Philippians 3:1-8

Harsh words for false teachers. Gain and Loss.

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Dear friends,

We know that those who come to Christ are declared righteous, which means they are saved, but they must also live by faith. But what exactly does “by faith” mean? It means “not by works.” To put it another way, they are the works that are required by law.

We have spent a lot of time studying topics like righteousness by faith and living by faith. I hope you find this topic to be important, as it is stated in Matthew 6:33: “But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness.” Another Bible verse reminds us of a simple but essential truth when walking with God: “²⁸So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” ²⁹Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires – to believe in the one whom he sent.” (John 6:28-29) The most important work, according to Jesus, is to “believe” in him. However, many people have the notion that simply believing is insufficient, so they begin to incorporate many behaviors and doctrines into their Christian lifestyles, which tend to take precedence over simple faith in Christ and him crucified.

Last Sunday, we skimmed through the entire book of Philippians, focusing primarily on chapter 3 (verses 1–16), and gathered the following main points in our first study:

1. DOGS

“¹Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. ²Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! ³For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials – ⁴though mine too are significant.” (Philippians 3:1-4a)

In Philippians 3:2, Paul shows us that those he calls “dogs” are the “evil workers” *and are also those who *“mutilate the flesh.” In fact, all circumcisions are real to Jews and serve as proof of their Abrahamic ancestry. However, Paul wishes to inform them that their circumcision is only a shadow of the true circumcision, which consists of “the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials” (Philippians 3:3). As we saw in the book of Acts, the leaders of the early church, including many apostles except Paul and Peter, wanted to impose the law of circumcision on Gentiles who believed in Christ. They are referred to as “mutilators of the flesh” by Paul.

However, it is worth noting that Paul refers to these Christian leaders as “dogs,” those who advocate circumcision. Do you think Paul was a little too harsh in calling his contemporaries who were also in charge of leading the church “dogs”? We tend to have a special regard for those who are tasked with handling God’s words.

I believe Paul used such harsh language to emphasize the significance, or danger, of false doctrines, which have the effect of rendering Christ’s death ineffective. “I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21) We must remember that, while Paul only mentioned circumcision, it is only a symbol of the law in general.

Because, according to the Galatians verse above, Paul did not write, “if righteousness could be obtained through circumcision,” but rather spoke of the law in general. Speaking of circumcision is speaking of the law.

2. WHEN GAIN BECOMES LOSS

“ ⁴If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: ⁵I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. ⁶In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. ⁷But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. ⁸More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things– indeed, I regard them as dung!”* (Philippians 3:4-8)

If anyone can boast of their (false) circumcision, Israel or Hebrew ancestry, the law and its keeping, or their zeal, Paul can claim to be “blameless.” His zeal earned him the respect of his contemporaries. This is likely what the rich young ruler was thinking in Mark 10:17-27. If God had not met Paul on the road to Damascus, he would have faced the same difficulties as the young ruler. But he did meet God and have his eyes opened to see what the true loss and gain are. Furthermore, he regarded his previous gain as “dung.” Men may respect those who rely on the law, but God honors those who rely on Christ through faith.

Nghi Nguyen

- Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.