; and it is all found "through faith in Christ." As it says,
this is not our own "righteousness;" it is
the Lord's, received through trusting in Him.
HE is good, pure, just and true, and when we are "in Christ" and He is in us
through faith, He brings those attributes with Him - into your life and
mine.
Verse 10. “that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed
to His death;”
What are your goals in life? Paul, the writer of
this letter to the Philippians, had many goals, but ALL his intentions were
changed by his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road (Acts Chapter 9).
A change
like this is offered to us all. The power, love and righteousness given in Christ
is given to each one who merely accepts the faith offered in the Lord, as we saw in
verse 9.
What were Paul's hopes at the time of this letter? -
That he might "KNOW" Christ, ever more deeply, in ways he had not previously
understood. That he might experience the "power of His
(Christ's) resurrection," today, tomorrow and forever. The "resurrection" offered in
Christ is not only future, but it is also right now for those who trust
in the Lord. And when we are "conformed to His death"
(to the things of this world) we are given His
life - forever.
Father, we want to know Jesus. We want to be
forgiven and to walk in and with Your Spirit. Let all this come to pass in
our lives. We thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 3:11-15
Verse 11. “in order that I may attain to
the resurrection from the dead.”
It is vitally important for each of us to take a hard look at what we
want to "attain" in life.
Look inside and ask yourself: "What is important to me?" Paul was simply human
like everybody else and he had considered the various priorities life offers,
just like we do. Things were not so different in those days. His parameters of thought had broadened in
key ways and
narrowed in that which was less important.
Here's what he found, and we all need to think about life
the way he did: every one of us is going to leave this planet; an event which includes
leaving behind simply - everything! As Paul saw, our only hope is in
Jesus, who offers us the "resurrection,"
the return to life "from the dead." And
as we will find in the next verses,
this "resurrection" is available to you
and me, IF we trust in
Jesus Christ.
Verse 12. “Not that I have already
obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay
hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”
Paul, the writer of this letter to the Philippians, had
become a very honest man; one who no longer pretended he was something he was
not, like he had done previously, before he met the Risen Christ. Instead of
thinking he was “perfect” in his role as a Pharisee when he persecuted the
innocent, he now knew that perfection is not something we can humanly accomplish. He
was now simply trying, as we all should, to be the best that he could be, in
the power and love of God.
To “press on” as Paul did, is a day-by-day,
minute-by-minute surrender to the Lord. As Paul indicated in another place, “the
old man” (what we are before we come to the Lord) is “corrupt according to
deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22). That “old man” is still a part of us, but
when we are in Christ, we also “put on the new man” (Ephesians 4:24) in
specific ways, such as: tell the truth, give up nursing our anger, work instead of stealing,
give to others, and so on (Ephesians 4:25-29). To “press on” is to continually
seek the Lord and "lay hold" of His will for our lives.
Verse 13. “Brethren, I do not regard
myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”
As Paul stated in the preceding verse, he had not in any
way “already become perfect,” but he chose on an ongoing basis to “lay hold” of
the love and power of the Lord, so that he might live a good, godly life on this
earth. Here in verse 13, he gives us suggestions, telling us what worked for
him, so that we, too, may live a better life.
One way is found in “forgetting what lies behind,” and
another is in reaching “forward to what lies ahead.” In many ways, probably more
than we like to think about, we have failed in the past and we all have regrets about
what we have done. Others have hurt US, and Paul is saying, “Let it go,” to
which you might reply, “Easier said than done!” Just remember to pray, for we
are “forgetting” in God’s strength, not in our own. And “reaching forward” is to
“hope” in Christ; to look expectantly for His return to this earth.
Verse 14. “I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Crysostom, an early Christian writer, noted about this
verse that Paul was something of a sports fan who
sprinkled many of his letters with references to the Olympic Games; references
that were familiar to almost everyone in the Roman Empire. The “prize” was
the laurel of victory, presented to the winner of the race. One of the glories
in our “race” through this life is that, to be in Christ, is to win the
REAL “prize.” In this "race," we don’t need to be clever or fast, but merely faithful, in order
to win it all.
Chrysostom said about this
verse in Philippians: “It was His (God’s)
will that you should run the race below; He gives the
crown above.” Even here (on earth) they don't crown the most honored athletes on the race course, but
instead the race officials call them up
to platforms and crown
them there. Chrysostom and Paul noted that many aspects of life can be compared to athletic events,
such as "the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Verse 15. “Let us therefore, as many as
are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different
attitude, God will reveal that also to you;”
“Perfect” here, does not mean the same as we understand
the word in English. The Greek word for “perfect” is to become mature, full
grown; no longer like babies or small children, who want what they want when
they want it. There are many in this world who don’t understand what it means to
grow up. Babies are lovely, but they also, by necessity, are self-serving. We
mature when we begin to reach out and help others.
ALL human beings are in a state of “denial,” in
one way or another, and many who are immature, selfish and self-serving, don’t
know that they are. “I’m a fun person,” you and I might think, but others may see
us as self-absorbed and boring. There is hope, however, for part of what God the Holy
Spirit does is “reveal” our immaturity to us. We
are to seek the Lord and we will discover that He is helping
us in far more ways than we know.
Father, let our lives be filled with HOPE in Christ
Jesus; in CERTAINTY that He will soon return and rescue us. Let us also
help others in the power of God. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 3:16-21
Verse 16. “however, let us keep living
by that same standard to which we have attained.”
All who have ever lived are offered the grace of God, and
those who are in Christ, RECEIVE that grace (His unmerited favor). Humanity as a whole has broken God’s perfect Law of
love, and from His perspective (the only one that counts), we are a race of
criminals. In His power and in His love, He has sent Christ who changes us, and
“our citizenship is (now) in heaven” (verse 20). Each of us,
in Christ, is given God's grace.
All who have trusted in Christ receive His forgiveness,
His Holy Spirit, and a process is commenced in which we are made clean through
the power of God. He brings His love into us, the joy of the Lord, and a certain
hope. The sad thing is that most live far below His expectations for us. Paul
says, “keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.” In other
words, live up to the potential that was imparted to us when we trusted in the Lord and
received the grace of God.
Verse 17. “Brethren, join in following
my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”
Paul said in another place, “Note those who cause
divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid
them” (Romans 16:17). He also talked about those who are people of “love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). It is the latter group Paul is referring to
in this place in his letter to the Philippians.
To be right about things is important, but in being “right,”
we must ask ourselves: do we have a heart of love? To be doctrinally correct is a good thing, but do
you create “divisions” by your insistence on the “truth?” Paul said, if we give
up everything, “but have not love, it profits (us)
nothing” (1 Corinthians
13:1-3). Watch for those who follow Paul’s “example”
of loving others and “observe” them.
Encourage friendship with such people and listen to what they say – you’ll be glad you
did.
Verse 18. “For many walk, of whom I
often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the
cross of Christ,”
All of God’s prophets and apostles encountered those who
were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” It is interesting that such men and women
“looked” much like God’s people and talked like those who had received Christ.
In many cases they knew a lot of Scriptures by heart and surprisingly many were
in charge of local and regional churches. Paul said of such counterfeits that
they “are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13).
John the Apostle spoke about a man named “Diotrephes”
with bitterness, stating the man “loves to have preeminence, (but)
does not
receive us” (3 John 9). He was a leader who lacked the love of the Lord. The
“Early Church” contained many who attained positions of leadership, but were
“deceitful workers.” The question is: Are such people among us today? and the
answer is unfortunately - YES. They "transform themselves into ministers of
righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15), but don’t be afraid – the Lord will
help us identify them and God WILL rescue His people.
Verse 19. “whose end is destruction,
whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their
minds on earthly things.”
This verse speaks about those “whose god is their
appetite;” people who “set their minds on earthly things.” We hear all too often about
those who teach others to do “godly” things, which they tend to define as giving money
to some TV show. Jesus said something quite different. He taught us: “Give to
everyone who asks of you” and do not ask them back” (Luke 6:30).
Instead of merely giving to those who take and expecting something in return; we
are all to be people who give.
The person who “asks” is the person who is in need. If
you give to some ministry, such as a church, it is because of their need; not
because the giving will cause you to come into unexpected money yourself. Giving
means nothing unless the giving is based on loving the person and/or work that
needs your gift, as led by the Lord. Your “appetite” is not the point when you give. God loves it
when you give and HE is the point. He WILL provide for all needs, including yours – out of His love.
Verse 20. “For our citizenship is in
heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
Someone may ask you about your nationality, your
“citizenship.” Depending on who you are, you might say, “I am a Canadian,” or an
“American,” or a “Nigerian,” a “Russian” or you might list any of the
approximately 190
countries of the world. And if you do, you might technically be correct, but
we are given a higher reality than the mere human relationships of this world.
When you trust in the Lord; when you give your heart and
life to Jesus Christ and receive His Holy Spirit, you are offered more than you
expected. Yes, your sins are forgiven, and yes, you become a child of the King,
but there is more: You receive "citizenship" in an actual place
called “heaven” where you will spend eternity. “The Lord Jesus Christ” will
return to this planet and we “eagerly wait” Him, who will take us to our true
home.
Verse 21. “who will transform the body
of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion
of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
Jesus said, “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall
never die” (John 11:26), and yet we are growing older, headed for death just as
surely as a boulder in an earthquake will roll down a mountain. Physically, we
are fading away. Things we could do a few years ago become difficult, even
impossible for us, as we grow older. And yet, we have certain HOPE in Christ
Jesus. John the Apostle said, "...we shall be like Him, for we shall see
Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). We are being transformed and we will be
transformed in the power of God.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in me, though he MAY DIE, he shall LIVE” (John 11:25). That is why
those who “set their minds on earthly things” (verse 19) and teach others to do
the same, are so sad. We all lose EVERYTHING on this earth, except faith, hope
and love – intangibles on earth that have SUBSTANCE in eternity. He WILL take
“our humble state” and make it into “the body of HIS glory” – you can TRUST in
Him, for He WILL "transform" you and me.
Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son. We
trust in Him now. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron
Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org "While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
_________________________________________________
To Subscribe or
Unsubscribe to the weekly e-mailings of Sermons and Bible
Studies from Friday Study Ministries, write to
Ron@FridayStudy.org
