Philippians 3:18

πολλοὶ κ. τ. λ. To whom does he refer? Plainly they were persons inside the Christian Church, although probably not at Philippi. This (against Ws [1].) is borne out by the use of περιπατεῖν compared with περιπατοῦντας (Philippians 3:17) and στοιχεῖν (Philippians 3:16), by κλαίων which would have no meaning here if not applied to professing Christians, and further by ἐχθρούς which would be a mere platitude if used of heathens or Jews. Some (e.g., Schinz, Hort, Cone, etc.) refer this passage to the same persons as he denounces at the beginning of the chapter, the Judaising teachers. And no doubt they might fitly be called ἐχθροὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ (Cf. Galatians 6:12-14). But the rest of the description applies far more aptly to professing Christians who allowed their liberty to degenerate into licence (Galatians 5:13); who, from an altogether superficial view of grace, thought lightly of continuing in sin (Romans 6:1; Romans 6:12-13; Romans 6:15; Romans 6:23); who, while bearing the name of Christ, were concerned only with their own self-indulgence (Romans 16:18). If there did exist at Philippi any section disposed to look with favour on Judaising tendencies, this might lead others to exaggerate the opposite way of thinking and to become a ready prey to Antinomian reaction. Possibly passages like the present and Romans 16:18 point to the earliest beginnings of that strange medley of doctrines which afterwards developed into Gnosticism. That this is the more natural explanation seems also to follow from the context. The Apostle has had in view, from Philippians 3:11 onwards, the advance towards perfection, the point already attained, the kind of course to be imitated. It seems most fitting that he should warn against those who pretended to be on the straight path, but who were really straying on devious by-ways of their own. οὓς πολλάκις ἔλεγον κ. τ. λ. “Whom I often used to call,” etc. (so also Grotius, Heinrichs, Hfm [2].). Cf. Æsch., Eumen., 48, οὔτοι γυναῖκας ἀλλὰ Γοργόνας λέγω. Hatz. (Einl., p. 223) remarks that in the Greek islands they say μὲ λέγει or λέγει με = “he names me”. Paul speaks with a depth and vehemence of feeling (πολλοὶ … πολλάκις … κλαίων) which suggest his genuine interest in those disloyal Christians who had once seemed to receive his message. If we imagine that the terms he uses are too strong to apply to professing Christians, we must remember that he speaks in a most solemn mood and from the highest point of view. τ. ἐχθροὺς τ. στ. τ. Χ. If we are right in taking λέγω = “call,” “name,” τοὺς ἐχθ. will come in as the remoter accusative. Otherwise it must be regarded as assimilated to the relative clause, as in 1 John 2:25. The true Christian is the man who is “crucified with Christ,” who has “crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts”. The Cross is the central principle in his life. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Those here described, by their unthinking self-indulgence, run directly in the teeth of this principle. The same thing holds good of much that passes for Christianity in modern life. “Who has not known kindly, serviceable men hanging about the Churches with a real predilection for the suburban life of Zion … and yet men whose life just seemed to omit the Cross of Christ” (Rainy, op. cit., p. 286). It is quite probable that Paul would feel their conduct all the more keenly inasmuch as Judaisers might point to it as the logical consequence of his liberal principles.

[1]. Weiss.

[2] Hofmann.