Philippians 3:1-11
1: Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
3: for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
4: although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
5: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
6: as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
7: But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8: More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
9: and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
10: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11: in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Our joy is in the Lord. Yet, there are things to watch out for. These things are worth repeating to be sure they are not forgotten. Paul warned of people who would attempt to lead the Philippians into trying to obtain righteousness other than through faith in Jesus Christ. This was the false circumcision which he said to beware of. As we’ve already seen, circumcision as a means of keeping the Law to obtain right-standing with God was replaced by faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation—what His death and resurrection accomplished.
The true circumcision are those who worship God in the Spirit and glory in Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:29). These are those who have come to understand that righteousness cannot be obtained through any work of the flesh—as in keeping the Law. Paul said if anyone had a right to boast in the Law it would be him. He told of how he kept the Law to perfection, even as far as persecuting the church prior to his conversion. Yet all those things had become meaningless to him. In fact, he counted them as loss for the sake of Christ. What was once considered valuable had now changed in Christ.
Not only had Paul’s prior standing in the Law become useless to him, everything was a loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing the Lord. There was nothing as valuable as knowing Him. Paul had lost everything for Him but didn’t regret it or consider the things he’d lost as having any value at all. It was all rubbish compared to Christ. He was the only gain.
Paul’s desire was to be found righteous by faith. Not through any of works of the Law, but through the path of righteousness which God has now established though faith in Christ. His desire was to know Christ—both the power of His resurrection as well as the fellowship of His sufferings. For when we are like Him in death, we will experience His resurrection life.
2: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
3: for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
4: although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
5: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
6: as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
7: But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8: More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
9: and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
10: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11: in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
***
Our joy is in the Lord. Yet, there are things to watch out for. These things are worth repeating to be sure they are not forgotten. Paul warned of people who would attempt to lead the Philippians into trying to obtain righteousness other than through faith in Jesus Christ. This was the false circumcision which he said to beware of. As we’ve already seen, circumcision as a means of keeping the Law to obtain right-standing with God was replaced by faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation—what His death and resurrection accomplished.
The true circumcision are those who worship God in the Spirit and glory in Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:29). These are those who have come to understand that righteousness cannot be obtained through any work of the flesh—as in keeping the Law. Paul said if anyone had a right to boast in the Law it would be him. He told of how he kept the Law to perfection, even as far as persecuting the church prior to his conversion. Yet all those things had become meaningless to him. In fact, he counted them as loss for the sake of Christ. What was once considered valuable had now changed in Christ.
Not only had Paul’s prior standing in the Law become useless to him, everything was a loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing the Lord. There was nothing as valuable as knowing Him. Paul had lost everything for Him but didn’t regret it or consider the things he’d lost as having any value at all. It was all rubbish compared to Christ. He was the only gain.
Paul’s desire was to be found righteous by faith. Not through any of works of the Law, but through the path of righteousness which God has now established though faith in Christ. His desire was to know Christ—both the power of His resurrection as well as the fellowship of His sufferings. For when we are like Him in death, we will experience His resurrection life.
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