PAUL NOW GIVES TWO EXAMPLES OF MEN WHO, LIKE HIMSELF, HAVE THE MIND THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS (PHILIPPIANS 2:19 TO PHILIPPIANS 3:1). Having expressed his own willingness to be ‘poured out as a libation' in the furtherance of the salvation and blessing of the Philippians, thus demonstrating that he was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And so, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.' This may be seen as closing off this passage with a final exhortation to rejoice, and as linking back to ‘receive him _in the Lord_ ', conveying the same idea of them all being ‘in the Lord' together, especially in their joint rejoicing (Philippians 2:28... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision,' The rapid change of subject without introduction was probably designed to wake up those who were hearing his words read out, as they were listening, and may possibly have begun to flag. It was a warning against the activitie... [ Continue Reading ]
A WARNING TO BEWARE OF THE JUDAISERS, WHO TAUGHT THAT SALVATION WAS THROUGH THE WORKS OF THE LAW, IS BACKED UP FROM PAUL'S EXPERIENCE IN WHICH HE HAD DISCOVERED THAT ALL SUCH EFFORTS WERE IN VAIN (PHILIPPIANS 3:2). The passage appears to commence abruptly because Paul moves into his subject without... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.' The position of such people is now seen as in contrast with those who make up the true Israel (‘the Circumcision'), who are detectable not by the mutilation of their flesh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more,' Paul then points out that if it came to ‘works of self-righteousness', then when he was a Jew he had had far more to rely on as making him acceptable to God than their pre... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews,' Paul now lists the things that had marked him off as ‘perfect' in the eyes of the Jews. He had been properly circumcised at the right time, he could trace his descent backwards to prove that he was... [ Continue Reading ]
Furthermore as a Pharisee he had meticulously sought to follow the Law (as interpreted by them), while his zealousness as a Jew had been proved by the way in which he had persecuted those Jews who were considered to have gone astray, the new-born church. And as regards the righteousness of the Law h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Howbeit what things were gains to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.' The things that he has described were the things that he had treasured and relied on. They had been his life. They had meant everything to him, and he had hoped that eventually they might result in him finding eternal life... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Yes truly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,' Yes, truly, he had counted, and now did count, all his past achievements and struggles as los... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ (or ‘the faithfulness of Christ'), the righteousness which is from God by faith,' For in Christ he has been provided with a righteousness that surpassed any righteousn... [ Continue Reading ]
‘To know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the sharing in common of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,' In these words Paul's whole desire is summed up, to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing in common of His sufferings, being made conformable to His... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS KNOWING OF CHRIST INVOLVES PARTICIPATION WITH HIM IN THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND EQUAL PARTICIPATION WITH HIM IN HIS SUFFERINGS, BY HIMSELF RECOGNISING THAT HE HAS DIED WITH CHRIST. AND HIS AIM IS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (PHILIPPIANS 3:10). In The New Testament th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘If by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.' ‘If by any means' indicates that Paul was ready for anything as long as it resulted in his attaining the resurrection from among the dead. He did not mind what was demanded of him as long as he achieved his goal. (He had had the same... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect, but I press on, if indeed I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.' These words would seem to confirm the view that the final resurrection is in mind, for Philippians 3:21 describes when it is that he and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Brothers, I count not myself yet to have laid hold, but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' In contrast with the false teachers Paul doe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded, and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also will God reveal to you,' In Philippians 3:12 Paul declared that he was not already ‘perfect' (teteleiowmai - to be finished, fully complete). But now he appears to contradict himself. Fo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Only, whereunto we have attained, by that same standard let us walk.' He then exhorts them all that, once they have attained to spiritual maturity, and see things as he does (as the Father has revealed them to him), they must ensure that they continue to walk in accordance with what they have lear... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Brothers, be you imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as you have us for an example.' Having sought to establish a proper mindset, Paul points out that a further aid in godly living is the example of mature Christians of repute, whose example they are to follow. Here Paul call... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,' In contrast with Paul and his fellow-workers are those whose walk is extremely unhelpful as an example, a fact which moves the Apostle to tears. They profess to follow Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.' The people in mind, who were seemingly visiting preachers (for Paul indicates no exceptions when he praises the Philippian church as a whole - Philippians 1:3), have their belly as their god... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,' Paul now contrasts with the descriptions just given the viewpoint and mindset of the Christian. Rather than ‘minding earthly things', they recognise that their citizenship is in Heaven (in contrast with... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Who will fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things to himself.' And in that day he will take our humble and earthly body, the body of our earthliness which limits us to earth an... [ Continue Reading ]