Read Philippians 3:1-21 (ESV)
Pre-Study Reflections
Think back on your past week and do a “happiness” accounting. What were some things that added to your happiness? What were some things that subtracted from your happiness?
Background
Paul expressed joy and thanksgiving in his letter to the Philippians because of their partnership with him in the ministry of the Gospel. He saw that God was working in their lives and was confident that God will complete His work in them (1:3-6) – that they will continue to progress in the Faith. He exhorted them to a humility that foster unity (1:27-2:4), giving them the example of Christ (2:5-11), and Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19-30). And in their humble service to one another, they will be a testimony to the watching world (2:12-18). In today’s passage, Paul calls them to a joy that is founded on the gospel (3:1-11) and in response; he calls the Philippians to continue to strive for Christ-like maturity (3:12-21).
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Read Philippians 3:1-21 (ESV)
Phil 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2 Look out for the dogs,
look out for the evildoers,
look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3 For we are the circumcision,
who worship by the Spirit of God
and glory in Christ Jesus
and put no confidence in the flesh—
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day,
of the people of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew of Hebrews;
as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;
as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7 But whatever gain I had,
I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of
the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things
and count them as rubbish,
in order that I may gain Christ 9
and be found in him,
not having a righteousness
of my own that comes from the law,
but that which comes through faith in
Christ,
the righteousness from God that
depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the
power of his resurrection,
and may share his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I
may attain the resurrection from
the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
But one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way,
and if in anything you think otherwise,
God will reveal that also to you.
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me,
and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
18 For many,
of whom I have often told you
and now tell you even with tears,
walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction,
their god is their belly,
and they glory in their shame,
with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body,
by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
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Study of Philippians 3:1-21
Philippians 3:1-11
PART I A Gospel Accounting
Q1. Paul starts this section with a warning. Who or what does Paul warns the Philippian Christians against (vs 1-2)?
Q2. In v. 3 Paul reminds the Philippians of who they are. What is their new identity?
Q3. In vs. 4-8 Paul does an accounting of his “loses” and “gains”. What does this gospel accounting tells us? What or who do we place our confidence in for our righteousness?
Q4. What is the consequence of Paul gaining Christ (vs. 9-11)?
Philippian 3:12-21
PART II A Response of Striving for Maturity
Q5. In vs. 12-16, how does Paul describe himself? What does he do in response? What are the Philippians to do?
Q6. Paul ends this section by calling the Philippians to do something. What are they to do (v. 17)? In contrast, what are they to avoid (vs. 18-19)?
Q7. In contrast to those “who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ”, what are the Philippians to place their hope in (vs. 20-21)?
Summary: Righteousness from God comes through ______, and yet we are called to ______for Christ-like maturity, all the while remembering the ______that awaits us Christians.
Application
Q8. The gospel tells us we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ plus nothing. However, we tend to add to the gospel. What are some gospel “pluses” we see in the contemporary church? What are your gospel “pluses”? How can we guard against adding to the gospel?
Q9. What is your approach to growing to Christian maturity? What can you do in the light of today’s passage with regards to growing to Christ-likeness? What can your CG hold you accountable for?
Remarks:
“One of the greatest obstacles to applying the gospel to ourselves is our human tendency to depend on our own resources. In these verses Paul demolishes any dependence on human ability for righteousness. The “dogs” who “mutilate the flesh” (v. 2) are Judaizers who taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Paul lists the reasons that he himself might put “confidence in the flesh” (vv. 4–6) only to claim that these trophies are nothing but rubbish (vv. 7–8a) in comparison with the righteousness that comes from God by faith (vv. 8b–9). Rather than taking pride in his own accomplishments, Paul says he “gains” Christ by the loss of all such things. His salvation comes not from his accomplishments but from depending on nothing but the Savior’s provision. Paul aims to be found in Christ, to know him and the power of his resurrection, sharing (koinonia) in his suffering (v. 10) and his death so that he might attain (i.e., arrive at, or reach) the resurrection (v. 11). Sharing in suffering does not “earn” us the resurrection but enables us to identify more with Christ, to experience the power that gave him new life, and to understand more of the love of the Savior who had to endure immeasurable pain for his resurrection and ours.
When we take serious stock of our lives in light of the gospel, we realize that we must repent not only of our sins but also of the achievements that we would use to justify ourselves before God. But curiously and wonderfully, this descent from our pedestals identifies us with the risen Savior who gave up heaven’s honor to suffer for our sin. God’s righteousness comes by faith alone, in Christ alone (v. 9). God invites us to share, to fellowship (koinonia), not just in grace (1:7) but in Christ’s sufferings as well (3:10) in order that we might grasp the greatness of his love and the power of his resurrection hope. Can we say with Paul that we consider the achievements of our lives to be “rubbish”? In Christ, we can not only say such things but also discover that the greater wonders of the resurrection are ours no matter what we face in this life.
Life under the gospel is an utter repudiation of our own moral resume - not only the bad but also the good. Christ is all. He alone has “surpassing worth” (v. 8).” - The Gospel Transformation Bible, p. 1601)
References:
- The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
- The Gospel Transformation Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2013.
- The NLT Study Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
- *Motyer, Alec. “The Message of Philippians: Jesus our Joy” in The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984.
- Thielman, Frank. “Philippians” in The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995.
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