Thus easily do we fall into error, because the human mind likes to have either one thing or another, and thus avoid all difficulty in Scripture, having each squared according to our notions. But it gives us also the effect of Christ in the saints eventually of Paul himself, of Timothy, of Epaphroditus, and indeed of the Philippian saints. The past has been glorious, it has been exciting to see what God has done, but you know, I am more excited about what God is going to do.So. 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. The apostle does call for "fear and trembling" on the part of the saints in that chapter; but there is not an atom of dread or doubt in it. The hope and prospect of it carried him with so much courage and constancy through all the difficulties he met with in his work. Salem Media Group. Christian worship is not a thing of ritual or of the observation of details of the Law; it is a thing of the heart. Himself the striking witness to the contrary, he looked for nothing less in the saints he so dearly loved. At this point Paul repeats warnings that he gave the Philippian church some time earlier concerning Judaisers. Evidently, therefore, two glories of Jesus are referred to here. 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. It does not matter how unlike they may be, or how opposed; it does not matter what vessels of shame and misery they may have been now; "He is able to subdue all things unto himself.". It is not meant that there are no difficulties, but that Christ makes the burden light and all happy to the praise of God's grace; whereas any other means or measure detracts from His glory and draws attention to self. WebPhil 3:12-14 (NIV) These verses flashed through my mind last night as I watched the intense focus of an Olympic competitor in the downhill slalom race compete for the gold. Beware of doers." [Note: See John F. Walvoord, Philippians, pp. Peritemnein ( G4059) means to circumcise; katatemnein means to mutilate, as in Leviticus 21:5, which describes forbidden self-mutilation, such as castration. (ii) Our only boast is in Jesus Christ. So what do I do? It was seen laid in the grave of Christ. There is a Rabbinic saying, "The nations of the world are like dogs." Love does not calculate these costs and dangers, but goes calmly forward, come what will, trouble, scorn, or death. This has its most weighty place elsewhere; but when it is a question of experience, the end cannot be here. And so they go back to the past, and they pick up the failures of the past, and they are discouraged to try anything in the future. Because I may blow my horn and shake my fist, but the Spirit will say, "Hey, don't you remember you have got a fish emblem on the back of your car? To a Jew zeal was the greatest quality in the religious life. Far from him was the vanity of being the man first to preach Christ in the great metropolis. Such did, such was, Christ. 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). Does not our love fervently flame towards heaven? (Spurgeon). J. Let me look at another as he is in Christ. I have transcribed this note at length, because it is a fair sample of Dr. Who can understand why it should be "suitable to the persons addressed," on Dr. B's showing? However exanastasis seems to be a very unusual word to use to describe the attainment of Christ-like character. Jesus is Jehovah, although a man; consequently the bowing in that name to the glory of God the Father does not occur to the apostle. Because so many times, they say, "Well, you really can't do that. Returning, however, to the women Evodia and Syntyche, they had devoted themselves to an exceedingly happy and prized service. They are out there, there are many of them. as a popular and familiar mode of expression (suitable to the persons addressed), according to which the expressions . As the Christian has died with Christ, been buried with Him, been raised with Him, and now walks with Him, he will also be glorified together with Him. They demanded that they be circumcised and they keep the law of Moses in order to be saved, which Paul called the perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ.It is interesting that these people usually referred to the Gentiles as dogs. In fact, he had gone beyond. There is no looking at Him as Saviour on the cross merely; but when He comes for us, there will be in the filial sense (as ever in our epistle) "salvation." himself had been sick? But while a man is quite unfit to do a woman's work, can it be doubted that a woman brings no honour to herself, or to the Lord, by attempting to do a man's task? "And the fellowship of his sufferings" again and certainly a present thing, not relating to heaven. In Php_3:15 he again uses teleios ( G5046) and says that this must be the attitude of those who are teleios ( G5046) . What they did seems a much more proper thing, in my judgment, for a woman. The Jews would be quite sure that they were workers of righteousness. Does this content our hearts? She called the model over that they might look at it more closely and feel the texture of the material, and obviously she was very impressed with it. This was precisely what he desired when a Jew. He says, "All my life I have been trying to get into a right relationship with God. Furthermore the resurrection he said he hoped to attain was still future whereas he had already experienced spiritual resurrection with Christ to newness of life (Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 2:20). (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are [really] the enemies of the cross of Christ ( Philippians 3:17-18 ): You know, there are a lot of people who talk a lot about Jesus Christ but are enemies of the cross of Christ. ", And now there is the most lovely picture of Christ again; for it is always Christ here, and this again practically. Men whose whole minds are earthbound! As far as his zeal and according to the righteousness that is in the law, he was blameless. "Well, where did you place?" Shall we turn now in our Bibles to Philippians 3 .Again, remember that the background of this epistle, Paul is chained to a Roman soldier in Rome, in prison, writing to the Philippians. I mean, you have got to give it every effort, working through pain, beyond the pain threshold. Includes commentary, questions, and applications on Philippians 3:1 There is something which ought to be made known unto men, namely, the not fighting for your rights. ", Only he desires that their conversation should be as it became the gospel of Christ. Now, Paul said in his Roman epistle, "I know in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells no good thing." To that thought he now returns and defines more closely what he means. "The noun translated resurrection is an unusual double compound word used only here in the New Testament. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & 2.]. "Oh, I had such a glorious experience, the Lord met me in such a powerful way. The NASB translators captured this idea when they rendered this phrase "the resurrection from among the dead." Paul means something when he applies the title to Jesus in the context of citizenship. WebPhilippians 3:14 ESV I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Brethren, be followers together of me ( Philippians 3:17 ). But now the apostle turns to the use that he makes of so blessed a pattern, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence." They say, that in training for the Olympics, you have got to go till it hurts, and you have to work yourself through the pain. "So Paul, he had done his best to clothe himself in righteousness by works, but then he came in to that glorious knowledge of Jesus Christ, and, "No longer," he said, "to be found in my own righteousness, which is of the law, my own making, my own work, but I will gladly exchange that for the glorious righteousness which God has accounted to me through my faith in Jesus Christ." 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already We now heard what the apostle renounced; let us now see what he laid hold on, and resolved to cleave to, namely, It is called the resurrection of the just, and the resurrection of life (John 5:29), and they are counted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead,Luke 20:35. One of the elements of heavenly happiness will be the calm and settled knowledge of all that we have been here below. He does so, not because he is arrogant or self-righteous, for he knows the struggles and difficulties that are inevitable to enter the kingdom. So here he says, "I came to that conclusion--and I still think so. What the happiness of heaven is: it is to apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ. It is perfectly possible for him to observe all the outward observances of religion and yet have hatred and bitterness and pride in his heart. 3:17-21 Brothers, unite in imitating me, and keep your gaze on those who live, as you have seen us as an example. He was never ashamed to confess his shame and to tell men that once he had hated the Christ whom now he loved and sought to obliterate the Church which now he served. Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23), but it is in Christ Jesus; through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him. He is forgetting the things which are behind. "I can do all things," as he says elsewhere, "through him that strengtheneth me." But life is more than simply being born into Gods family. If he desired for them that they should be without one stumble till the day of Christ, it was the purpose to which grace had girded up his own loins. They are enemies to the cross of Christ, not to Christ Himself, but to that aspect of suffering with Him,". And as he headed out towards Damascus, he was going out with threatenings of murder against the believers. In this passage the key-word is righteousness. "Your joy," said Jesus, "no one will take from you" ( John 16:22). The problem with this view is the unusual word used for the resurrection (Gr. 3:1 As for what remains, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. If he left this world, he would be with Christ; if he lived longer in this, world, Christ was with him. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. His own place toward them was but to serve them in love. "That is why God apprehended you; He has a glorious plan and a purpose for your future. Paul could say not only, "Listen to my words," but also, "Follow my example." Far from losing sight of our past ways, it is a very wholesome thing indeed to remember them: we are never safe in forgetting what we are and have been. He speaks as if they were in danger of missing it, and coming short of it. How the text got gradually changed from the most correct form (not correction) in the early Uncials has been explained. If Paul had not attained to perfection (who had reached to so high a pitch of holiness), much less have we. He is at Rome, where he desired to be, no doubt, but which he had never expected to visit as one in bonds. It was not a reference to a kindly family pet, but it was a reference to those mean wild dogs that roamed Israel. You can check these in your browser security settings. The new body, the building of God not made with human hands, the eternal house that God has created for my spirit. Next, not only did he exhort them not to be terrified by the power of Satan, which is itself an evident and solemn sign of perdition to those that oppose the saints of God; but he calls on them to cast out the sources of disunion among themselves; and this he does in the most touching way. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ( Philippians 3:8 ): Paul the apostle is on his way to Damascus to persecute the church. But if a man is to be in special relationship with God, something far more is needed than a mark in his body. This is the great value of Christian experience. When they returned from the exile, it was from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah that the nucleus of the reborn nation was formed ( Ezra 4:1). Little probable is it that the reading, . WebFor we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit ( Philippians 3:3 ), Paul was constantly emphasizing that the physical rites had no value except there be a It expresses expectation. Wednesday of Fifth Sunday in Lent Our Savior/Redeemer Pettibone/Woodworth, ND: Wed, Mar 31, 2004 cold and nakednessbesides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches" (2 Cor. Or is it, on the settled judgment of the old as altogether and only self and sin, that we are habitually manifesting Christ? I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect [would be complete], be thus minded [let this be in your mind] ( Philippians 3:14-15 ): Let this be the same rule for your life. He therefore puts all his energy into his efforts to reach this goal, just as a runner strains every muscle to reach the finishing line and gain the prize (12-14).Mature Christians will have the attitude to life that Paul has just outlined. 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 ). This is the more important, because such fear is the main weapon of Satan. Much akin to Pauls straining toward what is ahead; this racers concentration on They regarded circumcision in itself as being enough to set them apart specially for God. Superficially this verse seems to suggest that Paul had some doubt about the certainty of his resurrection. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, [and] let us mind the same thing ( Philippians 3:15-16 ). Whatever the motives, whatever the manner, the Lord would surely deal with these in His own day; but, at any rate, Christ was now preached, and God would use this both for His own glory and for the salvation of souls. We may see the moral harmony of that lot with his testimony, and how suitable it seems that he, who was above all men identified with the gospel of the glory of Christ, should be a prisoner, and nothing but a prisoner in Rome. Let me press this, because alas! Videos. WebPhilippians 3 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. John Will it be said that this is what the apostle felt, and did, and suffered in the freshness of his first acquaintance with Christ? Thus we see here the power of a risen and a heavenly Christ, not now treated doctrinally as in 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 or 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 and elsewhere, but as that which bears on the Christian for the constant experience of every day. Philippians 4:1-23 is founded on both. Observe, The best men in the world will readily own their imperfection in the present state. At any rate they endured the conflicts of the gospel in its earlier days at Philippi. There is nothing assuredly right, on the other hand, where Christ is not the object of the soul. It is true that Paul frequently plotted Christs story around the motifs of death and resurrection, a scheme he most likely inherited from (ii) Here also Paul sets down what we might call the necessity of repetition. It is still going on. When Paul stated that he was of the tribe of Benjamin, it was a claim that he was not simply an Israelite but that he belonged to the highest aristocracy of Israel. 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