Sunday School Reflection Guide 9/26/21

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Outside In: Citizens of God’s Household

Philippians 3—Warning Against Straying from the Gospel

Warning (3:1-4a)

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.²Watch 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— ⁴though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

Paul’s command for the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord” is one of Paul’s key themes throughout the letter and provides a transitional link between his previous discussion and what is to follow. The apostle is moving into an area on which he has previously instructed the Philippians, but does so undaunted (“no trouble”). The reason for this forthrightness is that he wants to prevent them from being tripped up.
The issue Paul is referring to is the work of the Judaizers, false teachers whom he encountered frequently throughout his ministry. These individuals were Jewish Christians who felt that the only way Gentile believers could be a part of the community of faith was to observe the ceremonial law, including the ritual of circumcision. The first indication in the history of the church where the relationship between Jews and Gentiles became a major problem was the first church council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). After deliberating the role of the Jewish law in light of the Gentiles, the church determined that there were four requirements they would encourage the Gentile church to observe: abstaining from food offered to idols, avoiding blood, avoiding eating meat from animals that had been strangled, and refraining from sexually immoral practices.
Unfortunately, this decision did not resolve the issue. In at least two of his letters to young churches (to churches in Galatia and Corinth), Paul countered the proselytizing practices of these individuals. He referred to them as “false apostles, deceitful workmen” (2 Corinthians 11:13) and accused them of preaching a false gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). At one point in his concern for the church and his frustration over the activities of the Judaizers, he found himself wishing that they would do permanent injury to themselves (Galatians 5:12).
In verse 2 of our present passage, Paul calls for his listeners to be on the lookout for these false teachers. His description of them is highly unflattering, and the terms in the original text form an alliterative triad so that they will not easily be forgotten by his audience. He refers to them as “dogs” (kynas), a disparaging term. In light of the fact that Jews regularly referred to Gentiles as dogs (Mark 7:27), the expression was even more poignant as Paul turned it back on the Judaizers. These Judaizers were not the only Jews who thought that they were doing the Lord’s work—Paul himself earlier persecuted the church, thinking he was fulfilling his duty as a Pharisee, only to find out he was doing evil. He reminds them that they are not performing righteous acts in compelling Gentiles to observe the Jewish ceremonial law in order to be saved—they are, in fact, “men who do evil” (kakous ergatas). In delivering his final blow, Paul says that they very act (circumcision) that they fell gives them special status before God is nothing more than a horrible mutilation of the flesh (katatomen).
In verse 3 Paul notes that it is not those who have received the external marks of circumcision who are the people of God, but those who have undergone an inner transformation, an inner circumcision. Circumcision had been instituted by God as a sign of Israel’s participation in the covenant (Genesis 17:9ff). It became meaningless as the Israelites, though circumcised, persisted in breaking that very covenant. In light of their spiritual condition, the prophets looked for a day when Israel would carry within their beings the sing of the covenant—a condition described as being circumcised in their hearts (Jeremiah 4:4; Ezekiel 44:7).
Paul insists that true believers, not the Judaizing party, are in fact “the circumcision.” He uses three phrases to define them. (1) They were those “who worship by the Spirit of God.” The word the NIV translates “serve” (latreuo) is used in the Septuagint and in the book of Hebrews to refer to the service of the priests in the temple (cf. Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 6:12; Hebrews 8:5); 10:2). The word is also used in Romans 12:1, where Paul urges his hearers to offer their bodies to God sacrificially as a “spiritual act of worship.” Paul goes on to encourage the Roman Christians to allow their minds to be renewed and their lives to be empowered by the Spirit, exercising their gifts to serve one another (Romans 12:2-8). Worshiping by the Spirit entails submitting oneself to God and living a life of obedience and faith (cf. Philippians 2;12ff).
(2) The Philippian believers are to take pride, not in any physical signs of membership, but rather in Christ and his work. They are to place no confidence in the rules and rituals valued by those under the law. The Christian’s boast should never be in being blameless with respect to the demands of the law (cf. 3:4). The true circumcision are those who place their faith in Christ alone, and their grounds for boasting are in him. As the exalted Lord over the cosmos, he was the One who rightly deserved such glory.
(3) “The [true] circumcision” are those “who put no confidence in the flesh.” For Paul, the idea of “flesh” (sarx) often meant the natural venue of human existence (Romans 9:3; 1 Corinthians 10:18), but he frequently uses the word in a theological sense to refer to the condition of humanity in rebellion against God. The ultimate consequence of being dominated by the flesh is death (Romans 8:6). The calling of the Christian is to crucify the flesh and its acts and live according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16ff). thus, sarx carries a sharp double meaning in Paul. (a) It is an outright renunciation that any observance of ceremonial law, such as circumcision, can gain one’s salvation. (b) In light of Paul’s broader use of the term sarx, he exposes the actions of the Judaizers for what they really are—deeds performed in rebellion against God.
As far as Paul is concerned, the devotion of the Judaizers is in keeping the law, their glory is in their achievements, and their confidence is in an outward ritual. In case there is a thought in anyone’s mind that Paul has overstated his case, he goes on in the next section to point out that he knows what he is talking about: Before he became a Christian, he had embraced their convictions and lifestyle.

Paul’s Credentials (3:4b-6)

If someone else thinks 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.

Paul now explains why he is so convinced that requiring Gentiles to follow the Jewish laws to receive salvation must be rejected. His credentials in Judaism were such that even the Judaizers would envy them, but he turned his back on them in order to follow Christ.
Paul enumerates the qualifications that made him a Jew of the highest order (vv. 5-6). Of the seven qualifications listed, the first four were his because of birth, while the last three were due to his personal achievements as a devout Pharisee. (1) If circumcision is of value, then Paul can boast of that credential. He was not circumcised as a proselyte, but in strict conformity to the law, on the eighth day after his birth (cf. Leviticus 12:3).
(2) Paul had been born a member of the people of Israel, God’s chosen nation. Even though he was born in Tarsus, a Gentile city, his family tree could be traced back to Israel. He was a pure Israelite and as such inherited all the privileges of being a member of the covenant community. In the time of Paul, in order for one to hold civic office in Israel, one had to prove membership in “pure Israel.”
(3) Paul was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin, by tradition, was the only one of Jacob’s sons born in the Promised Land. His tribe occupied the territory that included Jerusalem and the temple (which represented the presence of Yahweh in the midst of his people). Benjamin was the tribe from which Israel’s first king, Saul, came (for whom Paul was named). At the time of Ezra, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin formed the nucleus of the restored nation of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin carried a favored social status.
(4) The phrase “Hebrew of Hebrews” points to two further facts about Paul’s life. (a) He was born not to proselytes, but to parents who could trace their lineage through the pages of Israel’s history. (b) Paul was not raised in a manner strongly influenced by Hellenism (those who had undoubtedly absorbed some of the Gentile customs of that culture). While Paul was fluent in Greek, he also spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. And although born in Tarsus, Paul was educated in Jerusalem, at the feel of the prominent rabbi Gamaliel.
(5) In his observance of the law, Paul was “a Pharisee.” This sect of Judaism traced its history to the time of the Maccabean Revolt in the second century BC and prided itself in its strict separation from the world. Pharisees devoted themselves to the Mosaic Law and the oral tradition of the rabbis. They dedicated themselves to achieving righteousness by carefully observing the law. Their motivation for adherence to the law (both written and oral) was their hope of being raised from the dead.
(6) As a Pharisee, Paul was so zealous that he actively sought out members of the fledgling church in order to destroy it. Fervent commitment to God’s law motivated every action of the devout Pharisee. Many Pharisees believed that the Messiah would come once the world was in submission to that law. It is entirely possible, therefore, that Paul’s persecution of the church was driven by a desire to see the Messiah come. In this regard Pau’s theology was changed through his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, where he was confronted by the very Messiah whom he though he was serving (see Acts 9:1ff).
The word Paul uses to describe the community of Christians here is ekklesia—those who have been called out. This word’s meaning comes from the Septuagint rendering of the Hebrew term qahal, a word often used to describe Israel’s gathering in formal assembly—usually for an occasion of worship, a feast, a celebration, or a covenant ratification (e.g., Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 4:10; 29:1; Joshua 8:35). Paul uses the word to describe the redeemed community—those who are of the new Israel, who have placed their faith and trust is Jesus Christ. Ekklesia refers to both individual house churches (cf. Romans 16:23) and the church universal (cf. Ephesians 1:22l Colossians 1:18).
(7) Paul notes that he was “faultless” when it came to observing the strict rituals and regulations of the law. In another area of rabbinic teaching it was thought the Messiah would come when Israel fully learned to keep the Sabbath; this may have been a motivating factor in his former lifestyle. Paul’s understanding of “righteousness” here is limited by the word “legalistic.” This is the type of righteousness that he goes on to contrast with the true righteousness that comes through faith in Christ (3:9).

Paul’s Overarching Purpose (3:7-14)

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^[^a^] 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.

Despite his impressive credentials in Pharisaism, Paul asserts that these credentials pale in significance when it comes to pursuing his true purpose—gaining righteousness in Christ. This section beings what might be seen as Paul’s theological understanding of his Damascus Road experience in comparison with his career as a rabbi in Pharisaism.
In verse 7, Paul borrows language from the commercial world. All the qualifications he has enumerated—his heritage, his accomplishments considered by the Pharisaic world to be credits (gain) to his account—were not reasons for God to accept him. In fact, they were just the opposite; they were nothing. Paul considered them to be of no value whatsoever because of Christ. The NIV translation “for the sake of Christ” may imply that Paul had made a decision to count his past in Judaism as nothing in comparison to the work he was now undertaking on Christ’s behalf. Nothing could be further from the truth! It was because of the revelation of Christ on the road to Damascus that Paul was left with no choice but to recognize that the course he was pursuing in Judaism was dead wrong. It was the “because-of-Christ” experience that was the great turning point in Paul’s thinking.
Verse 8 reinforces and clarifies this point. Paul changes tense here, moving from an understanding in light of a past experience to a settled conviction in the present, and he considers his achievements in Judaism to be “loss.” Everything is loss when compared to the one important thing in his life—his relationship with Christ. In keeping with metaphors from the world of commerce, Paul deems this relationship to be of “surpassing” value.
Paul defines that relationship further in the next phrase of verse 8. It is not based on obedience to the law, whether oral or codified. Rather, it is based on knowledge of the exalted Lord—Jesus Christ. “Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” is not a written or formalized body of knowledge. The term gnosis points to the act of knowing rather than the content of knowledge. Paul’s relationship with Christ did not come as he studied about him (as it did in regard to the law) but occurred in a face-to-face confrontation with Christ on the road to Damascus.
On the basis of that experience with Christ, Paul lost all the things he once valued as the means of achieving favor with God. The sense behind the word “loss” should not be construed in a deprived sense; that is to say, Paul is not sharing this with his hearers to elicit sympathy because he has lost something truly valuable. Instead, it has only been since he has come to know Christ that he has found something really valuable. The NIV translates the Greek word used here with the euphemistic term “garbage,” but the sense of the word denotes filth or excrement. That human attempts at attaining righteousness should be thought of in such terms should not have come as a surprise to the Pharisee—the prophet Isaiah had made this plain centuries before (cf. Isaiah 64:6). Yet Pharisees persisted in their efforts to attain God’s favor through their actions.
The last phrase of verse 8 highlights Paul’s purpose in considering everything to be garbage: in order “that [he] may gain Christ.” Gaining Christ means being “found in him” (v. 9). The phrase “in Christ” or “in him” occurs frequently by Paul’s writings to denote a number of ideas, two of which are predominant. (1) It describes agency—that is, what God has done in or through Christ (Romans 3:24). (2) It describes the location, realm, or sphere in which believers live in light of their appropriation of Christ’s saving work (1 Corinthians 12:5). The phrase used in this latter sense is related to the body of Christ—a metaphor for the church seen elsewhere in Paul (Romans 12:3ff; 1 Corinthians 12:4ff). This metaphor denotes the corporate relationship the church has both with the Lord and with one another.
Paul contrasts the righteousness he had endeavored to attain as a Pharisee with the righteousness he has attained through Jesus. The wording of verse 9 in the NIV may leave the impression that Paul is holding out tow options as to the manner in which he will be found in Christ—with a righteousness that comes from the law or a righteousness that comes from God. In reality, however, Paul knows he will not be in Christ if he persists in trying to attain righteousness by keeping the law. He will only be found in Christ with the righteousness imputed to him through faith in Christ.
The undesirable righteousness, which falls far short of God’s standard, is that which comes through observing the law. The concept of “law” in the Old Testament referred to ceremonial regulations (pertaining to the worship of God and the sacrificial system), the civil code (focusing on helping Israelites live as God’s people in harmony with one another and their neighbors), and the moral law (e.g., the Ten Commandments, on which other laws were built). An entire tradition of oral law, designed to prevent the pious Israelite from breaking the Mosaic Law, had developed and was codified. This oral code added countless regulations. It had been Paul’s goal as a Pharisee to follow all those laws; as a result of keeping them, he hoped to be deemed righteous. This righteousness was Paul’s “own” righteousness, since it was brought about by his own effort.
The righteousness to be favored is one that comes by faith. The truly righteous person, then, is one whose life if characterized by faith in Christ and whose life is based on that relationship (cf. Romans 1:17). We are justified only through accepting the vicarious work of Christ on our behalf. Paul further clarifies this righteousness in the concluding phrase of verse 9: It has God as its source and faith as the grounds on which it is appropriated (Acts 3:16).
In verse 10, Paul concludes his thoughts. He begins by restating his goal (cf. “gaining Christ” in v. 8), which is to “know Christ.” The knowledge comes first in knowing “the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). This life-giving power was manifested by God in raising Jesus from the dead. The agent of this power was the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 8;11; 1 Corinthians 12:6). This was the power the disciples experienced when the Holy Spirit descended on them at Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff). This was also the power Paul experienced both on the road to Damascus and when Ananias laid his hand on him (9:5-19).
Paul knows that the third person of the Trinity is the agent who brings the benefits of Christ’s vicarious death into people’ lives. The Spirit acts in the initiation of salvation, bringing individuals into Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:13; cf. also 6:11; Titus 3:5). The Spirit then sanctifies believers (both individually and corporately), reproducing the character of the exalted Lord in their lives (cf. Galatians 5:22). The Spirit also empowers Spirit-filled believers for ministry (cf. Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:1-16). Moreover, in experiencing the Holy Spirit, Paul also experiences Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:45; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; also Philippians 1:9). Thus, in reality, experiencing the power of Jesus’s resurrection is for Paul experiencing the presence of Jesus himself.
Paul’s experience of knowing Christ came not only through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. As the young church in Jerusalem became aware, that experience when “hand in glove” with experiencing suffering. After Paul was filled with the power of the Spirit and miraculously healed of blindness, God wanted him how much he would have to suffer for his Name (Acts 9:16). In his diatribe against his opponents in 2 Corinthians, Paul enumerated the history of his suffering (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). For Paul, sharing in Christ’s sufferings was a prerequisite for sharing in his glory to come. In fact, the believer’s present sufferings are insignificant in light of the glory to be revealed (Romans 8:17-18).
Jesus prepared his disciples for the reality of facing persecutions just as he had (John 15:20). The early disciples counted it a badge of honor to be worthy to suffer for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41). Participating in Christ’s sufferings had the effect of “becoming like him [literally, conformed to him] in his death” (Philippians 3:10). (1) Note that the tense of the verb “conform” indicates activity that is currently occurring. In other words, Paul is referring to his ongoing sufferings, in which he is continually made like Christ in his death. His future, physical death is merely the ultimate conclusion that will conform him to Christ’s death. (2) The Greek word for “conform” is related to the word morphe (“nature”) in 2:6-7; it points to Christ’s act of humbling himself to bring redemption to humankind. For Paul, suffering continually brought him back to this picture.
Paul concludes this section (v. 11) by giving the goal of knowing Christ—both the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering (in which Paul reflected the attitude of Christ in 2:6-11). It was the goal of the zealous Pharisee to attain to the resurrection from the dead. All of Paul’s effort in keeping the law prior to his conversion was focused one the hope of resurrection. The irony of his comments here is that it is not law-keeping that brings this hope, but rather knowing Christ. Resurrection was the culmination of Paul’s salvation. The tentativeness expressed here (“and so, somehow, to attain”) should not be construed as indicating Paul’s lack of assurance of the resurrection, but rather its occasion.
Verses 12-14 present Paul’s outworking of his desire to know Christ. In these verses are allusions that contrast his former life under Judaism with his ongoing relationship with Christ. He was born with all the credentials of a “pure” Jew, but he readily admits he had not obtained all of his goals in terms of knowing Christ. Neither had he reached a point of complete maturity or fulfillment (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:20). This stands in contrast to the blameless performance of the law to which he has already referred. Instead of zealously persecuting (dioko) the church (v. 6), he presses on (dioko) to attain the goal for which he was grasped by Christ in his conversion.
In verses 13-14 Paul uses the image of a race as he further considers his life. He (Paul’s comment is emphatic here—literally, “not even I myself”) does not consider that he has achieved this goal of complete maturity. This emphasis was another broadside at the Judaizers—considering his impressive credentials in Judaism, not even he considered himself to have attained his goal as a Christian. Paul’s focus is concentrated on one thing: putting the glorious achievements (the garbage) behind him and pressing forward to the ultimate prize. The sense of the Greek pictures a runner in the final stages of a race, refusing to take a backward look to ascertain where his nearest opponent is. Rather, his eyes and energies are focused toward the finish line. He runs with the goal fixed clearly in his vision and for a reason fixed clearly in his mind—to win the prize. This “prize,” to which God has called him, is salvation in Christ. This was an upward, heavenly call, whose final goal is glorification.

Perspective of False Teaching (3:15-16)

¹⁵All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Verses 15-16 link the Judaizing problem discussed by Paul in verses 1-14 with the general tenor of his concern for the infighting occurring in the church. Given the close proximity of these verses to Paul’s arguments about the believers’ responsibility to know/experience Christ and receive his righteousness, there is no indication that Paul is shifting gears here. His use of the phroneo word group provides a clear link to his discussion in 2:1-4. In light of the connection established in this passage, it is not unrealistic to postulate that some of the conflicts the Philippians were having among themselves pertained to the Judaizing issue.
In verse 15, Paul encourages those “who are mature” to reflect the perspective he shared in verses 11-14. In what appears to be a change of attitude, Paul, who do not fell he had attained perfection (teleioo), is now numbering himself among the mature (teleioi). Again, as in 2:2ff., phroneo refers not only to one’s thought process, but to the emotions, attitudes, and ensuing lifestyle that proceed from them.
In the event that some believers think differently, God will reveal it to them. The word “reveal” (apokalypto) carries somewhat of a technical sense in Paul. He often uses it in connection with his own conversion. The gospel, Paul argues, came to him “by revelation” (Galatians 1:12). More specifically, it was a revelation of Jesus Christ, given to Paul by God (1:16). The content of this revelation was that {“Jesus is Lord”—a cardinal truth reflected in Philippians 2:6-11. The term revelation often refers to an unveiling of something that was previously concealed but has now been revealed because of a gracious act of God. For Paul, therefore, revelation meant more than just an unveiling. It was specifically the act of Gods unveiling his redemptive purposes in Christ, the Messiah.
The thrust of the last clause of verse 15 takes on an entirely different sense in light of this issue at hand. The current reading in the NIV suggests that Paul is willing to tolerate different opinions, as though Paul is saying, “If you want to hold a different view, go ahead; I am sure God will sort things out for you.” This paraphrase, however, does not in any way reflect Paul’s stand on the issue of righteousness that comes by faith versus righteousness gained through keeping the law. Verses 1-14 clearly reflet that this issue was a “hill” Paul was prepared to die on. It was pivotal to the gospel. In fact, verse 15 brings out a truth about the nature of the gospel for the Philippians to consider. The phrase “God will make clear to you” points to the fact that the gospel is truth that believers do not have apart from revelation. That is, it is “made clear” to the individual heart by the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s concluding exhortation in this section (v. 16) is that the Philippians should ensure that their lifestyle reflects their standing in Christ. The word translated “attained” denoted coming up to a certain level or standard, while “live up to” is a word borrowed from the military world. It originally meant to be arranged in a line with the precision characteristic of the Roman army, and thus came to denote the maintaining of a straight course.

Concluding Comments in Light of the Prevalence of False Teaching (3:17-21)

¹⁷Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Up to this point in chapter 3, Paul’s focus has been on the threat presented to the church from the Judaizing teachers, whose goal was to add the regulations of Jewish law to the Gentiles who had professed faith in Christ. The present section should be seen as a broadening of the focus, in which Paul challenges his listeners to stand firm against all manner of false teaching, primarily through imitating Paul and others who follow his example. He notes the general characteristics of false teachers (vv. 18-19), and then moves into an eschatological doxology (which has significant parallels to the picture of Christ portrayed in 2:6-11). He concludes this section with a personal appeal that the Philippians stand firm. This appeal reveals the close relationship that this apostle had with the church at Philippi.
Verse 17 provides the transition from the previous section into a wider application of the truth Paul has already shared. He defines “liv[ing] up to what we have already attained” (v. 16) in practical terms. The Philippians are called to do that by being imitators of Paul. The word mimetes denotes copying an example and is strengthened by the preposition sym(giving the sense of “together”)—hence the NIV rendering, “join together in following my example.” This is not an unusual request for Paul to make of his listeners (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:7). They are to note those who walk and live their lives with that model in view. The Thessalonians believers are referred to in this same sense (1 Thessalonians 1:7), as is Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12) and Paul himself (2 Thessalonians 3:9). Paul mentions the lifestyle of these positive role models in contrast to those who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (cf. Philippians 3:18).
In verses 18-19, Paul shifts his focus to false teachers. It is difficult to ascertain whom Paul is targeting here. Various groups, including the Judaizers, Jews, Gnostic libertines, and itinerant teachers, have been proposed as possibilities. Such speculating may be unnecessary, as Paul appears to be characterizing general qualities of people who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. The issues are not new to the Philippians, for apparently Paul has addressed the issues with them on earlier occasions (cf. 3:11). The point to note in verse 18 is the impact this situation has on Paul. His concern for the integrity of the gospel message and for the fledgling church are so intense that the prospect of false teaching brings him to the point of tears.
These false teachers have as their ultimate destiny eternal “destruction.” The idea behind the word “destiny” (telos) can also contain the sense of goal or purpose. The false teachers have as their purpose the destruction of the gospel, but their ultimate destiny will be eternal destruction. “Their god is their stomach”—a phrase that points to the fact that they worship the flesh (unbridled sensuality). Paul categorizes the deeds of the flesh in a passage such as Galatians 5:19ff, and notes there that living according to the flesh is diametrically opposed to the gospel.
Paul further characterizes false teachers as those whose “glory is in their shame.” Some commentators see this phrase and the one that precedes it as a dual reference to the Judaizers’ preoccupation with dietary laws and circumcision (with “shame” referring to circumcision). This interpretation is tentative; we should rather see this expression as pointing to the fact that in general, false teachers are so skewed that they actually find their glory in those things that bring them shame (cf. Romans 1:18ff). Their mindset is “earthly,” which contrasts with the heavenly (or “above things”; cf. Colossians 3:1) focus of believers. Earthly things are those what are transitory and will pass away, in contrast to the heavenly things, which are eternal. An earthly orientation is also an orientation to the sphere of sin and, consequently, can be seen as a parallel to “flesh.”
In verse 20-21, Paul jumps to a description of those whose mindset is not earthly. In contrast to the false teachers, the Philippians’ mindset is heavenly because their “citizenship is in heaven.” Here we see another allusion to their Roman citizenship, in which they took so much pride (cf. 1:27). The Philippians were well aware of the privileges they had. When Paul established the church in Philippi, he had claimed his own rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37). Here he asserts that the only citizenship that really matters is the heavenly one.
Paul then mentions the church’s eager expectation of Christ’s promised return. “Eagerly await” refers to the anticipation of creation and humankind for Christ’s return, bringing with him the final consummation of salvation (Romans 8:19ff; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Galatians 5:5). Paul expected that Christ could return at any moment. He was positive towards the prospect of entering into Christ’s presence, either through the Savior’s return or through his own death.
When he returns, the Savior will effect the final transformation, bringing salvation to its climax. Paul’s introduction of the word “Savior” (soter) here is noteworthy, since he uses it elsewhere only in Ephesians 5:23 and in the Pastoral Letters. The word points to the believer’s final salvation and serves to remind the Philippians that their hope is in Christ, not in Caesar, who was proclaimed savior of the Roman empire.
The transformation that Paul anticipates here is one in which our bodies, still in a humbled state, will be ultimately redeemed. Christ, who had humbled himself in the Incarnation (2:6-8), was glorified through his bodily resurrection and ascension (2:9-11); believers are now anticipating his return. In light of Christ’s vicarious death on the cross, believers are justified, yet we still have to deal with the sin, frailty, and limitations of a physical body in a fallen world. The great culmination of redemption, however, is not freedom from that body, as many in the Greco-Roman world were anticipating. At the consummation of salvation the body itself will be redeemed. This new body will have the same form (symmorphon) as Christ’s resurrection body—eternal and hence imperishable. This is accomplished through the outworking of divine “power,” through which Christ brings everything into subjection to himself (cf. 2:10).
Verses 20-21 are a wonderful parallel to 2:6-11. Paul repeats some key concepts that surface there. The one who took on the form of a slave (morphe, 2:7) will cause the believer’s body to conform (symmorphe, 3:21) to his glorious (doxa, 2:11; 3:21) body. Jesus, who through his incarnation came to have a human likeness (schema, 2:7), will, through the outworking of God’s power, transform (metaschematizo, 3:21) the believer. The motif of universal obeisance to Christ (2:10) is further reflected in Christ’s subjection of all things (3:21). Moreover, Paul uses the identical title for Christ: kyrios Iesous Christos, “the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. 2:11; 3:20).

Questions

In what ways may a Christian’s citizenship in a nation present a challenge to their faith? In what ways may it help express their faith?
What makes it difficult to receive the free gift of salvation instead of having to earn it?
What are the characteristics of a Christlike attitude? How can we demonstrate humility and respect toward people with whom we disagree?

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