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Word Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament
Genesis Exodus Leviticus
Song of Solomon
Corinthians 2
Corinthians Galatians
Ephesians Philippians
Thessalonians 2
Thessalonians 1 Timothy
Timothy Titus Philemon
Hebrews James 1
Peter 2
Peter 1
John 2
John 3
Choose an Option.
Philippians 3:17-19 Commentary
Commentary Updated November 30, 2015
Philippians 3:17
following my
Updated November 30, 2015
Philippians 3:7 Heart's
Sacrifice by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Philippians 3:10
No Comforters by Dr. Warren Wiersbe
Philippians 3:10 Does Christ Feel at Home in Your Heart? by
Theodore Epp
Philippians 3:13 Spiritual Memory by Dr. Warren Wiersbe
Philippians 3:12-14 Dealing With Your Past by Theodore Epp
Philippians 3:14 Becoming Spiritually Aggressive by Theodore
Philippians 3:17-21
Citizens of Heaven! by Theodore Epp
Philippians 3:20
City of God by Dr. Warren Wiersbe
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians:3:1 -11;
Philippians:3:12 -21
Philippians 3 Commentary
3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Resources
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:12-41 Pressing On
When the Pressures On...
3 Commentary
3 Commentary
3 Commentary
3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-3 The Possessions Of A Covenant
Philippians 3:7-11 How To Develop A Normal
Christian Life
Philippians 3:12-16 Running For The Prize
Philippians 3:13-14 Three Looks Every Church
Needs To Take
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:7-14 In Depth
Philippians 3-4
Phil 3:1-7,
Phil 3:7-14,
Phil 3:8-14,
Phil 3:15-21
Philippians Commentary
(about 100 pages)
Philippians 3-4
Phil 3:1-7,
Philippians 3:10 The
Spiritual Saint
Philippians 3:12 Christian
Philippians 3:12
Apprehended by God
Philippians Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-3 True
Versus Counterfeit Christianity
Philippians 3:4-9 The
Losses & Gains of True Christianity
Philippians 3:10-11 Knowing
Christ & Being Like Him
Philippians 3:12-16 The
Christian Growth Process
Philippians 3:17-4:1 The
Right & Wrong Way to Live
Philippians Commentary (302 pages)
Philippians 3 Expository Notes
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:12-21 The Golden Tomorrow
Philippians 3:12-14 Goal For the New Year
Philippians 3:13-14 Pressing On Toward the Prize
Philippians 3:13-14 The Year Past and Before Us
Philippians 3:14 Pressing On Toward the Prize
Philippians 3:17 Our Examples
Philippians 3:7-11 The Power of His Resurrection
Philippians 3:4-10 That We Might Win Christ
Philippians 3:20 For Our Citizenship is in Heaven
Philippians 3:20 Colonies of Heaven
Philippians 3:1-11;
Philippians 3:12-21
Philippians 3:1-11 Paul's Perspective on
Profit and Loss
Philippians 3:12-21 Paul's Perspective on
3 Commentary
Philippians Sermons
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:17:
Character of Paul
Philippians 3:17-21
Citizens of Heaven
Philippians 3:
Faithful Service
Philippians 3:1-8 No
Confidence in the Flesh (Robert Rainy)
Philippians 3:8-11 The
Knowledge of Christ
Philippians 3:9 The
Righteousness of Faith
Philippians 3:10, 11
Resurrection Life and Daily Dying
Philippians 3:12-17
Christian Life A Race
Philippians 3:18, 19
Enemies of the Cross
Philippians 3 Commentary (H A A
Philippians 3
Philippians 3:1-11: Christ
Philippians 3:12-14: The Focus of the Faithful
Philippians 3:15-19: Models:
Good and Bad
Philippians 3:20-4:1: Something to Look Forward
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-6 Remembering Who
We Are
Philippians 3:7-11 The Surpassing
Value of Knowing Christ
Philippians 3:12-16 Hooked in the
Philippians 3:17-21 Heaven's
Pattern for Earthly Living
Philippians 3 Christ The Goal of Life - The Onward
Philippians 3:7-9 The
Excellent Exchange
Philippians 3:10-11 The
Power of His Resurrection
Philippians 3:13-14
Pressing On
Philippians 3:20-21
Citizenship in Heaven
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-8 True
Righteousness Study in Contrasts: Judaizers &
Philippians 3:9-11 True
Righteousness (II) Study in Contrasts: Judaizers &
Philippians 3:12-16 Nature
of Paul's Pursuit of Christ Living in "Now/Not Yet"
Philippians 3:17-21 The
Exhortation to Imitate Good Examples
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Homilies
Philippians Sermon Outline Notes
(frequent illustrations)
Philippians 3 Commentary
3 Commentary
Philippians 3: Commentary
(Gordon Fee)
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary -
The Epistle to the
Philippians - Commentary (1875)
Philippians 3 Commentary
The High Calling -
Meditations on St Paul's Letter to the
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-11 Profit and Loss Account
Philippians 3:12-16 A Sporting Interlude
Philippians 3:17-21 Heaven Below
Philippians 3:1-11 Lose Your Religion!
Philippians 3:12-21 God's Goals
Philippians Sermons -
Mp3 Only
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-8 Secure
Your Joy
Philippians 3:7-11 Big
Philippians 3:12-16
Progress In Purpose
Philippians 3:15-21
Orientating Our Obedience
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-3 Qualities
of True Christian-Pt1
Philippians 3:1-3 Qualities of True Christian-Pt2
Philippians 3:1-3 Qualities of True Christian-Pt3
Philippians 3:1-3 Qualities of True Christian-Pt4
Philippians 3:4-8 Religious Credentials
Philippians 3:4-11 Evaluating Your
Relationship in Christ - 1
Philippians 3:8-11 Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ
Philippians 3:12-16 Evaluating Your
Relationship to Christ - 2
Philippians 3:12-16 Reaching for the Prize
Philippians 3:17-21 Following
Godly Examples
Philippians 3:18-19
Fleeing from Enemies
Philippians 3:20-21
Focusing on Expectations
Philippians 3:1-3
Preparing to End
Philippians 3:4-8 The
Loss of All
Philippians 3:8-9
The "Gain of Christ"
Philippians 3:10-11
Saving Knowledge
Philippians 3:12 Laid
Hold of and Laying Hold
Philippians 3:13-14 The
Race and the Goal
Philippians 3:15 The
Soul's Perfection
Philippians 3:16 The
Rule of the Road
Philippians 3:17-21
Warnings and Hopes
3 Commentary
Philippians Sermons
Complete Book of
Philippians - 57 Mp3's
3 Commentary - Mp3's (Thru the Bible)
Philippians 3:8 Secret Idols
Philippians 3:10 The Power of
Christ's Resurrection
Philippians 3:13-14 Stand at the
Philippians 3:21 Our Daily
Philippians 3:1-3 The True
Philippians 3:4-9
Selling All to Buy the Pearl
Philippians 3:10-11
The Soul's Quest
Philippians 3:12 Apprehended to
Philippians 3:13-14 Onwards and
Philippians 3:15-16 The
Attainments of the Christian Life
Philippians 3:17-21 The Burgesses
of Heaven
3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Study Notes (Defender's Study
3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-11 Joy in the Lord and its
Preserving Power
Philippians 3:12-16 Christian Standing and
Christian Progress
Philippians 3:17-21 The Blessed Hope and its
Philippians 4:1-9 Purity and Peace in the
Present Lord
Philippians 4:10-23 The Collection for
St Paul: The Farewell
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians Sermons
Philippians 3:1-16;
Philippians 3:17-21
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-14 Called to Suffer & Rejoice
Philippians 3:2-16 Going Hard After the Holy
Philippians 3:4-14
The Discontented Christian Life
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-11: From Rubbish to Jesus
Philippians 3:12-21: Go for the Gold
Philippians 3:20-21: What Is Heaven Like?
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-11 Paul's Fixation
Philippians 3:1-16 Always Leaning
Philippians 3:17-4:1 Looking East
Reformation Study Bible Notes
Philippians 3:1,
3:2, 3:2b, 3:3, 3:3b, 3:4, 3:5, 3:5b, 3:5c, 3:6
Philippians 3:6b, 3:7, 3:8, 3:8b, 3:8c, 3:9, 3:9b, 3:9c, 3:9d, 3:10
Philippians 3:10b, 3:10c, 3:10d, 3:11, 3:12, 3:12b, 3:13, 3:13b, 3:13c
Philippians 3:13d, 3:14, 3:14b, 3:15, 3:15b, 3:15c, 3:15d, 3:15e
Philippians 3:15f, 3:15g, 3:16, 3:16b
Philippians 3:17 3:17b
Philippians 3: Greek Word
Philippians 3:1-14 Commentary
Philippians 3:15-21 Commentary
Philippians 3:4-6 Centered Living
Philippians 3:12-14 A New Start
Philippians 3:10 Knowing Christ
Philippians 3:12-16 Plans for the Journey
Philippians 3:13-14
Refocus Our Focus
Philippians 3:13-14 Church Growth
Philippians 3:1-6 Losing To Gain
Philippians 3:7-16 Pressing Toward The
Philippians 3:17-4:23 The Presence Of The
God Of Peace
3 Commentary
3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1 Sermons (click
arrow for next verse)
Philippians 3:3 The
True Christian Delineated
Philippians 3:7,8 The
Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ
Philippians 3:8,9
Christ Gain to the Believer
Philippians 3:10 The
Power of Christ's Resurrection
Philippians 3:13-15
Holy Ambition Encouraged
Philippians 3:17, 20
Of Following Good Examples
Philippians 3:18, 19
A Warning to the Earthly-Minded
3 Commentary
Sermon Notes for Philippians 3
Sermon Notes for Philippians 3:7-14
Sermon Notes for Philippians 3:9
Sermon Notes for Philippians 3:14
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:7-9 A
Business Like Account
Philippians 3:8 The Priceless Prize
Philippians 3:10
Do You Know Him?
Philippians 3:10 The Power of
His Resurrection
Philippians 3:12 Paul
Apprehended and Apprehending
Philippians 3:13,13 Onward!
Philippians 3:18,19 The
Enemies of the Cross of Christ
Philippians 3:18-19 False
Professors Solemnly Warned
Philippians 3:20-21 The Power
of Christ Illustrated by the Resurrection
Philippians 3:20-21
Citizenship in Heaven
Philippians 3:20-21,4:1
Watchword for Today: Stand Fast
Philippians 3
Philippians 3:8;
Philippians 3:10;
Philippians 3:21
Philippians 3:1 Daily
Devotions- Rejoice!
Philippians 3:1-7 Dangerous
Philippians 3:2 Daily
Devotions- The Menace of External Religion
Philippians 3:3 Daily
Devotions- True Spirituality
Philippians 3:4-7 Daily
Devotions- Dangerous Confidence
Philippians 3:8 Daily
Devotions- Adequate Living
Philippians 3:8-12 Adequate
Philippians 3:9-11 Daily
Devotions- Knowing Him
Philippians 3:12-14 Daily
Devotions- The Great Motive
Philippians 3:15-21 Daily
Devotions- Another Alternative
3 Commentary
Philippians Sermons
Philippians 3:1 Rejoice In The Lord
Philippians 3:2-3 Basic Christianity
Philippians 3:4-9 Finding True Greatness
Philippians 3:10-11 True Christian
Philippians 3:12 Stepping Heavenward
Philippians 3:13-14 The Marks Of A Mature
Philippians 3:15-19 Equipping Ourselves
For Christian Maturity
Philippians 3:20-4:1 Citizenship and the
Sovereign Saviour from heaven
Philippians 3
Sermons - mainly Mp3
Call to Resist Error - Philippians
Resist the Legalists - Philippians
Rejoice in the Lord! - Philippians 3:1
Those dogs . . . mutilators of the flesh
- Philippians 3:2
We who are the circumcision -
Philippians 3:3
Paul's sevenfold pedigree - Philippians
Circumcised on the eighth day -
Philippians 3:5
As for zeal, persecuting the church -
Philippians 3:6
Whatever was to my profit - Philippians
Justification and Merit: Why Does God
Count Me as Righteous?
Rubbish - Philippians 3:8
Justification, Sanctification, and
Glorification - Philippians 3:-9-11
Not having a righteousness of my own -
Philippians 3:9
I want to know Christ - Philippians 3:10
Attain to the resurrection - Philippians
Press Toward the Mark - Philippians
Not that I have already obtained -
Philippians 3:12
The Goal - Philippians 3:13-14
All of us who are mature - Philippians
Resist Antinomianism - Philippians
Following my example - Philippians 3:17
The Opponents - Philippians 3:18-19
Even with tears - Philippians 3:18
Our citizenship is in heaven -
Philippians 3:20
Power . . . to bring everything under
his control - Philippians 3:21
3 Commentary
Philippians 3 Commentary
Paul's Epistle to the Philippians
Philippians 3:1-2 They corrupt the gospel
Philippians 3:1-2 They corrupt the new covenant
Philippians 3:3 The description of the true
Philippians 3:4-11 The list of his credentials
Philippians 3:4-11 His attitude toward his
Philippians 3:4-11 The knowledge of Christ
Philippians 3:4-11 The righteousness of Christ
Philippians 3:4-11 The power of Christ
Philippians 3:4-11 The suffering of Christ
Philippians 3:4-11 The resurrection of Christ
Philippians 3:12-16 The need for dissatisfaction
Philippians 3:12-16 The need for direction
Philippians 3:12-16 The need for discipline
Philippians 3:17-21 They follow with others in a
heavenly processional
Philippians 3:17-21 They are not enemies of the
cross of Christ
Philippians 3:17-21 They eagerly wait for the
return of Christ
Philippians 3:17-21 They stand firm
Philippians 3 Greek Word
Philippians 3 Commentary
Philippians 3:1-9 Updating
Our Resume
Philippians 3:10-14 Pursuing
the Prize
Philippians 3 We Look for the Savior
3 Commentary
Philippians Commentary - Verse by Verse Comments
Philippians 3:1-11: Beware
of the Dogs!
Philippians 3:12-4:1:
Straining Forward/Standing Firm
Philippians: Download lesson 1 of 16 for
inductive Study
Philippians Illustrations 3
Philippians 3:1-11
Becoming What You Are
Philippians 3:1-11 Whom
Will You Trust?
Philippians 3:1-11
Who Gets The Credit??
Philippians 3:1-13
Letting Go
Philippians 3:7-14
Champion Marksman
Philippians 3:7: China's
Billy Graham
Philippians 3:7: When All
Is Lost
Philippians 3:7: What's
The Cost?
Philippians 3:8: I Have Everything
Philippians 3:8: Just
Philippians 3:8: Religion
Or Relationship?
Philippians 3:9: Captives in Churches
Philippians 3:10: The
Highest Goal
Philippians 3:12: Room For Advancement
Philippians 3:12: "Hurry
Philippians 3:12: Pressing on
Philippians 3:12: Pressing on
Philippians 3:12-13:Winning
The Race
Philippians 3:12,14: Keep Pressing On
Philippians 3:14: Pressing on
Philippians 3:13: A Time to Forget
Philippians 3:13-14: What
Is My Purpose?
Philippians 3:13-14: What
We Do
Philippians 3:13-14: Seeing Or Remembering?
Philippians 3:13-14:
Getting Focused
Philippians 3:13-14: Look Back or Ahead?
Philippians 3:13-14:
Looking Ahead
Philippians 3:13-14:
Cleaning Out The Files
Philippians 3:13-14: The
Pudding Guy
Philippians 3:14: Keep
The Prize In Mind
Philippians 3:14: Keep
Reaching For The Top
Philippians 3:14:
Trampling Temptation
Philippians 3:14,17:
Past, Present, Future
Philippians 3:18-19:
Philippians 3:20:
Occupied With Heaven
Philippians 3:20: Waiting
Philippians 3:20: Change
Of Address
Philippians 3:20-21: A
New Edition
Philippians 3:20-21: Astonished Joy
Philippians 3:20-21: We
Will Be Like Him!
Philippians 3:21: Frozen
In this section Paul is addressing
the problem in the Church at Philippi that there were men whose
conduct was an open scandal to the gospel, and who by their lives,
showed themselves to be the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Paul says
that a good "antidote" to these evil examples is a good example.
Paul wants his life not to be admired, but imitated. All men
will imitate someone. Paul wants us to be imitators of those who are
wholeheartedly devoted to Christ.
William Barclay
renders this verse "Brothers, unite in imitating me,
and keep your gaze on those who live, as you have seen us as an
As Henry Morris observes "Paul was not arrogant or conceited;
he even called himself "less than the least of all saints" (Ephesians
3:8). However, the churches were being led astray by false apostles
and false teachers "whose God is their belly...who mind earthly
things" (Philippians 3:19). Therefore, he often had to defend himself
and his teachings (2 Corinthians 11:17,18; 12:11; etc.). The church
could not actually see Jesus, but they could see Paul, and compare his
life and ministry to those of the false teachers. Therefore, he could
say, in all humility: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1-note;
1Cor 4:16, 2Th 3:7). (Philippians 3 Study Notes
Defender's Study Bible)
In view of what was at stake (the
integrity of the gospel message) it is not surprising that Paul
repeatedly emphasized imitation writing...
I exhort you therefore,
be (present
= command to make this your lifestyle, your continual goal to which
you press on toward) imitators of me. (1Cor 4:16)
= command to make this your lifestyle, your continual goal to which
you press on toward = continually be becoming) imitators of me,
just as I also am of Christ. (1Cor 11:1-note,
cp 1Pe 2:21-note)
You also
became imitators of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the
joy of the Holy Spirit, (1Th 1:6-note)
(To his beloved disciple Timothy)
Let no one look down on
= with the negative means stop letting this happen [or at least don't
let it bother you]) your youthfulness, but (Change of direction
- this is the "road" to walk on that will change their opinion of you) rather in speech,
conduct, love, faith and purity,
show yourself an example
(literally = a pattern become - not a suggestion but
present imperative) of
those who believe. (1Ti 4:12)
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore
imitators of God, as beloved children; (Like Father, like sons and
daughters, so to speak.)
The writer of Hebrews echoes the
importance of imitating godly examples writing...
imperative) those who led you, who
spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their
conduct, imitate
imperative) their faith. (Heb
Peter likewise exhorted
the spiritual leaders of the church "Don't lord it over (exercise
"lordship" or dominion over) the people assigned to your care, but
lead them by your good example. (1Pe 5:3NLT-note)
Steven Cole - Paul is not being egotistical. It
is a false humility that denies the truth by saying, "Well, I'm really
not worth imitating." Paul knew that he lived with
integrity before God. He also just admitted that he was still in the
process of coming to know Christ and the power of His resurrection
(3:12-14), so he is not implying that he is sinlessly perfect. But his
life was an example of how believers should live. He also adds that
there were others, probably referring to Timothy, Epaphroditus, and
men like them who walked with God. Such men show us in practical ways
how we should walk with God, how we should deal with relationships,
The most helpful source for spiritual growth for me, apart from
studying the Bible, has been reading the biographies of men of God.
The summer of 1970 was a turning point in my walk with God because of
George Muller of Bristol, by A. T.
Pierson. That
book showed me in human form a man who lived by faith, prayer, and
obedience to the Word. Since then I've been helped immensely to read
the lives of John Calvin, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Adoniram
Judson, C. H. Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Francis
Schaeffer, and many others. I have an article in print on this as well
as a bibliography (Reading
Christian Biographies A Selected Bibliography)
if you're interested. (Philippians
3:17-4:1 Right & Wrong Way to Live)
Note that this verse more literally
reads "become
followers together of me." Or one could translate it
co-imitators of me" or "keep
on becoming fellow
imitators of me."
(see note above) (1096)
(ginomai) means cause to be or come into existence, in this
context entering into a new condition (fellow followers). It is a command (imperative
mood) to make this their lifestyle or habitual practice (present
tense). (present imperative).
The only way to obey this command is by faith where faith is manifest
by renouncing self-reliance ("I can do this...") and relying wholly on
the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
(followers together) (4831)
(summimetes from
sun = together with +
mimetes = an imitator from mímos = an
imitator) is an imitator of or follower with others, a joint follower,
a joint imitator.
Remember the preposition
sun speaks of an intimate, almost
inseparable relationship. BDAG says summimetes is "one
who joins others as an imitator = fellow-imitator with." Summimetes
is the first word in the Greek sentence which places emphasis on this
This Greek word
reminds us our English "mimic" or "mime." Just as Paul mimics
Christ, so they should mimic or imitate him. It is interesting that
the art of "mime" emphasizes the actions (the "mime" does not use
words) so one application is to let our actions speak louder than our words!
Paul is not
saying here to be imitators of Christ in common with me, but be
together, jointly, imitators of me. Paul makes his own example a norm or standard of the new life
in Christ because at this time in the history of Christianity there is
as yet no tradition of the Christian life.
W. Bauder
has the following note regarding "imitators" as it was
used in secular Greek - Very early on (in Democritus of the
pre-Socratics) the words were used to express ethical demands made on
men. One should take as one's model the boldness of a hero, or one
should imitate the good example of one's teacher or parents... The
Rabbis were the first to speak of imitation of God in the sense of
developing the image of God in men. In the Pseudepigrapha in addition
to the exhortation to imitate men of outstanding character (Test. Ben.
3:1; 4:1) one can also find the thought of the imitation of God (i.e.
keeping his commands, Test. Ash. 4:3) and of particular
characteristics of God (Aristeas 188, 210, 280 f.). (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Teachers based
their whole educational procedure on imitation, as students imitated
the behavior of teachers. Slowly the idea developed that people should
imitate the gods, and Plato emphasized this.
ILLUSTRATION - The basic
meaning of mimetes is seen in a mime. An English woman went to
France to study under the famous mime artist, Marcel Marceau. All day
he taught his students how to make the movements of mime, and each
evening they went to see him perform. Their performances were marked
indelibly by the style of the master. This is an excellent picture of
a Christian who imitates the Lord by exposure to Him.
In the last
chapter of this letter Paul encourages the saints writing that
"The things you
have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these
things; and the God of peace shall be with you." (Php 4:9-note)
Barclay rightly observes that "Most preachers begin with the
serious handicap that they have to say, not, "Do as I do," but, "Do
as I say." Paul could say not only, "Listen to my words," but also,
"Follow my example." (Philippians 3 Commentary)
Lehman Strauss explains that
"Paul considered himself the
recipient of God's mercy that he might be a "pattern"; thus his whole
life, subsequent to his conversion, was dedicated to presenting to
others an outline sketch of what a Christian should be. God saved Paul
in order that he might show by the example of his conversion that what
Jesus Christ did for him He can and will do for others. Was not this
the special object our Lord had in view in extending His mercy to you
and me? I believe He has saved us to be a pattern to all future
believers. Are we serving as examples of those who have been saved by
His grace? May it be so!" (Lehman Strauss, Philippians. Loizeaux
Brothers. 1976)
kai skopeite (2PPAM)
tous houto peripatountas
(PAPMPA) kathos echete (2PPAI) tupon hemas:
(Ps 37:37; Ro 16:17- note;
2Th 3:14)
Wuest translates it...
observe attentively those who
conduct themselves in a manner which reflects the example which you
have in us
Observe those who walk -
Paul is saying keep your eye on those who conduct themselves as I do
and make them your goal or model for conduct. We all need godly role
"Keep your eyes on me as the goal." Mark and follow me, not mark and avoid
as in
Romans 16:17 (note).
David gave a similar
Mark the blameless man, and behold
the upright; for the man of peace will have a posterity. (Ps 37:37)
Spurgeon commenting on Ps
37:37 writes that...
After having watched with surprise
the downfall of the wicked, give your attention to the sincerely
godly, and observe the contrast. Good men are men of mark, and worth
our study; marvels of grace, and worth beholding. (See
full note)
Observe (4648)
(skopeo from
skopos = distant mark looked at, goal
or end one has in view; English "scope" as in microscope or
telescope) means to "spy out", to look at, to observe, to contemplate,
to mark ( to fix or trace out the bounds or limits of). Skopeo
implies mental consideration and so conveys the picture of attentively fixing one's
attention upon something (in this case someone) with desire for
(emulation) or interest in. The idea can be to "aim at". Contemplate, look into, examine,
inspect, continue to regard closely, to notice carefully, pay
attention to, keep one's attention on.
(quoting Schmidt) adds that skopeo means...
To direct one's attention upon a
thing, either in order to obtain it, or because one has a peculiar
interest in it, or a duty to fulfil toward it. Also to have an eye to
with a view of forming a right judgment.
There are 6 NT
uses of skopeo (mostly by Paul)...
Luke 11:35 "Then
imperative) out
that the light in you may not be darkness.
Romans 16:17 (note)
Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye (present
tense = keep
keeping your eye on them - this describes a continual need) on those
who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which
you learned, and turn away from them.
2 Corinthians 4:18 while we look (present
tense =
habitually) not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the
things which are not seen are eternal.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any
trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness; each one looking (present
tense =
continually - almost conveys an imperative sense in this context) to
yourself, (Why do you need to continually "mark" yourself?) lest you
too be tempted (passive voice = describes temptation coming from
outside source).
Vincent comments: Notice the
passing to the singular number — "considering thyself." (Ed:
= "yourself") The exhortation is addressed to the conscience of
each. Before you deal severely with the erring brother, consider your
own weakness and susceptibility to temptation, and restore him in view
of that fact. (cp 1 Cor 10:12)
Philippians 2:4 (note)
do not merely look (present
tense =
continually - almost conveys an imperative sense in this context) out
for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 3:17 (note)
Brethren, join
in following my example, and
those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Paul is
commanding (imperative
mood) the Philippian
saints to continually (present tense)
attentively keep fixing their attention upon, (with desire for or
interest in) those who exemplify godly conduct. Make it your habit to
"scope out" godly examples.
running the 110 meter low hurdles with your eyes on the track or only
on the hurdles or constantly on the competition in the lanes on either
side. That would be ridiculous. But no more ridiculous than running
the race of life (see notes
Hebrews 12:1;
12:2) aimlessly as if in a spiritual fog! Only
one life. Will soon pass. Only what's done in Christ
will last. Run with focus and endurance so at the end of your race you
have no regrets... a life well lived for His Name and His glory.
Walk (4043)
from peri = around, about + pateo = tread, trample) (Click
word study on
means literally to walk around, to tread all around, to go here and
there in walking. The 39 uses in the Gospels always refer to
literal, physical walking. Seven of the 8 uses in Acts are also in the
literal sense (except Acts 21:21). (See
Spurgeon's comments on what it means to walk)
In the present context peripateo is used as
a figure of speech meaning to live, to conduct or to pass one's life.
In fact Paul uses
peripateo only in the metaphorical sense (32 times in his
Epistles) describing the ordering of one's behavior, passing one's
life (with a connotation of spending some time in a place), etc.
Pattern (5179)
from túpto = strike, smite
with repeated strokes) (Click
for in depth study of
tupos) literally refers to a visible mark or
impression made by a stroke or blow from an instrument or object. What
is left after the stroke or blow is called a print, a figure or an
impression. For example, the most famous reference to a literal mark
(tupos) is when Thomas doubted Jesus' resurrection from the dead
declaring "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint
(tupos) of the nails" (John 20:25). (See also
ISBE Article)
Stated another way tupos properly means a "model" or "pattern"
or "mold" into which clay or wax was pressed (or molds into which
molten metal for castings was poured), that it might take the figure
or exact shape of the mold. Our English word "type" is similar
and originally referred to an impression made by a die as that which
is struck.
What Paul is
doing here is exhorting the Philippians to observe his life
attentively and to become imitators of him, and to do the same also
with reference to those other Christians in whose lives they find an
example of Paul's own manner of life.
Is our life enough of an
example that we would want others to pattern themselves after us? What
must be altered to answer affirmatively?
paraphrase makes an application out of this verse...
Let me be your example here, my brothers: let my example be the
standard by which you can tell who are the genuine Christians among
those about you. (Phillips:
Philippians 3:18 For
, of
whom I
you, and
, that they are
enemies of the
cross of
peripatousin (3PPAI)
elegon (1SIAI)
(Isa 8:11; Da 4:37; Gal 2:14; Eph
4:17- note;
2Thes 3:11; 2Pe 2:10
- note;
Jude 1:13)
For (gar) or "because"
term of explanation) explains why Paul is commanding the saints at Philippi to continually
follow his example (which they had witnessed firsthand) and now that
he was gone to keep observing the example of other saints (presumably
those in their local body) who walked as Paul had walked when among
them. Just as iron sharpens irons, so one godly man
(or woman) sharpens another. This sharpening is needed as Paul goes on to explain,
because many don't
walk in a godly manner. As an aside remember that every time
you encounter a verse beginning with "for" or "because", make a mental
"pit stop" and ask yourself "What is it for?" or "What is the author
explaining?" which will usually "force" you to re-read the previous
passage(s) for the answer. As you develop this discipline or practice,
you will find it facilitates or leads to meditating on the passage,
"chewing the cud" in the passage (so to speak). (See
Primer on Biblical Meditation)
Many walk - Not a few but a
large number (polus). Have people's hearts changed that much since since Paul's day?
This phrase surely grieved Paul and should likewise grieve believers
Matthew Henry makes an
excellent practical point that we need to watch the walk and not the
talk of professors because...
Their walk is a surer evidence what
they are than their profession. By their fruits you shall know them,
(Mt 7:20-note.
) (Ed: Your life will speak louder than your lips. A life that
does not validate one's lips, yields a poor testimony)
Walk (4043)
from peri = around, about + pateo = tread,
trample) means to live or pass one's life
(most common NT use).
tense indicates that this is their lifestyle, a
continual choice to chose the earthly and temporal rather than the
heavenly and eternal. No word is supplied describing the
character of their walk but this is brought out by enemies of
the cross of Christ, and in the details of Php 3:19.
I often told you
imperfect tense
indicating repetition of Paul's warnings to them ("I told you again
and again" or "over and over" is the idea, a picture that reminds one
of how parents often have to deal with their children. cp Paul is a
good "spiritual parent").
Matthew Henry
unfortunately is probably correct when he says "We so little heed the
warnings given us that
we have need to have them repeated."
klaion (PAPMSN)
lego (1SPAI):
(1Cor 6:9; Gal 5:21 - note;
Eph 5:5, 6
- note; 1Thes 4:6
-note) (Php 1:4
- note;
Ps 119:136; Jer 9:1; 13:17; Lk 19:41; Acts
20:19,30,31; Ro 9:1
- note;
2Cor 2:4; 11:29)
In a parallel
passage in his letter to the saints at Corinth Paul wrote...
For out of much affliction and
anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should
be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have
especially for you. (2 Cor 2:4)
Often told
and now tell you...weeping - Observe the time phrases
(often...now) (See
expressions of time).
A good teacher will use repetition to make sure the teaching "takes
Matthew Henry
- Paul was upon proper occasions a
weeping preacher, as Jeremiah was a weeping prophet. Observe, An old
sermon may be preached with new affections; what we say often we may
say again, if we say it affectionately, and are ourselves under the
power of it.
NT and Lxx uses of klaio below) means to
mourn, to weep, to lament or to wail with emphasis upon noise
accompanying weeping. It expresses one's immediate and outward
reaction to suffering. The picture is of one lamenting with sobs
or wailing aloud and was used to describe the wailing that took place
when someone died. Weeping thus was a sign of the pain and grief for
the entity or person being wept over (See
all verses below and
note who wept and over what/who?)
Klaio implies not only the shedding of tears, but also external
expression of grief. It was a term frequently used to describe the
actions of professional mourners.
NIDNTT writes that in
classical Greek klaio is "found from Homer onwards (and )
means intransitively to cry aloud, weep; transitively to bewail. In
secular Greek. klaio does not express remorse or sorrow, but physical
or mental pain which is outwardly visible. (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
In the present context these
ungodly men with "belly god's" brought tears to Paul's eyes
and grief to his bosom because of the damage they brought to Christ's
fame, name and kingdom.
Warren Wiersbe has an
interesting note writing - How strange in a letter filled with
joy to find Paul weeping! Perhaps he is weeping over himself and his
difficult situation! No, he is a man with a single mind, and his
circumstances do not discourage him. Is he weeping because of what
some of the Roman Christians are doing to him? No, he has the
submissive mind and will not permit people to rob him of his joy.
These tears are not for himself at all; they are shed because of
others. Because Paul has the spiritual mind, he is heartbroken over
the way some professed Christians are living, people who "mind earthly
things." (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
(Php 1:15, 16-
1Cor 1:18; Gal 1:7; 2:21; 6:12)
Enemies (2190)
[word study]
from échthos =
hatred, enmity; noun = echthra = enmity, hostility) is an
adjective which pertains to manifesting hostility or being at enmity
with another, where enmity is a deep seated animosity or hatred which
may be open or concealed or a "deep-rooted hatred."
The picture is of those who are
antagonistic to the Cross; especially seeking to injure, overthrow, or
confound those who would cling to the old rugged cross. It is not
surprising that Scripture
uses echthros as a noun describing "the adversary", Satan!
Like father like son!
In the active sense echthros
means to be hateful, hostile toward, at enmity with or adversary of
someone. In the passive sense echthros pertains to being
subjected to hostility, to be hated or to be regarded as an enemy.
In the active sense echthros
means to be hateful, hostile toward, at enmity with or adversary of
someone. In the passive sense echthros pertains to being
subjected to hostility, to be hated or to be regarded as an enemy.
In his letter James used
echthros with somewhat of a similar meaning as Paul declaring...
You adulteresses, do you not know
that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore
whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy
of God. (James 4:4-note)
Paul explained
to the church at Corinth that...
Christ did not send me to baptize,
but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the
cross of Christ should not be made void. For the word of the
cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God. (1Cor 1:17-18)
And to the Galatians Paul
warned that...
Those who desire to make a good
showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply that
they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. (Gal 6:12)
Cross (4716)
(stauros) (Dictionary articles =
EBD) is literally a cross, an instrument of capital
punishment, an upright pointed stake often with a crossbeam above it
or intersected by a crossbeam.
How are these men enemies of the
Cross? For one thing these ungodly men would be a hindrance to the
spread of the gospel. In addition, the cross speaks of the
self-denial which a believer must be prepared
to take on to follow Christ. Jesus made it clear that...
"If anyone wishes to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his
life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it." (Mk 8:34, 35)
Self-denial was not something these
men sought to practice as is clear
from Phil 3:19. Their lifestyle was thus in direct opposition to the
Lord's clear call for self-denial.
In his letter to the Galatians Paul
emphasized the centrality of the Cross in the Christian life
But may it never be that I should
boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through
which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Paul was
separated from this world system with all its attractions and
separated to Christ). (Gal 6:14-note)
As Dwight Pentecost notes...
Paul finds his chief delight is the
cross of Christ. It is the center of his life. It is the pattern of
his life. It overshadows his life. It is the goal of his life. That is
the place the cross of Christ should have in the life of every child
of God, but it does not have its rightful place in the lives of the
false teachers who have come into this assembly. (Pentecost,
J. D. The Joy of Living: A study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
Pastor Steven Cole
makes some pithy applications from Paul's warnings...
Are you a citizen of heaven right
now? You can only become such through birth, the new birth. Just as
you could not do anything to bring about your physical birth, so you
can do nothing to effect your spiritual birth. It must come from the
Lord. Just as He is powerful to raise the dead and subject all things
to Himself when He comes again, so He is powerful now to raise the
dead spiritually and impart new life to all who call upon Him. He can
even now take your rebellious heart and bring it into submission to
Him through His mighty power. Scripture promises, "Whoever will call
upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Ro 10:13-note).
Cry out to Him for the new birth.
Our text is especially a warning to
those who profess to be Christians, but who really are living as
citizens of this earth, living for self and pleasure, with no view to
the coming of our Lord. I can think of nothing more tragic than to
profess to be a Christian, to be involved in serving Christ, and to
stand before Him one day and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform
many miracles?" only to hear the horrifying words, "I never knew you;
depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." (Mt 7:22, 24-note).
Make sure your citizenship is truly in heaven. Then live as a citizen
of heaven, not as a citizen of this earth.
1. Can a professing Christian who
is living in sin have assurance of salvation? Use Scripture to defend
your answer.
2. Is it wrong to present the gospel by emphasizing the temporal
benefits over and above the eternal?
3. How can a Christian who honestly is caught up with the things of
this life gain a deeper love for the Lord's return?
4. Many confuse grace with sloppy
living and obedience with legalism. Why is this wrong (see Titus
2:11, 12, 13, 14-note)? (Philippians
3:17-4:1 Right & Wrong Way to Live)
Contrasts - A popular rap singer
who died in 1995 at the age of 31 took pride in the profane language
and violent imagery of his productions. If you listened to his music,
you had the feeling that he was shaking his fist at God.
It's a tragic story. The singer's godless philosophy of life deprived
him of hope and led him into a lifestyle that caused his death at a
young age. But far worse than an early death is the fact that God's
judgment awaits all who reject Him (Phil. 3:19).
The apostle Paul, though he was a very religious man, was also on a
road to self-destruction until the Lord graciously sent him to his
knees (Acts 9). After he put his trust in Jesus and accepted the gift
of salvation, Paul had a far different view of life's purpose. Now he
saw Jesus as his only hope, and his highest goal was to become like
Christ (Phil 3:7-14). He could face death fearlessly because he
looked forward to the conclusion of it all--perfect conformity to
Christ in heaven (Php 3:20, 21).
What a contrast! Man's way produces harmful, evil conduct that ends in
destruction. God's way promises inner peace, victory over enslaving
sins, and eternity in heaven. The right choice is obvious! Have you
made it? — Herbert Vander Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The little choices we must make
Will chart the course of life we take;
We either choose the path of light
Or wander off in darkest night. --DJD
Man's ways lead to a hopeless end--
God's ways lead to endless hope.
Matthew 2:18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping (klauthmos) and
great mourning,
(odurmos - lamentation, wailing, mourning) Rachel weeping
(klaio) for her children; And she
refused to be comforted, Because they were no more."
Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had
said, "Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went
out and wept bitterly
Mark 5:38 And they came to the house of the synagogue official;
and He beheld a commotion, and people loudly weeping
Mark 5:39 And entering in, He said to them, "Why make a
(thorubeo = make an uproar,
agitate, disturb, cause an emotional disturbance, actively = throw
into disorder or passively = be completely upset) and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep."
Mark 14:72 And immediately a cock crowed a second time. And
Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a cock
crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep.
Mark 16:10 She went and reported to those who had been with
Him, while they were mourning
(pentheo -
experience sadness or grief as result of some condition/circumstance)
Luke 6:21 "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be
satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now (contrasted with those
who now are full and rich and self righteous, pharisaical), for you shall laugh.
Luke 6:25 "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be
hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall
(pentheo - experience sadness or grief as result of some
condition/circumstance) and weep.
Comment: Notice here and several other passages where klaio has a
future reference in the NT, it is connected with warnings of disaster
especially directed to those who now are godless and scornful and who
will be put to shame in the final judgment.
Luke 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for
her, and said to her, "Do not
weep (present
Luke 7:32 They are like children who sit in the market place
and call to one another; and they say, 'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
Luke 7:38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping,
she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with
the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with
the perfume.
Luke 8:52 Now they were all weeping
and lamenting
(kopto - beat their breasts) for
her; but He said, "Stop
weeping (present
imperative), for
she has not died, but is asleep."
Luke 19:41 And when He (Jesus) approached, He saw the city
(Jerusalem) and wept
over it,
Luke 22:62 And he went out and wept
Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of
Jerusalem, stop weeping
imperative) for
Me, but weep
imperative) for
yourselves and for your children.
John 11:31 The Jews then who were with her in the house, and
consoling her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out,
followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep
John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the
Jews who came with her, also weeping,
He was deeply moved in spirit,
and was troubled,
John 16:20 "Truly, truly, I say to you (His disciples), that
you will weep and lament,
(threneo - lament, bewail as the singers of dirges did, mourn in
ritual fashion, express oneself in sorrowful tones) but the world will rejoice; you will
be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy.
John 20:11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping;
and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
John 20:13 And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not
know where they have laid Him."
John 20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to
Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid
Him, and I will take Him away."
Acts 9:39 And Peter arose and went with them. And when he had
come, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood
beside him weeping, and showing all the tunics and garments
that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping
and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even
to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Romans 12:15 (note)
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
1 Corinthians 7:30 and those who weep, as though they
did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not
rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;
Philippians 3:18 (note)
For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even
weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
James 4:9 Be
miserable (aorist
imperative) and
imperative) and
imperative) let
your laughter be turned
imperative) into
mourning, and your joy to gloom.
James 5:1 Come now, you rich,
weep (aorist
howl (aorist
imperative) for
your miseries which are coming upon you.
Revelation 5:4 (note)
And I (John) began to weep
greatly, because no one was found
worthy to open the book, or to look into it;
Revelation 5:5 (note)
and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping (present
behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
Revelation 18:9 (note)
"And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and
lived sensuously with her (Babylon), will weep
and lament (kopto
- beat their breasts - What a picture!) over her when
they see the smoke of her burning,
Revelation 18:11 (note)
"And the merchants of the earth weep
and mourn
(pentheo - experience sadness or grief as result of some
condition/circumstance) over her,
because no one buys their cargoes any more;
Revelation 18:15 (note)
"The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand
at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping
mourning (pentheo -
experience sadness or grief as result of some condition/circumstance)
Revelation 18:19 (note)
"And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping
and mourning
(pentheo - experience sadness or grief as result of some
condition/circumstance) saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had
ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been
laid waste!'
Here are the 98 uses of klaio
in the non-apocryphal
Septuagint (LXX)
Ge 21:16;
27:38; 29:11; 33:4; 37:35; 42:24; 43:30; 45:14, 15; 46:29; 50:1, 17;
Ex 2:6; Lev. 10:6; Num. 11:4, 10, 13, 18, 20; 14:1; 20:29; 25:6;
Deut. 1:45; 21:13; 34:8; Jdg. 2:4; 9:7; 11:37, 38; 14:16, 17; 15:18; 16:28;
20:23, 26; 21:2; Ruth 1:9, 14; 1 Sa 1:7, 8, 10; 11:4, 5; 13:16; 20:41;
24:16; 30:4; 2 Sa 1:12, 24; 3:16, 32, 34; 12:21, 22; 13:36; 15:23, 30;
18:33; 19:1; 1 Ki. 18:45; 21:27; 2 Ki. 8:11, 12; 13:14; 20:3; 22:19; 2
Chr. 34:27; Ezr. 3:12; 10:1; Neh. 1:4; 8:9; Job 2:12; 30:25; 31:38;
Ps. 78:64; 95:6; 126:6; 137:1; Eccl. 3:4; Isa. 15:2, 5; 16:9; 22:4;
30:19; 33:7; 38:3; Jer. 9:1; 13:17; 22:10, 18; 34:5; 41:6; 48:5; 50:4;
Lam. 1:1, 1:2, 15; Ezek. 24:16, 23; Hos. 12:4; Joel 1:5, 18; 2:17; Mic.
2:6 (You
can use Instaverse [click here]
which will allow you to view them all quickly in context in either KJV
or ESV - other versions are available but are not free)
NIDNTT summarizes the
meaning and uses of klaio in the
Septuagint (LXX)
writing that...
In the
Septuagint (LXX)
klaio is used
mostly as the translation of bakâh, weep, cry aloud. It
expresses profound grief (1 Sam. 1:7; Lam. 1:16), and also deep sorrow
in mourning for the dead (Ge 50:1). But it may equally express supreme
joy, as at the meeting of Jacob and Joseph (Ge 46:29). The whole
personality is involved, as it is in the case of a crying child (Ge
21:16; Ex. 2:6). A Greek might bewail his personal fate or that of his
people, but in the OT the thought is rather that of expressing
dependence on God, by addressing one's cries or complaints to him in
prayer (e.g. Samson in Jdg 15:18; 16:28; cf. Isa. 30:19). A further OT
feature is the cultic lamentation of the whole people before Yahweh,
usually accompanied by a general fast (Jdg 20:23, 26), such occasions
providing the Sitz im Leben for such songs of national
lamentation as Ps 74, 79; 80. (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan) (Bolding
Philippians 3:19
end is
god is their
appetite, and
glory is in
shame, who
set their
(PAPMPN) on
They are doomed and their dfate is eternal misery (perdition); their
god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they
glory in their shame, residing with earthly things and being of their
party. (Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
Lightfoot: they are doomed to perdition; they make their appetites
their god; they glory in their shame; they are absorbed in earthly
These men are heading for utter destruction - their god is their own
appetite, their pride is in what they should be ashamed of, and this
world is the limit of their horizon. (Phillips:
Wuest: whose end is utter destruction, whose god is their stomach, and
that which they esteem to be their glory is their shame, who regard
the things upon the earth. (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: whose end is destruction, whose god
is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who the things on
earth are minding.
Destruction (684)
from apo = marker of separation, away from + olethros =
ruin, death but not annihilation <> from ollumi = to
destroy) means utter and hopeless loss of all that gives worth to
existence. Note that contrary to popular opinion
apoleia does not refer to extinction or annihilation or an end
of existence, but to total ruin so far as the purpose of existence is
Apoleia in one sense means
the destruction that one causes as the result of disregard for the
value of that which is destroyed or "wasted" (see Matthew 26:8, Mark
The more common sense of apoleia
is as a description of the destruction which one experiences,
when man instead of becoming what he might have become by redemption
through the blood of Christ (new creature/creation in Christ - 2 Cor
5:17), is ruined ("spiritually bankrupt", in a state of "eternal
disrepair") suffering loss of value or usefulness (ultimately
usefulness to God - this is sad beyond words and even as I write this
note tears well up in my eyes for the plight of these men and women,
created in the image of God.) Think of the picture of a once beautiful
edifice which has suffered the ravages of time and circumstances and
all that one sees is the useless, collapsed, disintegrated remains.
In short, apoleia speaks of
the loss of everything that makes human existence worthwhile. The idea
not loss of being, but loss of well-being.
And so in this sense apoleia
describes utter ruin, complete loss and is used especially of the
eternal "destruction" (the second death -
see chart below)
visited on the ungodly. It is the wasteful end of earthly existence
with no chance for a fulfilling future existence. Note however that there is a sense that the
ungodly have "wasted" their one life on earth. What a tragic picture
irregardless of how much wealth, pleasure or power they might have
experienced while they were alive.
There are 13 uses of apoleia
in the NT...
Matthew 7:13 (note)
imperative -
urgent need - do this now and do it effectively! Don't put off your
decision to believe in Christ one more second!) by the narrow gate
(the way, the truth, the life - [Jn 14:6] Christ Jesus, the only Door
[Jn 10:9] through which one can enter into the Kingdom of God); (Why
is one's entrance through this narrow, exacting, strait gate, which
has such strict requirements related to entrance?) for (Here is Jesus'
answer) the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to
destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
Matthew 26:8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw
this, and said, "Why this waste? (What did they think was a
waste? A woman pouring very costly perfume upon Jesus' head,
anointing the King of kings!)?
Mark 14:4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another,
"Why has this perfume been wasted?
John 17:12 "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy
name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them
perished (apollumi = verb related to apoleia) but the son of
perdition (Judas Iscariot) that the Scripture might be
Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him (Simon who "believed" - an
intellectual, head belief, not a genuine, heart belief productive of
true salvation as shown by Peter's declaration!), "May your silver
perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of
God with money!
Romans 9:22 (note)
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His
power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for
Philippians 1:28 (note)
in no way alarmed by your opponents-- which is a sign of destruction
for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
Philippians 3:19 (note)
whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory
is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it
will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of
lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (referring to
the Antichrist)
1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into
temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which
plunge men into ruin (olethros) and destruction (apoleia).
Hebrews 10:39 (note)
But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those
who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
Comment: Kenneth Wuest
writes that in this verse apoleia means ""utter destruction,"
and in this context means "the destruction which consists in the loss
of eternal life; eternal misery, perdition," which is the lot of those
who would renounce their professed faith in Messiah as High Priest and
return to a dependence upon the abrogated sacrifices for salvation.
The Word of God is very clear in its statements to the effect that a
person once saved can never be lost. Therefore, this person who draws
back to perdition must be an unsaved person.
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)
2 Peter 2:1 (note) But
false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift
destruction upon themselves.
2 Peter 2:3 (note)
and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their
judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not
2 Peter 3:7 (note)
But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for
fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly
2 Peter 3:16 (note)
as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which
are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable
distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own
Revelation 17:8 (note)
"The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of
the abyss and to go to destruction. (apoleia - eternal
destruction, the Lake of fire - see notes
Revelation 19:20) And those
who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in
the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the
beast, that he was and is not and will come.
Revelation 17:11 (note)
"And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an
eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
The following
chart is taken from Tony Garland's excellent treatise on the
Revelation (See
Births, Deaths, and Resurrections).
He writes that...
Scripture knows of two births, two
deaths, and two resurrections. Everyone is physically born once. Those
who do not undergo the second birth, the spiritual birth, also undergo
the second death which is the permanent separation from God with
eternal torment.
Participation in Births,
Deaths, and Resurrections
When a person is born again
(John 3:3-7; 1Pe. 1:23; 1Jn. 2:29; 3:9; 5:1, 18), he will only undergo
the first death, but the second death has no power over him:
"though he may die [the first death], he shall live
[be resurrected never to face the second death]" (John 11:25b).
Explanatory Notes
for the foregoing chart...
1 Luke
15:24, 32; John 3:3, 7; Gal. 6:15; 1Pe. 1:3, 23; 1Jn. 2:29; 3:9; 5:1,
2 "The order of events in the resurrection
program would be:
(1) the resurrection of Christ as the beginning of
the resurrection program (1Cor. 15:23);
(2) the resurrection of the
church age saints at the rapture (1Th. 4:16);
(3) the resurrection of
the tribulation period saints (Rev. 20:3-5), together with
(4) the
resurrection of Old Testament saints (Dan. 12:2; Isa. 26:19) at the
second advent of Christ to the earth; and finally
(5) the final
resurrection of the unsaved dead [the second resurrection] (Rev.
20:5, 11-14) at the end of the millennial age.
The first four stages
would all be included in the first resurrection."—J. Dwight Pentecost,
Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), 411. (See also
The Two Resurrections -
First and Second)
3 "As there is a life beyond this present life
for the faithful, so a death beyond the death which falls under our
eye for the wicked."—Richard Chenevix Trench, Commentary on the
Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock
Publishers, 1861), 111.
4 The King James Version translates both Hades
and Gehenna—the Lake of Fire—as hell. They are actually two
different places. The final destiny of the unsaved is the latter, an
existence of eternal punishment: " 'Vita damnatorum mors est,'
[death is a life of punishment] is the fearful gloss of
Augustine."—Trench, Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches
in Asia, 111.
Dwight Pentecost emphasizes
Destruction in Scripture
does not refer to annihilation. The godless man who passes out of this
life does not slip into eternal unconsciousness. Scripture knows
nothing of a doctrine of annihilation, where after death a godless man
simply ceases to exist. When God created man, God gave to man a living
soul, and the life given to the creature was permanent life. That life
does not terminate at physical death. It continues. Destruction,
then, does not have to do with annihilation, forgetfulness, a state of
nonexistence. Destruction has to do with separation from God.
This word conveys the idea of a continued existence in a state of
separation from the Creator. Those who deny the centrality of the
cross of Christ and who do not submit to the Christ of the cross are
without a bridge between the sinner and God. They are separated from
God, under condemnation, under divine judgment. They are destined to a
state of perpetual and eternal separation from God. The apostle says
that these false teachers who have come into this assembly are
propagating a devilish doctrine that comes out of the pit; those who
give themselves to this doctrine reveal that they are fitted for
separation from God in the pit. (Pentecost,
J. D. The Joy of Living: A Study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
(Bolding added)
on o theos e koilia: (Php 2:21
- note;
1Sa 2:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,29;
Isa 56:10, 11, 12; Ezek 13:19; 34:3; Mic 3:5,11; Mal 1:12; Lk 12:19;
Ro 16:18
- note;
1Ti 6:5; 2Ti 3:4
- note;
Titus 1:11,12
- notes;
2Pe 2:13
- note;
Jude 1:12)
(2836) (koilia
from koílos = hollow) means the belly of man, the bowels, as the
receptacle of food, and so a reference to the stomach. Figuratively it
speaks of appetite. Their "god" is their stomach or belly!
In other words, their God does not reside in the heavens but in their
body. They live only for the temporal pleasures of and their lives are
enslaved to the gratification of the lusts of their flesh.
Koilia -22x in 21v - Matt
12:40; 15:17; 19:12; Mark 7:19; Luke 1:15, 41f, 44; 2:21; 11:27;
23:29; John 3:4; 7:38; Acts 3:2; 14:8; Rom 16:18; 1 Cor 6:13; Gal
1:15; Phil 3:19; Rev 10:9f. NAS = appetite(1), appetites(1),
belly(1), innermost being(1), stomach(7), womb(11), wombs(1).
Robertson rightly says
that "Sensuality in food, drink, sex then
as now mastered some men. These men posed as Christians and gloried in
their shame."
The highest good in life to
these men is to satisfy self, to do what pleases self, in direct
rebellion to the Word of God, the holiness of God and even the inner
conviction of their own consciences. They are is guided only by that
which satisfies and pleases self.
Steven Cole writes that "they live for selfish and sensual
pleasures, rather than denying self in order to live for Christ. The
Bible does not promote asceticism, the self-imposed denial of all
pleasure as a means of purifying oneself and getting right with God.
Rather, it teaches that God has richly supplied us with all things to
enjoy (1Ti 6:17). But if we remove God from the center as the chief
object of our joy and replace it with some earthly pleasure, we are
guilty of idolatry. (Philippians
As Paul explains, a man's god is
that to which he gives himself and which thereby becomes the
determining factor in his life. What we tend to think about
predominantly and what we get excited about when talking tells us what
or who is our "god". When a man gives himself to satisfy his own
appetites apart from any restraint, he has made a god out of those
appetites. In short, these men Paul is describing are primarily
concerned about eating, drinking, sex, and fulfilling bodily
appetites, rather than knowing Christ and making Him known.
In Romans Paul refuted Paul the
philosophy which says that highest good in a man's life is to satisfy
himself explaining that "the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Ro 14:17-note)
Although some commentators feel
these wicked men are "Judaizers", Kenneth Wuest sums
up this section writing that "The individuals spoken of in these
verses are not Judaizers but professed Christian Greeks of Epicurean
tendencies (See
article on Epicureans).
The Epicureans represented a Greek school of philosophy which taught
that the satisfaction of the physical appetites was the highest aim of
man. They had allowed their Christian liberty to degenerate into
license (Gal. 5:13 = "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only
do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but
through love serve one another."). They did not understand God's grace
and thus thought lightly of continuing in sin (Ro 6:1-note,
Ro 6:15-note).
They were engrossed only in self-indulgence (Ro 16:18-note).
A swing away from legalism would land such a person into anti-nomianism,
namely, lawlessness. Paul, acquainted with the Greek classics, writing
to Greeks who knew their own literature speaks of these as having
their belly as their God. He probably was thinking of the Cyclops in
Euripides who says, "My flocks which I sacrifice to no one but myself,
and not to the gods, and to this my belly, the greatest of the gods:
for to eat and drink each day, and to give one's self no trouble, this
is the god of wise men."
Commentary - Verse by Verse Comments)
A T Robertson - The comic poet Eupolis uses the
rare word Koiliodaimōn for one who makes a god of his
belly and Seneca speaks of one who abdomini servit. Sensuality in
food, drink, sex then as now mastered some men. These men posed as
Christians and gloried in their shame.
GLORY IS IN THEIR SHAME: kai e doxa en te aischune auton:
(Ps 52:1; Hos 4:7; Hab 2:15,16; Lk 18:4; 1Cor 5:2,6; 2Cor 11:12; Gal
6:13; Jas 4:16; 2Pe 2:18,19- note;
Jude 1:13,16; Rev 18:7
- note)
The Phillips paraphrase picks up the
their pride is in what they should
be ashamed of
These men actually find great
glory in what should cause them great shame!
Pastor Steven Cole - They boasted in their supposed
"freedom," when in reality they were slaves to their lusts. Many
well-known Christians today glory in things they should be ashamed of,
writing books and appearing on TV talk shows to tell titillating
stories about their sinful "addictions." (Philippians
John Newton the once
notorious slave trader wrote a poem that alluded to glorying in
In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopp'd my wild career:
I saw One hanging on a Tree
In agonies and blood,
Who fix'd His languid eyes on me.
As near His Cross I stood.
To a great degree glorying in
shame is an apt description of post-Christian America, James
Dobson writing that...
In 1960,
out-of-wedlock pregnancy was a matter of shame. When it
happened, couples often did a quaint thing—they got married, so that
the child would have a name and the influence of a father. Girls who
"slept around" were often ostracized by their fellow students. A
pregnant teenage was sent away to have the child rather than risk the
censure of the community.
In 1990, one out of five babies born in America was conceived out of
wedlock. In Washington, D.C., illegitimacy was an alarming 55 percent!
In many schools, the virtuous girl was considered odd, and was
subjected to the same scorn and ridicule once reserved for the
"easy" date 30 years earlier. Surveys revealed that many of our sons
and daughters were embarrassed to admit their virginity.
We see a picture that parallels
glorying in shame in Ephesians where Paul described the pagan
culture writing...
and they
(Gentiles), having become callous (past feeling, insensitive to
pain and in context figuratively meaning insensitive to shame), have
given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of
impurity with greediness. (see note
Ephesians 4:19)
The Greek word for callous is apalgeo which gives us our
English word "analgesic" meaning that which takes away pain, which can
sometimes be a protective mechanism causing the body to retract from
danger, such as a scalding stove. These men in Philippians had become
numb to the value of shame. The following illustration shows the
"power of shame"...
Steve Brown
relates the story of a soldier in World War I who was so distraught
with the war that he deserted. He tried to find his way to the coast
so he could catch a boat and make his way back incognito to his
homeland in England.
In the darkness of the night he stumbled on a road sign. It was so
pitch black and he was so lost. He had no idea where he was or what
the sign said. He decided to climb the pole. When he got to the
crossbeam, he held on to read the sign. Taking out a match, he lit it,
and looked directly in the face of Jesus Christ. He had climbed an
outdoor crucifix!
Stunned by what he saw, he realized the shame of his life. He was
looking into the face of the One who had endured it all and had never
turned back (and Who Hebrews says endured "despising the shame"
because He was sinless unlike fallen men - He 12:2-note).
The next morning the soldier was back in the trenches. (Swindoll, C.
R. The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 other stories)
None Other Lamb
None other
Lamb, none other Name,
None other Hope in heaven or earth or sea,
None other Hiding-place from guilt and shame,
None beside Thee.
My faith burns low, my hope burns low
Only my heart's desire cries out in me
By the deep thunder of its want and woe
Cries out to Thee.
Lord, Thou art Life tho' I be dead,
Love's Fire Thou art, however cold I be:
Nor heaven have I, nor place to lay my head,
No home, but Thee.
-- Christina Rossetti
Shame (152)
(aischune from aíschos = shame) means
disgrace (loss of reputation as the result of a dishonorable action)
or ignominy (a deep personal humiliation). Aischune describes
shame resulting from exposure of one's weaknesses or sins. It
is not a feeling one has but an experience which comes to someone.
Since shame describes a
sensitivity respecting possibility of dishonor, it is clear these men
have advanced to a deep state of depravity.
In the Bible shame most
frequently, it denotes the guilt a person feels or should feel for
having sinned against God.
NIDNTT notes that in
classic Greek (aischuno is the related verb form) - The root aisch- refers
originally to that which is ugly and disgraceful. Aischuno
(Homer onwards) thus meant originally to disfigure, make ugly. It is
found in Greek literature almost exclusively in the mid. or pass. with
the meaning to feel shame, be ashamed, or to be confounded, be
disconcerted. epaischunomai (Aesch. onwards) is a strengthened
form of the mid., and kataischuno (Homer onwards) of the act. and
pass. meanings of aischuno. The noun aischune (Aesch.) is
derived from aischunesthai, and originally carried the meaning of to
aischunesthai, the fact of being ashamed, or of being confounded.
aischune has the subjective sense of modesty, understood as fear of
what is aischron, ugly (Aristoxenos, Fragment 42a); and the objective
sense of shame, that which results from an aischron, shameful deed (Diod.
Sic. 2, 23, 2). In contrast to aidos with its religious
reference to the gods, aischune is primarily a sociological
concept: shame exposes one to the ridicule of society, which one tries
to escape by being ashamed.
TDNT - The main point of aischune
is not "feeling of shame" but "disgrace," i.e., the shame brought by
divine judgment, though sometimes with a stress on "being ashamed." Accordingly, the substantive
aischune is very seldom used for the "feeling of shame." It
mostly denotes "disgrace," though sometimes with an emphasis on the
fact that this also means being ashamed. Its primary reference is to
the shame brought by the divine judgment.
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the
New Testament. Eerdmans)
Shame is a painful
emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety
or an awareness of having done something dishonorable, unworthy,
degrading, etc. Shame is a feeling of humiliation or distress
caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour.
What Paul is saying in essence
is that the consciences of these men are so dull and insensitive that
they actually find delight in their sins. When a sinner's wretched
conduct before God is the basis for his self exultation, he has fallen
to the most extreme level of wickedness! These men delighted in their
liberty and permitted no restraint to hinder their evil appetites.
MacArthur puts it this
way - This is the most extreme form of
wickedness—when the sinner's most wretched conduct before God is his
highest point of self-exaltation.
J. Philippians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Spurgeon says
Remember the shame of sin when
tempted by the sweet of sin.
Sin and shame came in both
together. - Christopher Nesse
Sin has the devil for its father,
shame for its companion and death for its wages. - Thomas
In terms of sheer numbers, using
the King James Version, the words shame, ashamed, and
their derivatives far outdo guilt and guilty. The former
are mentioned 224 times in the Bible, and the latter 23 times.
Goods are not good unless we do
good with them
"To have,
and not to use the same,
Is not our glory, but our shame." (Spurgeon)
Spurgeon notes that...
It's a
silly pig that's proud of its ring. That ring in the nose, which
proves him to be a doer of mischief, the foolish pig is supposed to
prize as an ornament. There are men who glory in their shame.
Thomas Boston rightly
said that...
The natural
man's heart is where his feet should be, fixed upon earth; his heels
are lifted up against heaven, which his heart should be set on.
His face is
towards hell; his back towards heaven.
He loves
what he should hate, and hates what he should love; joys in what he
ought to mourn for, and mourns for what he ought to rejoice in;
glories in his shame, and is ashamed of his glory; abhors what he
should desire, and desires what he should abhor.
Here are the 6 NT uses of
14:9 and he who invited you both shall come and say to you, 'Give
place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy
the last place.
2 Corinthians 4:2 but we have renounced the things hidden
because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the
word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to
every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Philippians 3:19 (note)
whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory
is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
Hebrews 12:2 (note)
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for
the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jude 1:13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame
like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been
reserved forever.
Revelation 3:18 (note)
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become
rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the
shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to
anoint your eyes, that you may see.
There are 52 uses of aischune
in the non-apocryphal
Septuagint (LXX)
- (1 Sa 20:30; 2 Sa
23:7; 1 Ki. 18:19, 25; 2 Ki. 8:11; 2 Chr. 32:21; Ezr. 9:7; Job 6:20;
8:22; Ps. 35:26; 40:15; 44:15; 69:19; 71:13; 89:45; 109:29; 132:18;
Prov. 9:13; 19:13; 26:11; Isa. 3:9; 19:9; 20:4; 30:3, 5f; 42:17;
45:16; 47:3, 10; 50:6; 54:4; Jer. 2:26; 3:24f; 20:18; 31:19; Ezek.
7:18; 16:36f; 22:10; 23:10, 18, 29; Dan. 9:7f; 12:2; Hos. 9:10; Obad
1:10; Mic. 7:10; Nah. 3:5; Hab. 2:10)
40:15 Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me,
"Aha, aha!" (Comment: This is the reaction that shame should
bring, but not so in the hearts of these men given over to their belly
NIDNTT comments that in
Genesis 2:25 "shame
in the body is the most primitive expression of the feeling of
guilt... This disturbance results from an act of disobedience against
Yahweh, and man reacts to the objective loss of innocence, and the
innermost disturbance of his relationship with God, by the feeling of
shame. (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
THEIR MINDS ON EARTHLY THINGS: hoi ta epigeia phronountes (PAPMPN):
(Ps 4:6,7; 17:14; Mt 16:23; Ro 8:5, 6, 7-note;
1Co 3:3;
2 Pet 2:3-note)
Men whose whole minds are
earthbound! (Barclay)
this world is the limit of their
horizon. (Phillips)
Steven Cole writes
One form this takes in our day is
our emphasis on how Christ can make you happy in the here and now. He
can give you peace, joy, and a happy marriage. He can solve all your
problems. So people come to Jesus and find out that they have trials
and persecutions, as the Bible clearly promises, so they bail out.
Obviously, we all have earthly things that consume our time and
energy: jobs, bills to pay, houses to maintain, family problems,
health problems, etc. But the point is, the true Christian does not
put earthly comfort and happiness at the center of his life. We should
put Christ and our hope of being with Him in heaven at the center, and
that enables us to deal properly with the earthly problems we all
encounter. Setting our minds on Christ and the things above is the key
to dealing with sin and relational problems (Col 3:1-17).
So, Paul's point is that as
citizens of heaven, Christians are not to live as citizens of this
earth, who are enemies of the cross of Christ, who are headed for
eternal destruction, who live for the things of this earth. Remember,
these people were in the church, making a profession of knowing
Christ, but they were not truly converted to Christ.
Two practical applications before
we move on:
(1) Don't be turned from the truth
of the gospel because of the presence of hypocrites in the church.
Just because there are counterfeit dollar bills doesn't mean that you
give up earning and spending money. There are counterfeits because the
real thing is worth imitating. Satan has always made sure that there
are counterfeit Christians who talk as if they're true believers, but
whose lives belie that fact. But the existence of hypocrites does not
deny the reality of the truth. Even true Christians will disappoint
you, because as we saw last week, they're all in process, which means,
they still sin. But Christianity centers on the person of Jesus
Christ, not on Christians.
(2) Deeds are a more certain
evidence of what people truly are than their words. Jesus said that we
can spot false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing, by their fruit or
deeds (Matt. 7:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-see
notes). Paul warned of
those who "profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him,
being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed"
(Titus 1:16-note). Again, this does not mean that believers are sinless.
But, if a true believer sins, he will make it right by confessing that
sin, asking forgiveness, and seeking to rectify the problem. Look at
the walk, not the words.
3:17-4:1 Right & Wrong Way to Live)
Set their mind (5426)
[word study]
from phren = mind) means to
set one's mind or heart upon something -- it denotes the whole action
of the affections and will as well as the reason. Phroneo refers to
the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of the mind, rather
than to the mind or intellect itself. The
activity represented by this word involves the will, affections, and
conscience. mentally disposed more or less earnestly in a certain
tense indicates as their lifestyle
continually make the choice to chose the earthly and temporal rather than the
heavenly and eternal (see the diametrically opposite attitude called
for in the godly - see notes
Colossians 3:1;
3:2). When you see those with this mindset, you need
to be very wary of associating with them!
And so Paul summarizes the root
problem of the "Cross haters", explaining that their minds are fully
set on the things of this earth and their entire lives are oriented
towards the things of earth to fulfill their needs (self focused
rather than Savior focused!) Among their least favorite verses are
those like Jesus' charge in Mark (et al)...
And He summoned the multitude with
His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me,
let him deny
imperative -
urgent need - do this now and do it effectively!) himself ("let him
disown himself" - Young's Literal), and
take up
imperative -
urgent need - do this now and do it effectively!) his cross, and
imperative = this
is the lifestyle of a "Jesus follower") Me. (Mark 8:34)
Paul has a parallel description
in Romans 8 regarding individuals who habitually walk according to
the flesh (see note
Romans 8:4) explaining that...
those who are according to the
flesh set their minds (same verb phroneo in the
present tense
= continually) on the things of the flesh, but those who are according
to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh
is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because
the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not
subject (present
tense =
continually refuses "line up under") itself to the law of God,
for it is not even able (does not have the inherent power or ability)
to do so (see note
Romans 8:5,
Dwight Pentecost explains
that "By this the apostle means they have
accepted the standards of a godless world and make those standards
their standards. As long as society approves, they conclude that a
holy God will approve. Instead of setting their course according to
the revelation of the holiness of God given in His Word, they do as
the Romans do. Paul often refers to unsaved men as dogs. He does so to
show that those outside of Jesus Christ have the ethics and morals of
animals. They basically live as animals. When a man accepts the moral
standards of an animal, he can never conform to the holiness and
righteousness of God. This tendency is pervading the Philippian
church. With no difficulty at all, they conform to the standards of
the world around them, and they are at ease because the world
approves. (Pentecost,
J. D. The Joy of Living: A study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
Pressing On When the
Pressure's On
Philippians 3:12-4:1
Brian Bill
John Ortberg recounts a true
story from a Tacoma, Washington newspaper about a basset hound named Tattoo.
Tattoo didn't intend to go for an evening run, but when his owner shut the
dog's leash in the car door and took off for a drive, he had no choice.
Noticing what was going on, a police officer finally pulled the driver over.
The officer commented: "The basset hound was picking up his feet and putting
them down as fast as he could." Amazingly, this short-legged canine reached
a speed of 25 miles per hour, rolling over several times in the process.
Ortberg notes, "Too many of us end up living like Tattoo, our days marked by
picking them up and putting them down as fast as we can" (LeadershipJournal.net,
Do you feel like you've been "tattooed"? That poor dog probably had a number
of things going through his head:
• Someone or something is holding my leash and I can't break free.
• Life feels out of control.
• I'm just one small dog.
• The car is too big and too strong to stop on my own.
• I need to run or I'll be run over.
• I feel like I don't have a choice.
• Surviving, not thriving is my only goal right now.
Last week we were reminded that we are declared righteous not because of
religious activities, but as a result of a relationship with the Redeemer.
Paul made it very clear that the seven items on his spiritual resume, though
pretty impressive, were really rubbish compared with knowing Christ:
1. Ritual
2. Relationship
3. Respectability
4. Race
5. Religion
6. Reputation
7. Righteousness
As we look at the second half of Philippians 3, we will see that Paul
balances these seven items with seven essentials for running and winning the
Christian race. Several times in Scripture the Christian life is referred to
as a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 12:1). These basic
principles will help us get into spiritual shape so we can run the race set
before us. I've adapted Warren Wiersbe's outline for this passage, and have
added a few points to it.
1. Dissatisfaction (Phil
3:12a). The first
essential to a solid spiritual life may surprise you. In order to run the
race and keep moving forward, we must be dissatisfied with where we are
right now. Paul had some incredible experiences – he met Jesus on the road
to Damascus, he was caught up into the third heaven and heard "inexpressible
things" (2 Corinthians 12:4), he wrote a number of letters, preached
incredible sermons, and yet, after walking with Christ for about 25 years,
he was not satisfied with the status of his spiritual life. Look at the
first part of Phil 3:12:
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made
Paul had just stated in Phil 3:10-11
that he wanted to know Christ experientially, practice the power of His
resurrection, share in His sufferings, and eventually be raised to new life
after he dies. That's his resolve, though in reality he has a long way to
go. He has not "obtained," which means that he has not fully appropriated or
applied God's promises to his person. And he certainly knows that he is far
from "perfect" as he states in 1 Timothy 1:15: "Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst."
Many years ago a promising Greek artist named Timanthes worked under the
instruction of a well-known tutor. After working for several years, the
young painter created an exquisite portrait. He was so thrilled with what he
had painted that he sat day after day gazing at his work. One morning,
however, he was horrified to discover that his teacher had deliberately
defaced his painting. Angry and in tears, Timanthes asked why his mentor had
destroyed his treasured possession. The wise man replied, "I did it for your
own good because that painting was retarding your progress. It was an
excellent piece of work but it wasn't perfect. Start again and see if you
can do better." The student took his advice and produced a masterpiece
regarded by some as one of the finest paintings of antiquity.
Friend, if you want to really grow, the first step is to admit how far you
still have to go. I've been a Christian for 25 years and I wish I was a lot
further along than I am. We could say it this way: If you think you've
arrived, think again because the room for improvement is the largest room in
the world. Will you admit what God and everyone around you already knows?
You're not perfect. Don't be self-satisfied like the believers in the church
at Laodicea in Revelation 3:17: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth
and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Some of us have stopped growing because
frankly we think we've arrived, or at least that we're doing better than
others. The truth of the matter is that we are pitiful, not perfect. Use
this sense of dissatisfaction to spur you on to the next step. By the way,
some believers struggle with prayer for the simple fact that they are too
satisfied with their spiritual life. Dissatisfaction can lead to more
2. Devotion (Phil 3:12b).
The tendency for some of us is to just give up when we realize how far we
have tripped up. Paul didn't do that. His dissatisfaction led him to become
more devoted: "But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus
took hold of me." To "press on" means to "pursue as a hunter." It's actually
the same word that is used in verse 6 when Paul says that he zealously
"persecuted" the church. Used also of a sprinter in the Greek games, it has
the idea of moving quickly and energetically toward an objective, straining
every spiritual muscle in order to win the prize.
My sister called me on Thursday night and asked me a couple questions. Her
first question was this: "Can a person be too spiritual?" My answer was
this: "No, because we can all become more devoted than we are." Hosea 6:3
captures this: "Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge
him." Paul not only chased after Christ, he also wanted to catch Him, if you
will. He wanted to "take hold," which means to "take eagerly" or possess.
Jesus had taken hold of him, slamming him to the ground in Acts 9, and now
he wanted to make sure that he was holding on to Christ. One of Charles
Spurgeon's mottos was this: "I hold and am held." The Lord had seized Paul
and now Paul was determined to serve His Savior for the rest of his life.
Are you giving maximum effort in your spiritual life, or are you a Christian
on cruise control? Turn your dissatisfaction into devotion.
3. Direction (Phil 3:13). In the spiritual life, direction makes all
the difference. In verse 13, Paul again states that he still falls short in
fully appropriating all that is his. He has not fully "taken hold" but he is
determined to go in the right direction: "But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." Paul had a single-minded
focus like David who prayed in Psalm 86:11: "Give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name."
Friend, what "one thing" do you do? Too many of us are too involved in too
many things. This phrase, "one thing" is used several times in Scripture to
help us see that we must be focused in our faith:
Psalm 27:4 – "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may
dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the
beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."
Mark 10:21 – "Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he
said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"
Luke 10:42 – "But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better,
and it will not be taken away from her."
John 9:25 – "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
John MacArthur reports what his grandfather said to him on many
occasions: "Just do one thing right in your life and you'll be way ahead of
most people." Paul knew that if he was going to move forward he had to be
unleashed from his past. There are at least two areas that I think Paul had
in mind when it comes to forgetting what is "behind."
• The garbage of good stuff. We spent plenty of time on this last week, but
Paul is saying that he is going to forget even the good things on his
religious resume because none of this will get him any closer to God anyway.
• The garbage of guilty stuff. Paul had plenty of reasons to feel guilty.
After all, he had slaughtered saints and persecuted Christians. Some of you
are so tied to the troubles of your past that you're not moving anywhere in
the present.
To "forget" in the Bible means "to no longer be influenced by or
affected by." It's when we don't allow the past to control our present.
While we can't wipe stuff out of our memory banks, we can break the power of
the past by allowing the Lord to unleash us from its influence. Let me
demonstrate with these two bags of garbage that are tied to my neck. The
white one represents good garbage and the black bag is the guilty garbage.
Both of these bags are filled with garbage that needs to be forgotten. We
need to allow the Lord to unleash us from the past (throw the two bags in
the garbage can).
Let's be careful about looking back, remembering what happened to Lot's wife
in Genesis 19:26: "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of
salt." As a sprinter straining toward the finish line, don't look behind
you. The picture here is of an athlete stretching out his neck, mobilizing
every muscle, giving all that he has to win the race. You can't run forward
by looking backward. One pastor used a creative title for his sermon on this
passage that says it all, "Yesterday ended last night." If you want to move
forward, you have to let go of what's behind because your past can be a
Look not back on yesterday
So full of failure and regret;
Look ahead and seek God's way –
All sins confessed you must forget.
In a Daily Bread devotional called "Seeing or Remembering," there's a story
about a man who was slowly losing his memory. The doctor told him that
surgery might reverse this condition and restore his memory but a nerve
might be severed in the process, causing total blindness. The surgeon asked
the patient: "What would you rather have, your sight or your memory?" The
man pondered the question for a few minutes and then replied, "My sight,
because I would rather see where I'm going than remember where I've been."
Do you see where you're going or are you tripped up by the trash of your
4. Determination (3:14). Paul not only turns his
dissatisfaction into devotion and is headed in the right direction; he also
demonstrates determination in verse 14: "I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." To "press
on" has the idea of intensely pursuing the prize, of bearing down in order
to win. There are two extremes that we need to avoid when it comes to
determination. This is best demonstrated by thinking of boats and water.
• A raft just sits in the water and doesn't do anything. Some believers are
saved but they're just sitting, waiting for God to do something. Are you
• A rowboat depends totally on the strength of the person doing the rowing.
Some believers think that everything's up to them.
• A sailboat is the right picture, for God moves us as His Spirit fills our
sails, and yet we have a responsibility to steer and stay in balance. A good
sailor must be determined in order to cruise across the water.
David Livingstone, a pioneer
missionary to Africa, returned to Great Britain and was asked, "What do you
want to do now?" I love his response: "I am ready to go anywhere provided it
be forward." We must put the past out of our minds and never forget the
future. We are called heavenward. Focusing on the future will have a
purifying affect on the present as taught in 1 John 3:2-3: "But we know that
when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." As
we look up and look ahead, we'll be less prone to be paralyzed by our past.
We must live in light of eternity, expecting either the Rapture or our
departure at death to the shores of heaven.
Apparently there's a tombstone at the foot of one of those majestic
mountains in the Alps to honor the memory of a man who fell to his death
while attempting to climb to the top. Underneath the individual's name the
epitaph reads, "He died climbing." That's what should be said of each of us.
We're to pursue the prize with dogged determination, so that when we die,
we're already on the way up.
5. Discipline (Phil 3:15-16). In order to keep moving forward, we
must exhibit discipline. Look at Phil 3:15-16: "All of us who are mature
should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think
differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to
what we have already attained." Paul is really telling us to take a "chill
pill" when it comes to trying to control other people. We must remember that
our response is our responsibility. He challenges us to view our Christian
lives the way he has laid them out but if we think differently, God will
make it clear. Leave it in his hands. Some of us need to heed these words
because we've taken on too much responsibility for the response of others.
Pastor Dale Burke, who has the dubious distinction of following Chuck
Swindoll as pastor of the Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California,
spoke at the recent Pastor's Conference I attended. He made the point that
while God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, we are "omni-nothing."
We control very little but often think we can control a lot. We must take
our focus off of what others are thinking and doing and "live up to what we
have already attained." This means that we are to keep on living by staying
in the race, running in our lane as we move forward.
6. Discipleship (Phil 3:17-19). In order to stay in the race, we must
deepen our discipleship. We do that in two ways. First, Phil 3:19 says that
we are to follow the good examples of others: "Join with others in following
my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the
pattern we gave you." That doesn't mean Paul is perfect but it does mean
that he is on the right path. In 1 Corinthians 11:1-note,
Paul declares, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." The
word "pattern" is from a mold into which clay or wax was pressed. It's
healthy for us to have people to look up to, people who can mentor us as
they model Christ. To "take note" means to "fix your gaze on, to observe, or
pay attention to."
As Pastor Jeff noted a couple weeks ago, Timothy and Epaphroditus are good
examples to follow. I love watching how God is using Apples of Gold, the
mentoring ministry for women and now the men are moving forward in this
regard as well. I was struck at our last Elder meeting when Ken Fulkerson
asked how many of the Elders were mentoring someone, and almost every hand
went up. One of Pastor Dick's main responsibilities will be in the area of
discipleship, as we trust God to take our small group ministry to the next
I've mentioned this before but it's so helpful that I want to share it
again. When it comes to spending our time wisely and growing in our walk
with Christ, it's very important that we surround ourselves with people who
can impact our lives, and to also be in relationships with others we are
mentoring. In his book called, "Restoring Your Spiritual Passion," Gordon
MacDonald describes five types of people that we come in contact with (pages
• VRPs Very Resourceful People Ignite Our Passion
• VIPs Very Important People Share Our Passion
• VTPs Very Trainable People Catch Our Passion
• VNPs Very Nice People Enjoy Our Passion
• VDPs Very Draining People Sap Our Passion
In order to have balance in our lives, we need to make sure we're not
overloaded with one or two of these types of people. I would add that we
need friends who are resourceful and important because they sharpen us. The
trainable, and to a lesser extent, the nice and the draining, are people
whom we can sharpen. In other words, we should have friends who rub off on
us in a good way and we should be rubbing off on others, without letting
them rub us the wrong way!
And so, the first way to grow in discipleship is to follow the good examples
of other people. The second way is to reject the bad examples and don't
follow them. Notice verses 18-19: "For, as I have often told you before and
now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is
in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." I'm struck by how tender
Paul is even towards those he refers to as enemies. When he considers their
destiny which is destruction, when he states that their appetites control
everything they do and how they take pride in shameful things, he breaks
down and cries. This word means "to wail aloud."
Paul has "great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart" in Romans 9:2
about the lostness of Israel and in Acts 20:32, he warns the church and then
he weeps. And here he sobs for sinners. We would do well to be broken up,
not just about the things that non-Christians do and say, but about their
eternal destiny. When Jesus looked out over the unbelief that had taken up
residence in Jerusalem, Luke 19:41 says that "he wept over it." When's the
last time you cried over the condition of someone?
Notice that Paul says "many" live as enemies of the cross. They're
everywhere. It's always been that way. True believers are always in the
minority as Jesus stated in Matthew 7:13: "Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it." This should cause us to cry because the reason they
live the way they live is quite simple: "Their mind is on earthly things."
We need to have discernment in order to grow in our discipleship because
these "enemies" may even be in church circles, writing Christian books,
speaking at Christian conferences, and sitting next to you on Sunday
7. Delight (Phil 3:20-4:1). Paul doesn't want to end on a bummer so
he brings it all together by focusing on our delight in Phil 3:20-21 and
Phil 4:1: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior
from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to
bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that
they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love
and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the
Lord, dear friends!" Our perspective will determine our priorities. As we
live in the future tense, we will have freedom from the past and find
delight in the present. These closing verses establish several truths to
delight in that will change our perspective so that we can "stand firm in
the Lord."
• Our home is in heaven. We are citizens of another place.
• Jesus is coming again. We need to eagerly wait for Him.
• Everything will be made right. All things will be brought under His order.
• We will be transformed. The best is yet to come.
• Believers should give us joy. We need to love and long for others.
If we want to press on when the pressure's on, and get in spiritual shape,
we must implement these essentials:
1. Dissatisfaction
2. Devotion
3. Direction
4. Determination
5. Discipline
6. Discipleship
7. Delight
What's dragging you down today? What is it that you are leashed to? It's
time to let it go so you can really grow. Isaiah 43:25: "I, even I, am he
who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins
no more."
I want to close with some words to the song called, "What Sin?" by Morgan
It happened so long ago
I cried out for mercy back then
I pled the blood of Jesus
Begged Him to forgive my sin
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away
So I wept again, Lord wash my sin
But this is all He'd say:
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.
The heaviest thing you'll carry
Is a load of guilt and shame
You were never meant to bear them
So let them go in Jesus name
Our God is slow to anger
Quick to forgive our sin:
So let Him put them under the blood
Don't bring them up again
'Cause he'll just say:
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.
1st Service Closing Song – "Take My Life"
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Last Updated February 21, 2015