Philippians 3
February Memory Verse: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
Read: Philippians 3
Philippians 3 stands out as one of the most powerful chapters in the whole Bible. Paul commands the Philippians to “rejoice, but we learn in verse 1 this is an ongoing conversation that Paul is repeating. He says it’s “no trouble,” and it’s “safe” or a “safeguard” for the Philippians.
In addition to rejoicing, Paul commands the Philippians to “beware.” The Greek word translated “beware” or “look out” is blepetei—say that three times fast. No, literally, it’s repeated three times in verse 2. Blepetei the dogs, blepetei the evildoers, blepetei those who mutilate the flesh. One question we might ask is if Paul is referring to three different groups or just one? I think it’s a fairly safe assumption that Paul is speaking of only one group—the Judaizers. However, notice how offensive what Paul is saying truly is.
Being called a dog back then was way worse than today. He called them “evildoers,” which certainly isn’t nice. But, then he refers to their circumcision as a mutilation of the flesh. To put this in perspective, Paul called the physical sign of the Abrahamic Covenant that had been practiced, at that point, for about 2,000 years a mutilation. This is so horribly offensive that I’m having trouble finding something to which I can compare it.
Paul’s offensiveness was strategic. His vicious point was the uselessness of confidence in religion, tradition, works, etc. The Judaizers taught that you had to be Jewish to be Christian, and circumcision was a big part of identifying as Jewish. Paul argues that if salvation were achieved by externals, he was an all-star. He even hit the marks on things he couldn’t control at all—a Benjamite who was circumcised on the 8th day. Paul said that all of that is useless. Actually, it’s beyond useless—it’s sewage (skubala). This word gets cleaned up in a lot of translations. Sewage or refuse is fine, but it’s cruder than that.
Paul’s main point in this whole passage is that “worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus” must be preeminent. Righteousness will not be found in anything we can accomplish, or through religiosity. Paul was the best religious person ever and it’s worthless. Instead, “righteousness from God depends on faith.”
If we stop right here, most people are satisfied and happy. “Religion and religiosity are stupid. I got faith. It’s just me and Jesus, right?” Wrong! Although this is where a lot of cultural Christians stop, Paul keeps going.
Knowing Jesus also means knowing the power of his resurrection. It means sharing in his sufferings. Righteousness based on faith is not a one-time transaction. True righteousness isn’t found in the prayer to receive Christ, it’s found in the process of submitting our hearts to Him. The prayer of salvation is the expression of a contrite heart that first understands the need for a Savior. Paul says in verse 12 that he isn’t perfect. Notice the language of struggle and process—“I press on,” “straining forward,” “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call.”
Salvation is received through faith—praying and inviting Christ in is the expression of faith. We cannot live perfectly but we can “hold true to what we have attained.” We can live consistently with our salvation. We can follow the example of those whose maturity is worth imitating.
Who is someone that you have looked to as you “keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us?” What did you learn from them?
By: Tyler Short
Read: Philippians 3
Philippians 3 stands out as one of the most powerful chapters in the whole Bible. Paul commands the Philippians to “rejoice, but we learn in verse 1 this is an ongoing conversation that Paul is repeating. He says it’s “no trouble,” and it’s “safe” or a “safeguard” for the Philippians.
In addition to rejoicing, Paul commands the Philippians to “beware.” The Greek word translated “beware” or “look out” is blepetei—say that three times fast. No, literally, it’s repeated three times in verse 2. Blepetei the dogs, blepetei the evildoers, blepetei those who mutilate the flesh. One question we might ask is if Paul is referring to three different groups or just one? I think it’s a fairly safe assumption that Paul is speaking of only one group—the Judaizers. However, notice how offensive what Paul is saying truly is.
Being called a dog back then was way worse than today. He called them “evildoers,” which certainly isn’t nice. But, then he refers to their circumcision as a mutilation of the flesh. To put this in perspective, Paul called the physical sign of the Abrahamic Covenant that had been practiced, at that point, for about 2,000 years a mutilation. This is so horribly offensive that I’m having trouble finding something to which I can compare it.
Paul’s offensiveness was strategic. His vicious point was the uselessness of confidence in religion, tradition, works, etc. The Judaizers taught that you had to be Jewish to be Christian, and circumcision was a big part of identifying as Jewish. Paul argues that if salvation were achieved by externals, he was an all-star. He even hit the marks on things he couldn’t control at all—a Benjamite who was circumcised on the 8th day. Paul said that all of that is useless. Actually, it’s beyond useless—it’s sewage (skubala). This word gets cleaned up in a lot of translations. Sewage or refuse is fine, but it’s cruder than that.
Paul’s main point in this whole passage is that “worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus” must be preeminent. Righteousness will not be found in anything we can accomplish, or through religiosity. Paul was the best religious person ever and it’s worthless. Instead, “righteousness from God depends on faith.”
If we stop right here, most people are satisfied and happy. “Religion and religiosity are stupid. I got faith. It’s just me and Jesus, right?” Wrong! Although this is where a lot of cultural Christians stop, Paul keeps going.
Knowing Jesus also means knowing the power of his resurrection. It means sharing in his sufferings. Righteousness based on faith is not a one-time transaction. True righteousness isn’t found in the prayer to receive Christ, it’s found in the process of submitting our hearts to Him. The prayer of salvation is the expression of a contrite heart that first understands the need for a Savior. Paul says in verse 12 that he isn’t perfect. Notice the language of struggle and process—“I press on,” “straining forward,” “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call.”
Salvation is received through faith—praying and inviting Christ in is the expression of faith. We cannot live perfectly but we can “hold true to what we have attained.” We can live consistently with our salvation. We can follow the example of those whose maturity is worth imitating.
Who is someone that you have looked to as you “keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us?” What did you learn from them?
By: Tyler Short
13 Comments
Someone I look up to a lot is Tim Parsons. The biggest takeaway I have from his life is an amazing example of humility. This example was best seen last year in a college retreat, as he took time out of his busy schedule to hang out with college students and cook for us. That is a great example of taking high leadership responsibility and striving to serve more than be served.
Agreed 100%. Thanks Jordan.
Good word this morning, Tyler! Paul is not one to pull punches, and this passage shows it.
My dad has been a huge example for me all my life. His humble, disciplined nature is something that I never really noticed until I got older. He is the kind of person that is constantly helping those in need but never discusses it with others. If I was disobedient, he disciplined me while making sure I knew why and that he loved me. While not perfect, he has done well at helping to paint the picture of God as my heavenly Father.
That's awesome Matt. Yes, Paul often pulled no punches.
I love how Paul mentions that if salvation was based on your status, that he would be the best there is, but since that means nothing, it is counted as rubbish. This is a great reminder that all that we are, all that we acquire, all that we build up, means nothing when it comes to salvation, but that we are only saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. To answer your question, I look to my maternal grandparents. My grandfather passed away in 2017, but my grandmother passed away last month. Her recent passing has put their influence on my mind even more lately. My grandpa became a believer in his 30's and was then called to ministry. He followed God's call and went to Bible college and became a preacher, and live a life dedicated to the gospel. Every interaction he had, every conversation, was in some way leading to the gospel. He sometimes worked a regular job while pastoring churches, and they always called him preacher because of the example he set. He and my grandmother were faithful servants until the days that God called them home. Their example is what I strive to be. I want to be a Christian who leads by example and lives in a way where every conversation or interaction leads to the gospel. Thankful for the influences God puts in our lives!
That's awesome Scottie, what a blessing.
Peter D is the man: Faithful, loyal, steady, unflappable. 💜 He taught me how to base my walk not on emotions but on the Word. I am so grateful for that!!!
That's great Susan. I hope Erin could describe me that way one day. Just awesome.
My Papaw for sure. His dependence upon the Lord was evident in everything that He did and said.
Another that I look to is my mentor from college. I was able to intern for her at the church I attended in Bham. She is gentle, but always was able to speak truth into my life and challenge my thinking. I am grateful to the Lord for her and thankful she and her family are still very much apart of my life.
Thanks so much Emily. It's amazing the people that the Lord puts in our path and all we can learn about Him through them.
Thank you Tyler for the detailed recap of this passage. It brought such clear vision as I read it.
I can almost hear my Dad's voice quoting scripture from this chapter. He and his mother were such mentors to me. Heaven is much richer with their presence!
Thank you for better explaining just how powerful this passage is. I read where he calls then dogs and I'm like "ya that's rude" but it's so much bigger than that. Really loved today's reading!
Also, I would say my grandfather was someone who, looking back now that I'm an adult, really grew in his faith over the years and showed quiet humility. I know he was tough as a father but God worked in his life and he was a wonderful example to his grandchildren. I would want people to say at my funeral what they said at his.
As I understand it the translation of the word rubbish meant the rags that woman cleaned herself after her period. It interesting the extreme Paul goes to describe all the old things in his life and what they meant to him after seeing Christ. I think of him in today's world like a Harvard educated lawyer with a wealthy family name(i.e Bush, Kennedy, Rockefeller) being groomed to be the next ADA and completely throwing it all away to do missions in a third world country.