10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. Again and again Paul returns to the thought that when the Christian has to suffer, he is in some strange way sharing the very suffering of Christ and is even filling up that suffering ( 2 Corinthians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11; Galatians 6:17; Colossians 1:24). He takes the very name the Jewish teachers would have applied to the impure and to the Gentiles and flings it back at themselves. Generally the NASB is more literal, translating a Greek word with the same English word wherever the Greek word occurs. For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body [or our body of humiliation], that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself ( Philippians 3:20-21 ). (ii) He calls them evil workers, workers of evil things. "And not on him only, but on me also," (what a difference is made when love interprets!) Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision ( Philippians 3:2 ). Paul fell on the ground, and there the Lord spoke to him and said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" WebIt is consciousness contemplating its riches, counting its gains. Most preachers begin with the serious handicap that they have to say, not, "Do as I do," but, "Do as I say." No saints are outside the danger. And then he uses a contrasting Greek word, and it is a play on Greek words. There is really no value to say I counted those things loss for Christ thirty years ago, if in the meantime I have picked them back up and I am encumbered with them again. As we are just now, our bodies are subject to change and decay, illness and death, the bodies of a state of humiliation compared with the glorious state of the Risen Christ; but the day will come when we will lay aside this mortal body which we now possess and become like Jesus Christ himself. It should be "the fruit of righteousness, which is by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.". They may have been Gnostics. But she went down to the dime store and picked out the best that she could afford, bought a simplicity pattern. cannot but be conqueror, more than conqueror, where the heart is filled with Christ. We may see the depth of this word from a fact of Old Testament usage. This separates from all, and judges the best of man to be dung, as the former conforms the heart after His love. The more one enjoys Christ here, the more one wants to be with Him there. Yet they were the witnesses of Christ whom God had put forth at the close; for it was manifestly of Him. First of all He emptied Himself, becoming a slave and a man; and having thus come down, so as to take His place in the likeness of men, He, found in figure as a man, humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the lowest point of degradation here below. All Commentaries Videos Images Devotionals Other Translations Sermons Related Scriptures Podcasts Blogs. His language comes from the world of war and athletics and emphasizes the strenuous nature of his efforts to fulfill his vocation. He has a plan for your life now, and we should be as Jesus, who said, "I must be about my Father's business." Certainly this is painful and humbling. b. But the (trace of Christ wrought in them all; and that was the great joy and delight of the apostle's heart. They were coupled with the gospel in all its conflict and progress. Only we must always walk according to that standard which we have already reached. Otherwise, the experience is invalidated.I really am not so much interested in what happened to you thirty years ago, twenty years ago, or ten years ago. But the weakest of saints (how much more this greatest of the apostles!) There is nothing so unaffectedly humble as real faith, and, above all, that character of faith which lives on Christ, and which consequently lives Christ. But how can you attain the resurrection of the dead unless you, first of all, have died? The Bible teaches that God will resurrect all people, believers and unbelievers, if they have died (e.g., Daniel 12:2; Matthew 22:29-32; Luke 20:37-38; John 6:39-40; John 6:44; John 6:54; John 11:25; Acts 4:2; Acts 17:18; Acts 23:6; Acts 24:15; Hebrews 6:2; Revelation 20:4-6; Revelation 20:13). They began with the principle that from the beginning of time there had always been two realities--spirit and matter. 661.] Hence it may be remarked that in the epistle to the Philippians it is not a question of lusts of the flesh; the flesh is not so much as named here, except in a religious way; not in its gross sins, as man would judge, but in its pretensions to religion. He thus takes a common place with his beloved son in the gospel. "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ." Strange way of God! I have transcribed this note at length, because it is a fair sample of Dr. That is to say, he will never glory in any of his achievements or use them as an excuse for relaxation. No; but "because that ye had heard that he had been sick." They are circumcised, not with the outward mark in the flesh, but with that inner circumcision of which the great law-givers and teachers and prophets spoke. Faithful believers only will obtain this out-resurrection and have abundance of joy forever. all the dead, as a class. At this point Paul repeats warnings that he gave the Philippian church some time earlier concerning Judaisers. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. There is not even the allowance of the possibility of their turning aside from the bright career both of possessing a Saviour they knew, and of enjoying Him increasingly. Because of that, righteousness nearly always for Paul has the meaning of a right relationship with God. It speaks of believers who were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. All believers will be resurrected, but there is a better one for those who endure. What he means by forgetting the things that are behind is, that we should not think of any progress we may have made in following Christ, that we should lose sight of everything calculated to give us self-satisfaction. For no personal end did he mention their grace; "but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." He passionately longs to reach the final destination and, in no way presuming upon the grace of God, presses on towards that goal (OBrien 413). I tried it for so long. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness." The reason why we can all say it tonight is because we are all here. And to be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God, through faith. The apostle had his heart upon Christ as his righteousness. "Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law; not thinking that my outward observances and good deeds are able to atone for my bad ones, or that by setting the one over against the other I can come to balance accounts with God. I made it myself." "For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state." He provides his own life as an example to the Philippians to follow as opposed to the false teachers. 146-47.] Such a notion is unknown to scripture, and revolting to the spiritual mind. But here is the proper experience of a Christian. The cross was essential and necessary for Him to experience the power of the resurrection. Let us then try to see what Paul thinks about when he speaks about righteousness. WebOther Commentaries. (i) He sets down what we might call the indestructibility of Christian joy. Paul said, "No, I came out of that. Salem Media Group. Hence I am inclined to retain . According to the true meaning it is not others, but those very sisters that he commends to Epaphroditus in desire for their blessing, "which labour with me in the gospel [or seeing that they shared the conflict of the gospel with me]." what than the ministry of Christ? And with a lot of people, there is just a lot of bad experiences in the past. "Hey, I tried it before. WebExodus 3:13-14 meaning. His view in all which was, that he might attain to that glorious and happy state of the resurrection of the dead in Christ, Php 3:11, and to prevent mistakes, and anticipate an objection that might be made to him, as if he ascribed perfection to himself in the present state, he owns he had not arrived to it: all he meant was, that it was his desire to enjoy that which Christ had laid hold on him for; in order to which he buried in oblivion what was past, looking and pressing to things before hint, even to Christ, and the glory he was called unto, which was with him, Php 3:12-14. If Paul had not attained to perfection (who had reached to so high a pitch of holiness), much less have we. "Not," says he, "that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am," this is the great design of the epistle; it was not truth that was made known simply, but experience that was grown into "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. In a certain sense too he could not, and in another he would not choose. No; it is practical. Is He really so far from any of those that call upon Him? The lad was condemned to death for his misdeeds; and the father's letter goes on: "His peace increased daily, till on Saturday, the day he was to die, he came out of the condemned-room, clothed in his shroud, and went into the cart. I mean, if you can be saved by works, if you can be saved by your own efforts, if you can be saved by keeping the law, then Paul said, "Hey, I am ahead of the pack. He is one who has his joy exclusively from and in Christ. Had he not been God, he could not have been our righteousness; the transcendent excellence of the divine nature put such a value upon, and such a virtue into, his sufferings, that they became sufficient to satisfy for the sins of the world, and to bring in a righteousness which will be effectual to all that believe. (a) It is the guarantee of the importance of this life and of this body in which we live. Paul sets down two very important things. I just can't rise above it. "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." And many people have never experienced the power of the resurrected life, because they have shied away from the fellowship of the suffering and of the crucified with Christ life. This filled Paul with sunshine; and he would have others to enjoy the same bright light which the name of Christ cast on every object. This seems to me the real meaning, which the margin gives rightly. He is able even to subdue all things to Himself and accomplish something as amazing as the resurrection of our bodies after the pattern of Jesus resurrection. Had it been a question of his apostolic dignity, this could not have been; but an apostle even could, and did, and loved to, take the place of one that served others whom he viewed directly in their relationship to Christ. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. The scriptures affirm clearly the assurance of salvation; yet: Paul wants to impress upon us the difficulties, struggles, and hindrances that attend the believers life. He had done everything that he was supposed to do according to the law to be righteous. Paul has not yet reached it. Considering that he had not already attained, and had not apprehended, he pressed forward: "I follow after (Philippians 3:12; Philippians 3:12), dioko--I pursue with vigour, as one following after the game. I blew it. I am crucified with Christ, now I can experience the power of the resurrected life. "Be anxious [or be careful] for nothing; but in everything" this is the resource "in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." What some people wouldn't give for the opportunity of gathering with us.He said. Now the saint that has Christ Himself before him looks abroad with desires according to the activity of divine love. "You know, if you only had enough faith, you could be jetting across the United States also in your own Lear Jet." Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body: Our Savior can do and will do something that no Caesar can. That was a thing which he never forgot. WebPhilippians 3 Leaving Law and Pressing On to Jesus A. WebFee's commentary on Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. but I follow after [I am pursuing], if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus ( Philippians 3:12 ). WebContext Summary Philippians 3:111 warns Christians about the influence of false teachers, particularly those who add legalism on top of the gospel. Many times the worst thing you can do is share with your friends what the Lord has laid upon your heart to do. So I gave up trying to create a goodness of my own; I came to God in humble faith, as Jesus told me to do, and I found that fellowship I had sought so long.". Hey, wait a minute, Paul; I want to get off at the last stop. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. And any moment I could lose it. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection ( Philippians 3:10 ). Oh, is it not awful to think, that the best proof of the love of Christ and of His glory is the very ground which the base heart of man turns into a reason for denying both His love and His glory? He pressed towards the mark. Now I do count them, thirty years later, I still count them loss. "Therefore," says he, though I am in a strait betwixt two," as he had said before, "having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. Now here we have what is present; so that the passage presents some difficulty to souls because of intermingling the present with the future. There is nothing so high as that which we all have been made in our blessed Lord. "Being confident," he therefore says, "of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ, even as it is meet for me to think this of you all." It describes him with eyes for nothing but the goal. The apostle would remind us that even he "must watch and pray continually to abide in the fellowship of Christs sufferingfor only in that way the glorification with Christwill be attained" (Silva 193, quoting J.J. Muller). Therefore, says Paul, it is the Christians who are the truly circumcised. What are you going to do when you pass the guy?" "That is why God apprehended you; He has a glorious plan and a purpose for your future. iv. Paul claims not only to be a pure-blooded Jew but one who still spoke Hebrew. And do count them but dung [as refuse], that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith ( Philippians 3:8-9 ): Now, Paul had excelled in the righteousness in the law. But the day is coming when every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." The dogs were the pariah dogs, roaming the streets, sometimes in packs, hunting amidst the garbage dumps and snapping and snarling at all whom they met. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous ( Philippians 3:1 ). They don't want to hear it; they are enemies of that message. There it was an unhappy "me," though distinct from the flesh: "O wretched man that I am" Here it would be, O happy man that I am! This construction is probably insignificant, but perhaps Paul is distinguishing the resurrection of the body from the spiritual resurrection that occurs at baptism. Then he uses two vivid pictures. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. That is to say, he was not only an Israelite; he belonged to the elite of Israel. We are reminded that Paul wrote these words to strengthen and encourage a community he loved and who were already doing well in their life in Christ (see Philippians 1:3-11). 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