We come to a new section in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. The keyword, finally, doesn’t indicate a conclusion but a transition to a different topic. In this week’s passage, Paul covers many essential things for the Christian life, such as joy, marks of a true believer, and the privilege of knowing Christ. So buckle up; this post is a bit long!
Rejoice in the Lord
“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.”
Paul repeatedly mentions his joy despite his sufferings and urges the Philippians to do the same (Phil 2:18). But here, he is more specific; he wants them to rejoice in the Lord. This joy isn’t superficial happiness that comes from circumstances, but a perpetual gladness of heart that comes from knowing, experiencing, and trusting Jesus. (See what is Joy in the Bible?).
We can rejoice in God’s salvation (Psalm 40:16; 64:10; 63:11; 51:12), His justice (Proverbs 21:15), His protection (Psalm 63:7), and His Word (Psalm 119:162, Jeremiah 15:16).
Since joy is essential for the Christian life, Paul warns the Philippians about those who threaten it. Even if it made him sound like a broken record, chanting the same things, Paul didn’t mind. He knew it’s safe for believers to hear God’s Word often. He probably also wanted the Philippians to listen to his teachings repeatedly so that they will remember them after his departure (2 Peter 1:12-15).
“These things” most likely refer to the text that follows because Paul wrote about the opponents of the gospel earlier (Phil 1:28). False teachers, like their father, the devil, only seek to steal, kill, and destroy our joy in the Lord. So Paul’s warnings about them are a safeguard to maintain it.
True believers vs. false believers
“Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
Paul’s warnings concerned a specific group of people called the Judaizers, the first heretics in Church history. They falsely believed and taught that Gentile Christians must perform Mosaic law works, such as circumcision, to be saved (Acts 15:1). Their name even originates from a Greek word meaning “to live according to the Jews” (Galatians 2:14). Paul adamantly refuted this false gospel, and the epistle of Galatians was his response to it.
And just as he warned the Galatians, he also urged the Philippians to be discerning and watch out. The Judaizers posed a severe threat to the church, as evidenced by Paul’s powerful language to describe them.
Opponents of the Gospel
Dogs. In first-century Israel, dogs were unclean animals. Jews didn’t keep them as house pets as we do today. Back then, dogs were wild animals, scavengers always roaming the street and rummaging for something to devour. Like dogs, the Judaizers were vicious; they attacked the sheep of Christ to spread their filthy and corrupt lies.
Evildoers. The Judaizers preached a different gospel. They emphasized their works instead of the final atoning work of Christ on the cross. This is the height of wickedness. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Any message that points away from His glorious gospel is evil, and those who promote it are evil workers.
Mutilators. Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants and a requirement to be of the people of God. But Christ fulfilled this covenant on the cross, and no one needs to be circumcised to be a member of the household of God. Yet, the Judaizers were still preaching its necessity for salvation. So Paul calls them mutilators or, in Greek, false circumcision. They were cutting up their flesh in vain because it had no spiritual significance. It only burdened believers.
Paul then contrasts these false teachers and their false circumcision with genuine believers who are the true circumcision.
Marks of true believers
True circumcision is of the heart. Romans 2:29 says, “But a Jew is one inwardly, and the circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” This concept harks back to Deuteronomy 30:6, which says, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” God doesn’t call Christians to circumcise their flesh but to “circumcise; therefore, the foreskin of your heart and be no longer stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10:16).
The circumcision that saves occurs when the sword of the Word of God pierces our hard hearts. Paul also mentions three marks of the true circumcision.
We worship by the Spirit of God. Worship in Greek means “to render religious service or homage.” It’s only through the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit that we can worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). Performing empty rituals is not worship, and it doesn’t please God (Matthew 15:8-9).
We glory in Christ. The Greek word for glory means “boast with exultant joy.” True believers joyfully boast about the work of Christ (Galatians 6:14). We rejoice in who Christ is and recognize that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). His atoning work is not a backdrop to our own achievements in keeping the law.
We put no confidence in the flesh. True believers put their faith in Christ alone, not works of the flesh. We don’t add or subtract anything to the atoning work of Christ. Instead, we recognize that nothing we do apart from having faith in Christ will save us. And even having faith is a gift from God, not our works (Ephesians 2:8).
To sum it up, a genuine believer is one who worships God by His grace alone, who boasts in the cross alone, and one who acknowledges that his best works in the flesh are filthy rags before a holy God.
Boast in Christ alone
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more.”
No one understands the superiority of God’s grace over man’s works more than Paul. Before God saved him, he had all the righteousness the law could offer and more street credits than the Judaizers.
First, he was circumcised on the eighth day. The Mosaic law required male Jews to be circumcised on the eight-day. So Paul had the right beginning in life and hailed from a family who kept the Torah. Second, he was of the people of Israel. The Israelites were God’s chosen people, the only nation that bears His name and with whom he established a covenant. To be Israelite was a considerable privilege; it practically made Paul royalty.
Third, he was of the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was an elite tribe. It was the only tribe that remained with Judah and the Davidic line when Israel split into two kingdoms. The first king of Israel, Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin and Jerusalem (and the temple) was in the lands of Benjamin. Fourth, he was a Hebrew of Hebrews. Paul was born into a Jewish family and maintained his Hebrew roots. He spoke the Hebrew language, adopted Jewish customs, and studied under Gamaliel, a decorated Rabbi. He was as Hebrew as it got.
Fifth, he was a Pharisee. Pharisee means “separated ones.” They were a religious sect with strict adherence to the Mosaic law. No one was more “righteous” than a Pharisee. Sixth, he was a persecutor of the church. Paul was a pious, committed, and passionate Jew. So much so he relentlessly persecuted those who opposed His God. Paul was on fire for the Lord and was no lukewarm Jew. Seventh and last, he was law-abiding. Paul was highly moral and scrupulous. He didn’t keep the law perfectly, as only Christ could do it. But he kept it better than most and was beyond reproach. If the law had the power to save anyone, Paul would have been the first in line.
But Paul didn’t count on his accomplishments or privilege like the Judaizers. He didn’t boast of his remarkable works under the law. Instead, he said, “but far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)
The Surpassing worth of knowing Christ
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.”
Paul not only distrusted his past achievements, but he also considered them as a loss or poor deal. Why? Because of Christ.
Before his conversion, Paul counted his noble birth, heritage, titles, and morality as things that profited him for salvation and put them under his asset column. But after encountering the risen Jesus and seeing the glories of His salvation, Paul reassessed his calculations. He realized that everything in his asset column brought him no profit. They were actually a loss because they brought condemnation upon himself.
His works were so utterly useless that Paul called them rubbish. The Greek word used is “skubala,” which means dung, manure, scraps of garbage, and waste thrown to dogs. He considered all his works and prestige as filthy rags to discard before Christ.
Having moved his works to the liability column, Paul now lists what he has gained in having Christ, his actual profits. These are faith and righteousness (justification), knowledge of Christ and Christlikeness (sanctification), and resurrection from the dead (glorification).
Faith and righteousness
Faith means trust. To have faith in God means to believe confidently in Him and be assured and convinced that He exists based on His revelation in nature and Scripture. To have faith in Christ is to trust Him as Lord and savior and rely on Him alone for salvation.
Righteousness means being in right standing with God. When we turn to Jesus in faith, He clears our sinful record with His bloodshed on the cross (Romans 3:24). And the perfect record of Christ, who never sinned, is credited to our account. Now when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin but the righteousness of Jesus (Romans 3:21-26; 8:1).
We gain this righteousness only by God’s gift of faith, not our merit. It’s contrary to the false righteousness the Judaizers were preaching, the one that depends on works. The law cannot make anyone right with God. (Romans 3:20; 10:5).
Knowledge of Christ and Christlikeness
Knowing Jesus is more than an intellectual exercise; it’s experiencing Him. As J.I. Packer said, “it is a matter of dealing with Him as He opens up to you and being dealt with by Him as He takes knowledge of you.” When we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we benefit from the comfort of His love, fellowship through His indwelling Spirit, encouragement, sympathy, and affections (Phil 2:1).
As we grow in our knowledge of Christ, God gives us the inestimable gift of becoming like Him. He shapes our life to be like His Son so we will walk in holiness (1 John 2:6) and share His sufferings (Phil 1:29, 1 Peter 2:21). These are profits because, without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), and those who suffer with Christ will glory with Him (Romans 8:17).
Resurrection from the dead
The last benefit Paul mentions is the final resurrection of the dead. God has promised us eternal life (1 John 2:25; 5:11). It doesn’t mean we will never die, for it has been appointed for all men to die once. But our death will not be final. As Jesus rose from the dead, we, too, shall be raised. And because He lives, we will also live (1 Thess. 4:13-17).
This is the Christian hope. Paul was willing to give everything he held dear—including his life, for this glorious promise. Are you?
Heart check
This passage marvelously showcases the glories of Christ. To have him, know him as Lord, and be found in Him is immeasurably better than anything we could ever have. But sometimes, we don’t appreciate Him and His gift as we should. For instance, when we complain, disobey His commands, etc. Endless gratitude to God should mark the Christian life for all He has given us in Christ. Even if God does nothing else for us in this life, we would still have reasons to rejoice and be thankful.
Being thankful also helps keep our pride in check and not boast of our works. After walking with Jesus for a while and being renewed by His Spirit, it’s easy to boast in our spiritual achievements and see ourselves as good. But we aren’t. We are wretched sinners saved by a gracious God, and apart from Him, we are nothing. It’s an uncomfortable truth, but we need it front and center in our minds. So here it is again, you and I are miserable sinners in need of God’s grace, and we can do nothing without Him.
We must always be aware of our sinfulness and God’s grace. God is zealous for His glory and will not share it with others. He deserves all the credit in our justification. He doesn’t want us for a moment to think we did something to achieve or maintain it. From beginning to the end, salvation is of the Lord. Either we boast in Him alone or not at all.
What are your thoughts on this week’s study? Share in the comments below!
Recommended resources
- The Distinctive Qualities of the True Christian 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 – John MacArthur
- Religious Credits that Don’t Impress God – John MacArthur
- The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ – John MacArthur
- Desiring God – John Piper
Next study
Readings
Read and study Philippians 3:12-16
Memorization
Philippians 3:12-16 if you are doing the challenge, if not verses 13-14
Questions for reflection
- What is the goal of the Christian life? How can you attain it in your life? Are you pressing on to obtain it?
- What is perfection in the Bible? Why does Paul say he is not yet perfect, but then say, “those of us who are perfect.”
- How can you hold true to the gospel or live consistently with it?
