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.
The big takeaway thus far from Paul’s letter to the Philippian church is to rejoice… … … in the Lord… … …
As Paul writes from prison some hundreds of miles away, being treated as a threat to the public peace, he warns the church against what he considers a great threat to their peace. Their joy is under attack, and that’s no small matter. He tells the church to look out for those who are pressing the ancient religious marker of covenant circumcision onto new, male, Gentile followers of Christ. Accommodating themselves to Judaism might be politically expedient, but it would signify that they’re under a different covenant set into a different narrative than that of the crucified Christ.
Then Paul goes on the offense in v. 3: There are people who have the true Story that features Jesus Christ written at their core. And Paul says about them (including himself), they bear the true mark of being separated to God. We are the circumcision. We’re not carrying around just a superficial marker on one bodily organ. No, we’ve been cut… tattooed deep in ourselves, at our heart. The Gospel has altered us, fundamentally. To use another expression, these who have the gospel carved into their spirit are the genuine disciples or apprentices of Christ.
Well, then, how do these true disciples present? #1 – they worship by the Spirit of God. That is, a) they worship God. b) The God they worship is the One presented to them in the Spirit-filled Jesus. And c) that Jesus is the One presented in the Spirit-inspired Scriptures. So, to worship by the Spirit starts with the text of Scripture. The one marked by God has come under the enchantment of God’s word!
Second descriptor: those whom God has marked glory in Christ Jesus. That is, they make it a habit of mentally laying out the various avenues by which Jesus has brought joy into their life, and then they just kinda walk up and down those enjoying the view. Yes, they’re becoming more proficient in delighting in the Lord. And they’re not putting this on: Christ Jesus weighs heavily on them. He’s influencing them. Their thoughts regularly return to Him, and He’s making a difference. To glory in is the opposite of ‘going through the motions.’
The other side of glorying in Christ Jesus is putting no confidence in the flesh. We are the circumcision who…glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
We are the circumcision – the ones whom God has marked as His own – who…put no confidence in the flesh. Now what does that mean?
None of the words in that phrase – put no confidence in the flesh – are difficult, but we sense that Paul is using the flesh differently than how we normally think of it. At first hearing, we might suppose that flesh is another term for body. And then Paul would be saying something like the genuine people of God are insecure about their bodies… No!
So what does the flesh mean? The flesh refers to ordinary human existence that isn’t connected to Jesus Christ. Flesh = Humanity as they think, desire, feel…apart from Jesus Christ…and thus apart from God. Very important point: the look of the flesh is that there’s no one look. There are many looks, so many. The flesh takes the form of Russian mafia, Italian countryside peasant, priest with bald head, teens sniggering over something on their smart phones, driven businesswoman, deadbeat dad wearing his wife-beater t-shirt, honest farmer, idealistic young man…
Again, what those in the flesh have in common, what defines them as the flesh, is that they’re apart from Jesus Christ. Let me try a quotation from a theologian that describes what life in the flesh feels like to help you grasp this important concept:
What does it mean that I was ‘in the flesh’ and under its dominion? It means I lived out of a centre in myself, absorbed in myself and with my own perspective, devoted to this world and its values and standards. It means I viewed the temporal as more significant than the eternal, this world as bigger than the world to come, and made man rather than God the measure of all things. Life ‘in the flesh’ was centered on a this-worldly system of thought and life rather than in God himself – the only true and eternal centre of all things. This is the story of life apart from Christ, and therefore was the story of my life prior to coming to faith in Christ. – Sinclair Ferguson
We’ll just make one side point: humanity in the flesh, no matter what form it takes, always deals in futilities.
You’re working hard, why?
So I can enjoy my retirement.
And then what?
What?
Or:
You’re working hard, why?
So my kids can go to a great college.
And why is that good?
Because then they’ll get a great job.
And where will that take them?
Into the big leagues!
And what’s the next stop?
You see, if Christ isn’t set into your purposes and plans, indeed, if he isn’t central, you lose eternity… and so you’ll eventually lose meaning. Pointlessness rears its ugly head and soon hopelessness rounds the corner.
A quick application: that’s why I always want to say to parents: from the start, rear your children to be churchmen. Set your priorities, align your schedule for that, set the example in that. Because Christ is where His Body is, and the presence of Christ is on the way to meaning, to eternity, to life. It’s the opposite of the way of the flesh.
Ok, back to Philippians: Paul says that those marked by God put no confidence in the flesh. Instead of putting confidence in the flesh they glory in Christ Jesus. Two sides of one quality. We could almost put it this way: Instead of self-confidence they are drawing strength and security from Christ Jesus.
In v. 4 Paul claims that out of anyone he knows he has the most reasons for confidence in the flesh. He then proceeds to list those reasons. If I were to guess what he’s about to list for reasons for confidence, I’d guess it’s because he’s “tall,” “dark,” handsome,” something about “Ivy League,” “financial genius”….
But no, his list of reasons for confidence in the flesh center on religious performance (more on that later). Circumcised the eighth day – if that fact represented his entire upbringing, then Paul was reared from the start to take God seriously. Of the people of Israel – Paul was born among the covenant people. Of the tribe of Benjamin – the fact that Paul lists this indicates that he believed he had some advantage because of his family roots. I’m not sure why. A Hebrew of the Hebrews – old Heber was the great great great great grandpa of Abraham, and thus a Hebrew became another name for Abraham’s descendants: we know from the Old Testament that some Hebrews were more faithful than others. Well, Paul was in the “Who’s Who” of Hebrews. He was a Hebrew doing what a Hebrew should do.
As to the law, a Pharisee – because the Pharisees were often the target of Jesus’ critiques, over time we’ve come to think of them negatively. But as Paul wrote this letter the Pharisees were looked up to as the premiere upholders of ancient Jewish culture. They courageously resisted the encroachment of worldliness and compromise onto Torah and the Jewish mind. Paul wasn’t just a good guy; he was an elite good guy.
As to zeal, a persecutor of the church – a surprising marker for zeal. How zealous was Paul for his and his forefather’s religion? He was willing to savage those who threatened it. He wasn’t one to just spout pretty talk – he took his faith in God super seriously enough to clench his stomach and look on with approval as Christians were stoned, as happened with Stephen.
Yes, if anyone has grounds for confidence in the flesh, it’d be Paul. But as Paul is rattling off these good reasons for confidence in the flesh, especially with the last two we’re already sensing the problem. Paul was a Pharisee – impressive. But Paul was a Pharisee – hmm. And then, zeal which showed itself in persecuting the church?
The point that becomes clear is that reasons for confidence in the flesh eventually show themselves as pretty thin, and sometimes downright wicked… and often history will judge them as completely wrongheaded. (That’s because “history” in the big picture presents what is always true: this world is under the lordship of Christ!) Though in the moment as you’re in the flesh you’re travelling with the majority current, several are applauding you…
Paul lists one more reason he could be confident in the flesh and it’s kinda a summary statement: as to righteousness under the law, blameless. By the law, he means the Torah, the document that spelled out the covenant between God and Israel. By blameless, I don’t think we need suppose that Paul was claiming moral perfection. He meant that he was faithful to the terms of the covenant, which included instructions for how to receive atonement for sins after wrongdoing.
With the Law (Torah), Paul was willingly under the ancient covenant, an arrangement given by God Who was committed to putting the world to rights. Paul was a faithful partner in that covenant. He was part of the movement that was making all things new. And he was vigilant against threats to that covenant, no matter how sophisticated and pleasing those threats presented themselves. Paul was known for being a leader in covenant fidelity. He was simultaneously a rising religious star and already a leader for good. God was putting the world to right through Torah, and Paul was grateful to be along for the ride. A man such as P/Saul has great reasons for confidence, does he not?
Ok, our explanation of the passage will stop there today. For the next few minutes let’s take stock and try to keep things real. First one more glance at the bigger context: Paul is talking up the serious task of rejoicing in the Lord! There are threats who would interfere with that serious task. These threats pass themselves off as virtuous. But to that virtue signaling Paul claims they’re doing it wrong: there’s a certain look to those who have truly met God and been marked by Him. They worship by the Spirit, and they glory in Christ Jesus rather than putting confidence in the flesh. He then presents himself as an example of one who could easily put confidence in the flesh.
But that’s precisely where he could lose us because these reasons for confidence seem so far away from where we live. So let me try to address that gap by saying a few things about pride.
We understand that it’s not good to brag, right? Proverbs 27:2 – Let another praise you, and not your own mouth/ a stranger, and not your own lips. To regularly turn conversations to your latest victory – just say no. To brag about your kids being so smart or such good Christians – just say no.
But there’s something more sinister than bragging, that we should prefer over the occasional brag. And that’s the kind of pride that might not draw any attention yet is constantly watching itself – how am I being perceived? Do people like me? Does this make me sound clever?
To that I’ll just quickly toss out the C.S. Lewis observation about what a humble person actually looks like:
“Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.
Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.
If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”
Ah, so on the humility ladder there’s the rung of not bragging and – one step down – there’s the deeper humility of self-forgetfulness. Going the other way, there’s the pride of bragging and there’s the greater pride of obsession with self.
But then there’s another rung of this humble-pride ladder: there’s the matter of what you’re leaning on for significance. What do people have to learn about me, to associate me with, in order to take me seriously? For example, I grew up in the home of a good man who was also exceptionally successful professionally. Without realizing it, I drew a lot of confidence from the fact that I was Clovis’ son and that people knew I was his son. Then he suddenly died.
Let me insert a quick story from my dad’s funeral. From the church my mom, brothers, sisters-in-law, Tonia and me took a big passenger van to the graveside ceremony. We all greatly admired my dad. Anyway, on the way back we were talking about my parents’ grandchildren, and we brothers said that my dad’s uncommon name, Clovis, should be passed down to one of the next grandchildren. We arrived back to the church, and as we were leaving the van, my oldest brother James says – Ok, let’s go make Clovis. Well, who do you think was the next grandchild? Paul Clovis!
Ok, back to my thoughts after my dad died. I leaned on him. I drew confidence from being associated with him. But after he died, as time wore on I started to meet people who, naturally, had no idea who my dad was. But how was I to quickly let them know how important my dad was, and thus how significant I was?
Similarly when we ministered in Boston. Our church had several brainiacs with cool pedigrees. Harvard, MIT, etc. When out-of-town friends came to visit I used to love to introduce them to these smart people and casually mention, “Harvard etc.” I imagined that people would easily make the connection: She’s so smart she was accepted to MIT…and that smart person chose to come to Colin’s church. Colin must be quite a guy. Through a brief introduction I could go from average joe pastor to the next Billy Graham.
You see, here’s another, deeper pride: I leaned on people to quickly gain credibility. My life expanded through my connections with them. {By the way, I don’t know if I’ve completely eradicated this kind of thinking, but it’s slowed way down. Two things helped: 1) I grew disgusted with it; and 2) people rarely appeared sufficiently impressed}
All of the above species of pride are ways of drawing confidence in the flesh. But what is missing from all of them? Any reference to God! All of these have to do with gaining status before fellow humans.
But isn’t a much more important question – though it doesn’t feel anywhere as urgent – how can a person be right with God?
You notice that Paul’s reasons for confidence in the flesh have to do with his justification… before God. He was reflecting on how solid his standing was…before God.
Now, as he’s already suggested and as he’ll make perfectly clear, these so-called grounds for confidence are misplaced… unhelpful… deceptively detrimental to where he wants to end up. They turn out to be confidence in the flesh. So, if Paul is describing his actual mindset before meeting Jesus Christ, he was certainly in the wrong. My point, though, is we’re more wrong than he ever was. While we’re busy trying to justify ourselves before people, young Saul was consumed with justifying himself before God.
Friend, it comes down to this: How would you answer this question: If you were to die and God were to ask you, ‘why should I let you into my heaven?’, what would be your response? Because at the last, His opinion of you is what matters.
Leave a Reply