PHILIPPIANS 3:1-11 EXEGETICAL PAPER

�Summary Statement:�Philippians 3:1-11 Paul is encouraging the Philippians to put their faith in Christ and not in the law as faith will bring life.

Outline:

I. Show great Joy for the Lord (v. 1).

II. Watch out for those who do evil (v. 2).

III. Put you confidence in the Lord and not in ourselves (v. 3).

IV. Paul has more reasons to put confidence in his flesh then any of the Philippi’s (v. 4-6).

V. Gaining Christ is far more than anything humans can gain themselves (v. 7-8).

VI. Have righteousness by faith in Christ, not of ourselves (v. 9).

VII. Gain the power of Christ’s through his resurrection (v. 10-11).

Introduction:�During the time Paul wrote this letter he was in prison in Caesarea and planned on having the letter delivered to Philippi. His letter is intended to give hope to the Philippians as many were falling away from the teachings. The main theme of these verses is for us to not look to our flesh for confidence but instead find that confidence through faith in Christ. What will be discussed in this paper are the dangers of having fleshly confidence and the cause and effect of the same, along with the righteousness that we gain through the power of the resurrection. Paul tells the Philippians to watch out for men who do evil and for those that put confidence in their flesh as they can influence them to slip into that behavior. The mention of circumcision taking on a spiritual meaning and not a physical meaning clarifies how they could allow their obedience to the law to give them confidence in flesh. (1-6) When the Philippians would put their confidence in their flesh and cling onto everything that they gained in the world it gave them a false righteousness in themselves. The righteousness that Paul is describing is in Christ. (7-9) Paul shares the importance of Christ’s suffering and resurrection and how we attain the resurrection from the dead. (10-11)

Context�The author of Philippians is the apostle Paul. Paul was not always an apostle. Earlier in his life before he became a follower (Disciple of Christ) he was named Saul. Saul threatened and murdered several followers of Christ until his conversion. One day as he headed toward Damascus he saw a sudden light flash around him and he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) Jesus gave him direction to what he needed to do, once he opened his eyes he was blind. Three days later he was met by a man named Ananias to who was called by the Lord to carry a message to Saul. After meeting with him Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit and regained his eyesight. After that, Saul spent several days in Damascus and at once he began to preach in the synagogues. After Saul’s conversion he took his Roman Name of Paul which the gentiles could recognize. The church of Philippi was founded in A.D. 50, in the course of Paul’s second mission journey (Acts 16) and became the first European city in which he preached. “The missionary party consisted of Paul, Silas and Timothy.” (Homer A Kent, 1981) After the third and final visit to Philippi, he headed back to Jerusalem where he was arrested and later imprisoned in Rome. It was when he was in prison that he wrote the letter to the church in Philippi. “This book is known as one of Paul’s “prison epistles”” (Homer A Kent, 1981) The Philippians spoke Greek and large numbers of them were soldiers that settled from the battle between Octavian’s and Mark Anthony. The Philippians did not question authority because many of them had a military background. Over time they were “Torn apart by conceit, pride and selfishness”. (Hawthorn, 1993) Epaphroditus delivered an update and encouragement to Paul while he was in Rome serving in prison. From there he went back to Philippi with this letter. Epaphroditus was a man of stature whom Paul called a tireless worker, servant, brother, fellow soldier, messenger and one who ministered to his need. Paul, in the next set of verses describes pressing towards the goal. It confirms that the audience is mostly made up of soldiers because that is a military term. He describes how he has not achieved perfection but he keeps reaching for the Goal which is the heavenly prize.

Show great Joy for the Lord (v. 1)�At the beginning of this verse, Paul starts the sentence with “Finally”. Beginning this way means that he is changing his thought. “Something has caused him to change his course.” (Bockmuehl, 1998) When we look at the verses before this, Epaphroditus came to visit Paul. Paul’s thoughts are on Epaphroditus’s commitment to Christ, through his dedication by coming to visit him. Although Paul welcomes him, he becomes concerned for Epaphroditus health, when he became ill and also feels that Epaphroditus should go back to be with the Philippians, so he is going to send him back to Philippi. Paul goes on to refer to the Philippians as my brothers and tells them to “rejoice in the Lord, “and the oft-repeated warning and contrast between “Judaizes” and believers in Christ.” (Fee, 1995) He wants them to be glad in the Lord no matter what their circumstance is, “The readers are to maintain the joyful spirit that has characterized this letter, though Paul now goes on to speak of some unpleasant matters” (Homer A Kent, 1981) It is apparent that the Judaizes are behaving differently than Christ would so Paul is encouraging the Philippians to stay close so they do not become like the Judaizes. Paul goes on to state that he is going to repeat what he has already stated to the Philippians but he is ok with that. Obviously they are doing things that did not line up with what he previously stated. “He wants to emphasize its importance as a “safeguard.” (Thielman, 1995) The things Paul is saying support their Christian faith and keep them encouraged, that confirms the safeguard statement. The word “your faith” in the verse shows individuality like Jesus states in this verse “Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, ““Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well””. And the woman was healed at that moment.” (Matthew 9:22) This verse shows us that each of us is responsible for our own faith. That is what will heal and protect us.

Watch out for those who do evil (v. 2)�The words “watch out for those dogs” are a strong statement. “Paul calls his opponents “dogs” because, like dogs who intrude where they are not wanted,” (Thielman, 1995) This verbiage makes more sense when you know Paul’s background and that the majority of his audience comes from a military background. He then goes into “men who do evil”, this is anyone that is teaching or acting in a way that is opposite of the word of God, it ultimately brings pain or sorrow. Evil/Evil doer’s stands for “whatever is evil in character.” (Bible, 2014), The last term that he mentions is “Mutilators” the meaning he is intending “It is clearly a sarcastic play on the word peritome’ (circumcision’), possibly echoing a contemporary anti-Semitic slur about the practice”. (Bockmuehl, 1998) Early in his life, Paul put his faith in the physical act of circumcision like many of the Jewish leaders; this kind of pride elevates us above others. It does not support our Faith in Christ Jesus. The act of circumcision was a law in the Old Testament but what Paul is talking about is the circumcision of the heart “He refers to those who have received the circumcision of the heart, whether they be Jew or Gentile” (Homer A Kent, 1981) The New Testament shows us what it is to be saved “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8) This verse refutes any belief that we are saved by the Law.

Put you confidence in the Lord and not in ourselves (v. 3)�Those that worship the spirit of God are truly the ones that have a circumcision of the heart. Worship means to revere and to project feelings of awe. It is the thing we do to show respect and appreciation to the Lord. God makes it possible for us to worship him “It is the Spirit of God who characterizes the Christian existence and makes the service of God possible, enabling believers to ‘walk by the Spirit’ and to worship appropriately.” (Bockmuehl, 1998) When we worship God as Bockmuehl describes then we can fully be circumcised in the way that Paul is describing. Relying on Jesus can be easily identified in people by looking at the fruit of the Spirit that they possess. The word relying could also mean Trust, where we are putting our trust in what Christ has done for us. He laid his life on the line and suffered a horrific death so that we may be free from our sin. We put no confidence in flesh, was stated. Confidence here would mean trust or faith in anything that is not God. All of our confidence should be in Christ. Kent describes Flesh in detail “they put no confidence in the flesh. This states the negative aspect of the previous positive phrase. “Flesh” (sarx) refers to what man is outside of Christ.” (Homer A Kent, 1981) The NIV speaks of human effort, our efforts by ourselves.

Paul has more reasons to put confidence in his flesh then any of the Philippi’s (v. 4-6)�Paul speaks about himself and how he lived his life for many years on his own without Christ. The behaviors he exhibited onto those followers of Christ were inhumane. “Paul compares the Judaizers’ willingness to place confidence in the fleshly rite of circumcision with his own fleshly advantages (kerde, NIN “profit”) prior to his conversion.” (Thielman, 1995) He goes into great detail how he was circumcised at the age of 8 “As a member of the race of Israel, Paul is identified from birth with the covenant people of God” (Bockmuehl, 1998). This is a very important fact as the Jew’s called them the “chosen ones”. He felt he could use his disobedience to Christ prior to knowing Christ as a platform to influence those that did not believe or that had fallen away from God. He goes onto state that he is a member of the tribe of Benjamin: “It shows his reputable descent: the patriarch Benjamin was a son of Rachel, and the only one of the twelve to be born in the land of promise. From this tribe came Paul’s namesake Saul, the first king of Israel; the choice of this name for their son may show something of the pride of Paul’s parents in their Benjaminite heritage.” (Bockmuehl, 1998) This would contribute to the excessive pride that Paul exhibited prior to his conversion. These two facts put Paul in a position of, if anyone was a true Hebrew; it would be him. He goes on to state that he was a Member of the Pharisees which was regarded as prestige in the eyes of Israel. Before his conversion Paul does not portray himself as sinless but he believed that his commitment to the Law would save him. See what Thielman says: “Paul trusted that one day his heritage and these achievements would help him to stand acquitted before God.” (Thielman, 1995) Paul was so focused on the Law that he became so critical, persecuting, and condemning of the church that even a slight fault to upholding the law would find them feeling shamed. He prided himself in becoming righteous in upholding the law.

Gaining Christ is far more than anything humans can gain themselves (v. 7-8)�Paul believed that these things were of the most valuable in life. This is what you lived for to uphold the law, and if you did then God was going to honor and bless you; you were “Golden” meaning that you have succeeded in pleasing God and living the good life. When Paul encountered the divine intervention by Jesus, his life was forever changed. After that encounter he considered everything that he gained through his blood line and being a Pharisee, as worthless. “former advantages are now considered “loss” because of “gaining” Christ; indeed they are “street refuse” in comparison with the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ,” through whom true righteousness, righteousness from God, has now been made available; and this so that Paul might “know” Christ by participating in Christ’s suffering in the present through the power of his resurrection.” (Fee, 1995) We are told that everything is worthless compared to the “Infinite Value of Knowing Christ.” Infinite Value would mean there is nothing more important, limitless importance. Paul goes on to say that “for his sake I have discarded everything else,” the achievements and status was an Idol to him, so putting God first in his life showed him that those achievements and statuses did not have meaning like they once had. The power of Christ can be seen working through Paul. He counts it all as garbage, something that you throw away and count as worthless. VI.

Have righteousness by faith in Christ, not of ourselves (v. 9)�He goes on to say that there are two points: 1. That we discard that which once was dear to us but does not serve the Lord. 2. That we become one with Christ Paul states that he does not depend on his own righteousness. This reiterates the previous passages to get his point across. He goes on to say that obeying the Law will not give us the righteousness of God. Paul was very knowledgeable with the Old Testament and Jewish Thought “However. ‘Knowledge of God’ also had a long and rather different meaning in Old Testament and Jewish thought, where it referred to a close relationship with God”. (Bockmuehl, 1998) Paul goes on to say he became righteous through faith in Christ. Look at what Thielman says: “Against this notion Paul insists that one’s own righteousness is tainted with evil and is therefore not capable of God’s acceptance on the final day.” (Thielman, 1995) For us to gain the righteousness of God see this scripture “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1:17) The only way we are saved is through our faith and belief in Christ Jesus, “That even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. “It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!” (Ephesians 2:5) We must have faith in order to be saved and to make us right with God depends on our faith.

Gain the power of Christ’s through his resurrection (v. 10-11)�Paul has experienced what it is like to know Christ and to feel the unbounding love within him. Paul wants the Church to experience what he has and is experiencing, the power that has raised Christ from the dead and has given him life. He goes on to say that he wants to suffer with him, sharing in his death. Christ followers automatically share in the suffering that Christ endured. These statements explain it: “But each believer, by identifying himself with Christ, incurs a measure of Christ’s afflictions.” “Where he regards suffering in some sense as an inevitable consequence of believing in Christ”. “becoming like him in his death” further elaborates the previous phrase. For a believer to share Christ’s sufferings involves such a complete identification with him that it can only be explained as a death to the former life.” (Bockmuehl, 1998) When you read these statements you will see what Paul is talking about when he discusses sharing in the resurrection with Christ. We see this in areas where they speak about being reborn, which is to take off the old person and put on the new person. Another verse that speaks on this concept of sharing in his death is “They are reborn-not in the physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (John 1:13) We can only obtain this “resurrection” or known as raised from the dead by knowing, believing, and emulating Christ in our lives.

Application:�In our American churches today, there are struggles with individuals relying on themselves. Pride is a major sin that we see people struggle with “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) therefore we must lead from a humble approach. Western culture is geared towards selfishness, where we strive to gain more material possessions and elevate ourselves. We are so outwardly focused, our status and appearance becomes an Idol. It laterally separates us from God and others. One of the challenges for churches today, is people are so focused on the glamour of things that we see the larger churches preach more on joy opposed to suffering. This indicates that most people want to just focus on the “happy” part of the bible. To live as a true (Christian) disciple of Jesus Christ, it is important to consider the entire bible and not treat it as a buffet (picking and choosing what we want). In support of the church today, each believer should spend more time in learning and studying the bible in depth. It is vital to the church today for believer’s to have a full understanding of the scriptures. I am making a personal commitment to continue on my path of learning through my enrollment in school. I believe this is what Christ would encourage me to do in order to impact the kingdom at a greater level.

Bibliography:�Bible, B. l. (2014, April 2). BLB Dictionary. Bockmuehl, M. (1998). The Epistle to the Philippians. Blacks New Testament commentary, 170-221. Fee, G. D. (1995). Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The New international commentary on the New Testament, 284-337. Hawthorn, G. F. (1993). Dictionary of Paul and His letters. 707-713. Homer A Kent, J. (1981). Phiippians . The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 11, 14. Thielman, F. (1995). Philippians. The NIV application commentary series, 14-193. Various. (2002). NIV Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.