Watch Out -- 4/25/10

Sunday, April 25, 2010

WATCH OUT

Phil. 3:2

Do any of you make a regular practice out of walking or jogging? Yes, some of you do. If you walk regularly, or if you are considering starting to walk regularly, I want to give you a word of warning. Watch out! Be on your guard! Watch out for the dogs! Maybe Brother Fountain should be the one giving this warning. He found out the hard way that there are dogs which can be quite vicious. So before it happens to you, I want to warn you. Beware of the dogs!

Believe it or not, that is what we are going to be looking at in our text this morning. It is a warning, a warning to watch out for the dogs, for the evil workers, for the concision. Some of you will recognize those words from Philippians 3. Perhaps many of us don’t kick our mind into gear until we come to about verse 3 or later, but the warning is in the first two verses. Let’s go ahead and read Phil. 3:1-3…

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

If this morning’s message has a title, it is simply “Watch Out” (“Beware,” if you prefer). You will notice that this warning occurs three times in verse 2. Paul was quite serious about it. He was not warning against three groups of people, but rather designates the same group of people in three different ways. We will be talking about that. Last week we looked at some background that should help us better understand this warning. We saw that this warning was necessary because of the work of a group of false teachers commonly known as the Judaizers. It was typical for them to follow Paul into a town where he had preached the gospel and established a church. Their message was something like this: “It’s wonderful that you have become followers of Jesus, but now you need to be circumcised and submit to all the Jewish law.” In short, they taught that it wasn’t enough to follow Jesus, a person must also become a Jew in order to be right with God.

The leaders of the early church, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, came to the official decision that it was neither necessary nor desirable that Gentile Christians should be circumcised and compelled to keep all the Jewish laws. Though this decision had the authority of the apostles themselves, that did not stop the Judaizers. They continued to spread their false teaching, attempting to bring people into bondage to their brand of religion. It is to this situation that Paul speaks here in the first two verses of Philippians 3.

So let’s dive right into this blunt and concise warning that Paul issues concerning the Judaizers. That brings us to the actual warning itself in verse 2: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” I’m not sure why the King James omits the articles in this verse. Literally, it reads, “Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the concision.” Notice again the three-fold repetition of the warning, “Beware.” Watch out; watch out; watch out. I’ve already said that Paul was warning them about false teachers. If that is true, why does he call them the dogs, the evil workers, and the concision?

I. Watch Out for the Dogs

“Beware of the dogs.” In the New Testament there are two different words commonly translated “dog.” Although they are related and derived from the same root, there is a definite difference. One (a diminutive, kunarion) refers to a little dog. This is the way one would refer to a dog that is a pet. This word is used four times in the New Testament, but all of these references are to the same incident. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus, crying out for mercy because her daughter was vexed with a demon. Jesus told her He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Then we are told that she worshipped Him and said, “Lord, help me.” Jesus said, “It is not fit to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.” She replied, “True, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you want” (Matt. 15:22-28; also Mark 7:25-30). This is the reference to the little dog, the family pet.

Then there is the other word “dog” (kuwn) This dog is not a pet at all. The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary says this: “In Bible times they [dogs] were generally despised outcasts known for their ravenous and ruthless nature, and given to prowling and filthy habits.” We get a glimpse of that in Prov. 26:11, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly” (quoted in II Pet. 2:22). These dogs roamed city streets. They were scavengers and fed on the garbage of the city. They often ran in packs and would fight with one another, even attacking people. It was not uncommon for them to have rabies and other diseases, which made them very dangerous. These were the kinds of dogs that licked the sores of Lazarus (Luke 16). Note the use of this word in Rev. 22:14-15, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Whoever “dogs” refers to in this passage, such keep very bad company.

Do you know who commonly used this word “dog” to refer to other people? The Jews used this word to refer to Gentiles. That’s right, they commonly referred to Gentiles as “dogs.” Why? Because they saw the Gentiles as unclean and very dangerous. As people avoided these dogs, so Jews avoided Gentiles.

Now come back to our text. “Watch out for the dogs.” Paul was a Jew, but he was not telling the Philippians to watch out for Gentiles. He was not using the word “dogs” as it was commonly used by Jews. Rather, Paul was using this word to refer to the Judaizers, to those Jews who insisted that Gentiles who followed Jesus must be circumcised to truly be saved. To say this was a cutting remark is to understate the case. We might rightly say that Paul’s warning would have been highly offensive to those Judaizers.

So why does Paul call them dogs? Why does Paul use such a derisive and offensive term for these false teachers? Because he sees them as those who are unclean. These false teachers are threatening to turn people away from the righteousness of Christ. They are scavengers, preying on young believers who are not yet well-grounded in truth. They are very dangerous, spreading their deadly disease. The Judaizers view the Gentiles (even Gentile Christians) as dogs, but Paul says that they themselves are the dogs. By using such a loaded term, Paul was bound to get the undivided attention of his hearers, and that’s what he wanted. The use of this term makes it unmistakably clear how important this issue was for Paul.

II. Watch Out for the Evil Workers

Now come to the second warning: “Watch out for the evil workers.” Again, we have to understand that the dogs and the evil workers refer to this same group of false teachers. Paul is simply using different names for them, and now he calls them evil workers.

There can be no question as to why Paul called them “workers.” Indeed they were workers. The Judaizers were not lazy people. They spared no effort to spread their teachings. We read these words in Acts 15:5, "But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." Among the Judaizers were Pharisees who had come to believe that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. We read throughout the gospels of the zeal of the Pharisees. Apparently they now carried that same zeal, as they pressed Christian converts to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. They were not intimidated by the Peter, Paul, and the other apostles. They were and afraid to call into question the authority of the apostle Paul himself, as we saw last week in the letter to the Galatains (see esp. 1:11-2:14).

Notice here in verse 2 that Paul doesn’t simply call them workers, but he refers to them as evil workers. “Watch out for the evil workers.” Zeal can be a wonderful thing, but not if it is zeal for the wrong cause. Remember what Paul wrote in Rom. 10:1-3… "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Those Jews were zealous, but they didn’t have knowledge of the truth. So it was with the Judaizers. They pursued their goal with zeal, but it was the wrong goal.

So now comes the big question. What was wrong with what the Judaizers taught? Remember that there basic teaching was simply this: “It is good to believe in Jesus, but you must add to hat circumcision and the keeping of the law.” We read it last week in Acts 15:1, "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." But why is that so serious that Paul would refer to them as evil workers? As long as someone urges us to trust Jesus, does it really matter what goes along with it?

Let me take you back to Deut. 4:1-2,

Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

That is not an isolated concept; we also find it in Proverbs (30:6) and in Revelation (22:18). The Bible contains repeated warnings against adding to God’s Word or taking away from it. A central truth of that Bible, if not the central truth, is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Let’s read it again out of Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast." So what if someone comes along and says that we are saved by trusting Christ, being baptized, and keeping God’s commandments? Is that a problem? How can there be any problem, if I am trusting Christ?

Brothers and sisters, this is the scandalous nature of grace. Grace is offensive to human beings because those human beings are proud and have a deep seated desire to make their own way. The grace of God tells us there is nothing we can do for His salvation. Jesus did it all when lived a life that pleased the Father, then died as the propitiation for our sins, and rose to sit at the right hand of the Father forever. What can I add to that? Is it not an offense to God to say, “I am trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus and the fact that I don’t have a bad temper and have never said a cuss word”? What can I possibly add to the work of Jesus? That’s what the Judaizers were doing. They were adding requirements that went beyond trusting Jesus.

Please turn with me to Romans 11. Chapters 9-11 deal with God’s relation to His covenant people Israel. When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he acknowledged that there was a problem, at least a perceived problem. Here was the problem. God had made a covenant with His people Israel, promising to be faithful to them and to be their God. But Israel was rejecting its own Messiah. That is why Paul cries out in Rom. 9:2-3, "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." It seemed that the Word of God had taken none effect (9:6). In other words, it seemed that God had broken His promise to Abraham, that in him all nations should be blessed (see Gen. 12:3). Paul goes to great length in chapters 9 and 10 to explain that God had not broken His promises. What they failed to understand was that not everyone who was of Israel was truly Israel (9:6b).

Now come to the first verse of chapter 11, where Paul comes at the problem from a new angle: "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin" (Rom. 11:1). No one can say that God has cast away His people, because I myself am an Israelite, and I am a follower and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Then Paul likens the situation of his day to that of Elijah. Read it in verses 2-4…

God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

As Elijah was part of a faithful remnant in his day, so Paul was a part of the faithful remnant in his own day. Now we come to the part I want to show you. Let’s read verses 5-6… "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

There is a remnant. There is a group of people who are faithful to God. And why the remnant? Was it because these special people were just good people who had better morals than everyone else? Was it because they were more diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? No, that isn’t it. Notice that Paul calls it “a remnant according to the election of grace.” That is, it was a remnant according to choice. God chose each of these to be a part of His people. And what was the basis of His choice? It was grace (“election of grace”). And if God did it by grace, then it is no more of works. There is no room for works where God’s grace is in operation. If works enters in, then grace is no more grace. To put it bluntly, if it is of works, then it is no longer grace.

Though it is not stated here, it is confirmed elsewhere in Romans as well as many other places in the New Testament, this grace is centered in the life and work of Jesus. Jesus’ death and resurrection is all grace. Neither you nor I asked Jesus to die on the cross, taking upon Himself the wrath of God and satisfying the divine justice. Not only did we not ask Him to do it, we would have never thought of it in our wildest imagination. Neither you nor I deserved what Jesus did at the cross, and that is why we call it grace. Grace is basically the power of God to save through Christ, even though we don’t deserve it and could not accomplish it.

To try to add on something else as a means of salvation is to slap God in the face. It is to say that Jesus’ death and resurrection is insufficient, needing to be completed by the works of men. What is there to be completed? Jesus lived a life that was absolutely pleasing to the Father. Who can improve upon that? When Jesus died, He paid the penalty for my sin. He took the just punishment of my sin upon Himself. He was the perfect sacrifice, because He had never sinned even once. What can be added to that? Though He died, He completely conquered death. He rose from the grave never to die again. How can anyone improve on that? Paul said it precisely in Gal. 2:21, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." If there is something I can do to earn God’s salvation by keeping His commandments, then there was no reason for Christ to die. When we add our own requirements, we are undermining the death and resurrection of our Lord.

What are you putting your trust in for salvation? Are you trusting Jesus Christ and Him alone? Do you understand that His death and resurrection are absolutely sufficient to make you right with God? Or do you add other things? What about baptism? Is it the blood of Jesus plus baptism? What about good morals? “I trust Jesus, but I also understand that I have to do what is right in order for God to accept me.” If that is the case, then you aren’t trusting Christ. What about the church? Do you believe that your place and work in the church combines with the work of Christ to make you acceptable to God? That is adding to the work of Christ. If you are adding anything to what Jesus did, then you are not trusting Christ. And if you are not trusting Christ, then you have no salvation.

Now can we understand why Paul called them evil workers? There are more subtle ways to turn away from Jesus than to simply say you don’t want to have anything to do with Him. If we make any additions to our trust in Him, then He will not benefit us in the least. Let’s read Paul’s classic warning in Gal. 5:1-4…

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

The principle of grace is simple -- Jesus plus nothing; the blood of Christ plus nothing. To add anything of our own is to take away from Christ and to move away from grace.

III. Watch Out for the Concision

Now we come to the third of Paul’s warnings: “Watch out for the concision.” You may have thought that the most inflammatory term Paul could possibly use for the Judaizers was “dogs,” but that is not the case. Now we have an even stronger term -- “Watch out for the concision”

If you read Phil. 3:2c-3a in the New American Standard, you will find that the last warning reads, “Beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision…” That is not a literal translation, but the idea of a false circumcision seems to be implied here. Remember that circumcision was never intended to be only an outward act. We looked at that in some depth last week. Circumcision was always designed to be an outward symbol of an inward reality. The cutting away of the flesh was to be a symbol of the cutting away of the uncleanness in the heart. That’s why even in the Old Testament we find the command, “Circumcise your heart.” The great problem in New Testament times (as well as in Old Testament times) was that the great majority of the Jewish people had forsaken the inward significance and held only to the importance of the outward act. They were zealous for outward circumcision, but their hearts were hard. Though they were unclean on the inside, they practiced this outward ceremony that was meant to portray a clean heart. That is why it was a false circumcision. It looked good on the outside, but there was no inward reality. Paul is blasting the false teachers who emphasized the outward and had forsaken inward purity of heart. Because of this external emphasis, they were in reality forsaking Christ and the gospel. They were urging those who believed in Christ to exchange their trust in Him for outward ceremony. Someone will say, “No. They weren’t telling people to forsake Christ; they were just saying that they needed something in addition.” When we add something to Christ, that is forsaking Christ. That’s why Paul was so blunt in these warnings, especially the last.

So what is he actually saying? “Concerning those who are promoting circumcision, just let them go all the way and mutilate themselves.” The Greek word translated “circumcision” is “peritome,” which means “a cutting around.” The word here translated “concision” is “katatome,” which means “a cutting off.” Are you familiar with Gal. 5:12? Paul is dealing with the exact same issue, but in much more depth in Galatians. We can hardly discuss Phil. 3:2 without comparing it to Gal. 5:12, “I would they were even cut off [not same word, but same basic meaning] which trouble you.” It’s the same idea. Some of the early church fathers explained it kind of like this: “‘Would that they would even cut themselves off,’" that is, cut off not merely the foreskin, but the whole member” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, reflecting the view of Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, and Chrysostom). The NAS of Gal. 5:12 is to the point: “I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.” In other words, “If they are going to go as far as circumcision, let them go all the way and castrate themselves.” I realize this is blunt and harsh language, but this is exactly what Paul was saying. Beneath the surface, surely Paul was saying that these false teachers should be spiritually cut off. They must have no audience among true believers.

Now comes the question: “How could Paul be so harsh? Is such language fitting for an apostle of Jesus Christ?” Remember that Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit, as he wrote Philippians and Galatians. These were not simply the words of a man. What we must understand is how seriously the Lord takes adding to the gospel of grace. If someone was threatening to destroy your children, what would you say to those children? If the threat was great, you would warn them in no uncertain terms. Their very lives could depend upon how they responded to your warning. So it was with Paul and the Philippians. Their spiritual lives did indeed depend upon how they responded to Paul’s warning. Paul spoke in such a way that they would never forget the warning. “Watch out for the dogs. Watch out for those evil workers. Watch out for the mutilation, for the false circumcision.”

Conclusion

The threat to us doesn’t appear to be as great as the threat to the Philippian and Galatian Christians. We don’t have the Judaizers, who are going around urging us to be circumcised and submit to all the Jewish law. Brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled. It isn’t that the threat isn’t as great, it is just more indirect and perhaps more subtle. Though we don’t have the Judaizers hounding us, we face a very strong temptation to add to the gospel of grace. The threat is more subtle in that it doesn’t come from any specific group of false teachers. There is a sense in which the very flesh within us constantly tempts us to add to God’s grace.

Sometimes I will hear a person say, “I just don’t feel like I’m worthy to be a Christian.” That can be a healthy attitude, if handled properly. If not, it can quickly become a means of adding to God’s grace. It is certainly proper to know that I am unworthy to be a child of God. If I think I am worthy, something is desperately wrong. How can anyone be worthy of having the spotless Son of God die in His place at the cross? How can anyone be worthy to have the Spirit of the living God dwell within him? The problem comes when a person thinks he needs to be worthy, when he thinks he has hope of becoming worthy by what he does. When that is the case, he begins to think that if he acts in a certain way, then God will accept him. No, that will never be the case. Our only acceptance is in the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:6). There is no other way. But don’t we want to please God? Certainly, but not in order that we be accepted. Because the child of God is accepted in Jesus Christ, God works in Him, giving Him both the desire and the power to please God.

Let me conclude with one last thought. Here is a danger that is very close to home. At the beginning of the message last Sunday, I talked about the necessity of repentance. Apart from repentance, there is no true salvation. A gospel without repentance is no gospel at all. I made it clear that repentance is not just a changing of the mind about Jesus. Rather, it is a changing of mind about self. It is a giving up on self. I contend that this truth is of vital importance. Without it, what is called conversion becomes just an intellectual game. Without repentance, I accept some things to believe, but I am not truly changed. This is a message that is vital in our day.

However, there is the flip side of that truth. Often repentance is defined as a turning from sin. While repentance includes a turning from sin, that is not the actual meaning of the biblical term “repent.” The word literally means “a change of mind.” The danger in defining it as a turning from sin is this. As one brother put it, “How much repentance is enough?” If you view it as essentially a turning from sin, how much sin do you have to turn from? Before we know it, we are adding extra requirements to the grace of God. Yes, Christ died for me, but in order to be saved, I must also turn from sin. No, never. That too is a false gospel. It is the very false teaching Paul is thundering against here in Phil. 3:2.

We avoid that by understanding that repentance is a change of mind. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. When I repent, I change my mind about myself. I realize and confess that there is nothing good in me. I give up any hope of getting better so that I can be accepted by God. In short, I say with Isaiah, “Woe is me, for I am undone” (Isaiah 6:5). When I so repent, then I am without a Savior. I have given up on doing anything to save myself. As I repent, I cast myself on the one and only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So where is the turning from sin? It is in the turning from self. Will such a change of mind about self result in a turning from sin? Absolutely. How? When I repent and believe in Jesus, I no longer want to sin. A hatred for sin is born within me. So when a person repents and believes, will he immediately quit sinning? No. There are some sins that he will likely never commit again, not a single time. But there are other sins that will plague him. He finds that he still gets angry with people. Sometimes he wants to punch someone in the nose. Does that mean that he wasn’t really converted? Not at all. But what he finds is that such sin bothers him. He hates it. Why? Because God has done a miracle in him. God has given him a new attitude about sin and about everything else. He is a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (II Cor. 5:17).

The danger is that we will view repentance as a work, that we will see it as necessary to turn from sin. If I can just turn from sin enough, then God will accept me and I will be able to become a Christian. That is a false view of repentance. That isn’t even the true view of repentance for the Christian. Do Christians need to turn from sin? Absolutely, but it will never come through human effort. We turn from sin by giving up on self, by admitting we have no power in ourselves to turn from sin. We give up on self and cast ourselves upon Jesus. We have no confidence in the flesh.

And why don’t we have to work hard to please God? Not only is it because we can’t do it, but it is also because Jesus did it once and for all. He pleased God. The key for us isn’t to imitate Jesus, but to rest in Jesus and His righteousness. We will never achieve any righteousness of our own, but we don’t have to. We can admit our failure once and for all and throw ourselves on the One who is perfect righteousness. God accepts everyone who is in Christ. And how do you become in Christ? Repent and believe. Give up on yourself and trust Jesus and what He did when at the cross. He took my sin upon Himself and bore the wrath of God in my place. He rose from the grave, announcing that He has the power of both life and death. I trust you, Lord Jesus. If your righteousness doesn’t save me, then I have no hope. You only are my rock and my salvation.

Watch out for those who tell you that you must work hard to please God. Watch out for those evil workers who try to convince you that you can find acceptance from God by improving yourself. May we trust the Lord Jesus alone. When we are tempted to add to the grace that is in Christ Jesus, may the Lord quickly convict us.

Grace Plus... -- Phil. 3:1-2

Sunday, April 18, 2010

GRACE PLUS…

Phil. 3:1

A little over a year ago a few of us went to a meeting that was titled “The True Church Conference.” So what does such a title convey? I could give a long answer, but part of the answer is that a true church preaches the true gospel. But why use such a term as “the true gospel.” It’s either the gospel, or it’s not, right? It should be that way, but it’s not quite that simple. Anyone who knows what’s going on is well aware that everyone who claims to preach the gospel is not preaching the true gospel. By that I do not mean to say that everyone who proclaims the gospel must make sure he dots every “i” and crosses every “t”. No, I’m talking about major things. If the proclaimer doesn’t believe that biblical repentance is necessary for salvation, I would question whether or not he is preaching the true gospel.

Stick with that theme for a moment. In the last three or four years I and others in this church have put a great deal of emphasis on the fact there is no biblical salvation without true repentance. By repentance, I’m not talking about just a change of mind about Jesus, as one well-known author defines repentance. I can’t change my mind about Jesus without also changing my mind about self, and that change of mind about self means a turning from sin. No, it will not look exactly the same in every person, but there will be a turning from sin. Put another way, everyone who is justified is also regenerated. There is no salvation without a new birth that results in a changed life. You have heard that emphasis a great deal. Why? Because anything less will steer people toward hell. I make no apology for that focus. It is a necessary correction to the easy believism so common in our day.

Having said that, now I must say something else. There is another great threat to the true gospel and we must pay attention to that threat. Paul was constantly battling against this danger. What is it? It is the tendency to add requirements to what the Bible says is necessary for salvation. During the next couple of weeks we are going to be looking at this twisting of the gospel. This morning we are going to lay a background, identifying those who were doing that very thing. Then next week we are going to take a close look at the very strong words Paul used to warn against these false teachers.

Let’s begin this morning by reading Phil. 3:1-3…

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

I. Why the Warning?

Let’s read verse 1 again, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” At first, you might get the idea from the word “finally” that Paul is getting ready to wrap up his book, but that is not the case. The phrase used here marks a transition (see A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, by Joseph Henry Thayer). It carries the idea, “Now moving on to other things.” We find the exact same phrase in 4:8, “Finally, brethren…”

When Paul tells them to rejoice, he is picking up a very familiar theme of this letter, but this time he adds the little phrase “in the Lord.” We won’t take time to cover the ground again, but just remember that true joy is always in the Lord. This is not the same as being happy. Happiness depends on “what happens,” upon the circumstances. This joy depends upon a relationship with the Lord which goes beyond the circumstances. Heb. 12:2, “…who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross.” Those of us who know the Jesus who had joy even when facing the cross can rejoice in the Lord, regardless of our own circumstances.

What does Paul mean when he speaks of writing “the same things to you.” It is hard to know exactly. Maybe this has to do with something he has said earlier in the letter. It is more likely that he is referring to a previous communication he had with the Philippians, whether in person or through a letter. The “same things” he is writing seems to refer to what he is about to say, rather than to what he has just said, because he refers to it as a safeguard. He doesn’t consider it a bother to take the time to go over this warning again. The ESV translates it this way: “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me, and it is safe for you.” Then he launches directly into his warning in verse 2.

So we see why Paul is giving this warning. It is a safeguard for his brothers and sisters in Philippi. They need the warning. Without it, they are in great danger. As we will see, it is a warning against false teachers. This is a theme that runs throughout the New Testament. Jesus Himself had plenty to say on this subject. He said, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6). Then we read in verse 12 that they finally understood what Jesus meant by the leaven of these religious leaders: "Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." In Matthew 7 Jesus gives some rather extensive teaching concerning false teachers. He begins by saying, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits…” (Matt. 7:15-16). When Paul was giving his farewell to the elders at Ephesus, he spoke these words of warning: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears" (Acts 16:29-31). So it is here that Paul is going to warn his beloved brothers and sisters to watch out for false teachers.

Do we still have false teachers today? I think we are all aware that false teachers abound today. We must continue to mature in our faith in Christ, “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Eph. 4:14-15). Paul told Timothy to understand that the time would come would people would not stand for healthy teaching, but would indulge their own lusts and itching ears by heaping up teachers who will say what they want to hear (II Tim. 4:3). So we must guard against the false teachings and the false teachers who spread them.

II. Background: The Gospel and the Judaizers

Paul said in Rom. 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” When dangers lay ahead of him, Paul said, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). 1 Cor. 9:16, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" We could go on and on. Paul was a preacher of the gospel.

And exactly what was this gospel that Paul preached? He describes its basic content in I Cor. 15:1-4…

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

No one has a problem with that; the gospel is centered in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But how do we get the benefits of what Christ did? How does His work at the cross become “good news” for us? Paul used a key word that characterized his gospel, and that word was “grace.” We know well the words of Paul in Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast." We are saved by grace, not by works. As he wrote in Gal. 2:16, “…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Speaking of the Israelites, Paul said in Rom. 11:5-6, "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." We could read many other passages, because this is the bedrock of Paul’s theology. He proclaimed the gospel of grace. There is absolutely nothing we can do to add to what Jesus did at the cross.

So let me just lay Paul’s gospel out clearly and concisely. He taught that because we are the descendants of Adam, we are all sinners (Rom. 5:12ff). We have rebelled against the holy God who created us. That sinful rebellion earns us a wage, and that wage is death (Rom. 6:23). This death is not only physical, but eternal separation from God. No matter what we try to do, we cannot remedy our dilemma. We have no solution for the sin that separates us from God. No amount of good works or religious activity can make us right with God. But God did something; He sent His only Son Jesus into this world. “But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). That’s grace. Jesus did on the cross what we could never do. He paid the punishment for sins. He took upon Him the wrath of God. There is nothing we can do to add to that. There is nothing we need to do to add to that. When we see this truth of God clearly and understand what Jesus has done, we simply give up on all our attempts to get good enough for God (repent) and throw ourselves on Him as our only hope (believe). That is the gospel that Paul preached.

As you know, Paul was a missionary, first sent out along with Barnabas from the church in Antioch (see Acts 13). He proclaimed the gospel and he established believers in local churches. So what happened after Paul established a church? It was very common for teachers to come into the town and give the people in the church further instructions. Those instructions went something like this: “It’s great that you have become followers of Jesus, but now you need to be circumcised and keep all the law of Moses.” In short, they taught that it is necessary to follow Christ, but it is also necessary to keep the law of Moses, which was symbolized and centralized in the rite of circumcision. These teachers are often referred to as Judaizers, because they taught that a person must submit to the Jewish rite of circumcision and follow the Jewish law. In other words, no one could become a true Christian until he first became a Jew. The Judaizers wanted to make Jews out of the Gentile Christians. These are the false teachers against whom Paul was warning the Philippians.

I think it wise that we take just a little bit of time this morning to make sure we are all clear on this whole concept of circumcision and what it meant in Paul’s day. This understanding will be important as we go through this passage. The roots of circumcision go back to Genesis 17. Let’s read Gen. 17:9-14…

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

The word “circumcision” comes from a Latin word that means “to cut around.” It is a medical procedure in which a cutting around removes the foreskin from the male organ. As we see in this passage, the norm was for this to take place when a baby boy was eight days old. However, if a male had not been circumcised at the age of eight days old, he could not become a part of God’s people Israel until he was circumcised, even if he was an adult. Abraham himself was circumcised at the age of 99, as we read down in verse 24.

So we understand first of all that circumcision was instituted directly by God Himself. In later times, and even today, circumcision is often performed on baby boys for hygienic benefits. However, that was not the primary reason for circumcision originally. Rather, it was to be a sign, a mark, which distinguished the people of God.

We might ask, “But why did God have them do that? Why didn’t he use a tattoo on the arm or something like that?” Please allow me to read you an explanation from Pastor John MacArthur…

God ordained it [circumcision] as a symbol, as a sign, a very important one. Not just for physical benefit but as a spiritual reminder. And the reminder is simply this… Nowhere or at no point is a man's depravity more manifest than in the procreative act… We know man is a sinner by what he says. We know man is a sinner by what he does. We know man is a sinner by the attitude, the bearing that he carries. We can see on the outside sinful deeds. But how do we know man is a sinner at the base of his character? How do we know man is a sinner at the root of his existence? The answer, by what he creates. Whatever comes from the loins of man is wicked because man is wicked. So I say to you, nowhere then in the anatomy of a man or in the activity of a man is depravity more manifest than in the procreative act because it is at precisely that point which he demonstrates the depth of his sinfulness because he produces a sinner. And I would remind you that Jesus Christ had no human father because there was no human father who could produce a perfect person. The Spirit of God had to plant a perfect seed in Mary and bypass a human father.

The male organ then is the point at which human depravity is most demonstrated. You see not the deeds of sin but the nature of sin passed on to the next generation.

You say, "Well then..still what is the connection with that and circumcision?" When God demanded that they circumcise the male, He was giving them a symbol that the outward part of man's procreative organ was cleansed to remind them that man needed to be cleansed of sin at the deepest root of his being. That was the idea. Man needed to be cleansed of his sin through a spiritual surgery, at the very root of his nature. And that very graphic symbol was chosen because that is the procreative point at which man produces sinful man. So man in his natural condition is a sinner and he produces sinners, sinners, sinners, sinners and nothing but sinners. At the very point of his nature then he needs cleansing. And every time they circumcised a person and every time they circumcised a little eight-day-old male child, they were reminding themselves of the fact that man at his very base nature was a wicked sinner and desperately in need of a cleansing. It was an illustration of the sinfulness of man. And even the bloodshed that occurred in circumcision could symbolize the need for sacrifice to accomplish that cleansing. So there was even a picture of the pain and the sacrifice in the circumcision as well. (From sermon on Phil. 3:1-3)

Now here is the point that I want to make very clear. Though circumcision was a very physical sign, it was never intended to be just physical. It had a much deeper meaning. Do we know that for sure, or is it just speculation? We know it from the Word of God. To discover that truth, we don’t even have to move beyond the Old Testament. Listen to the words of Moses way back in Deut. 10:14-16, "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. 15. Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. 16. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked." We find the same idea in Jer. 4:3-4, "For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." Paul confirms this same idea in Romans 2, summarizing his teaching in Rom. 2:28-29, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

Here was the problem. In New Testament times, the Jews as a whole had disregarded the spiritual meaning of circumcision and had limited it to a physical mark only. Make no mistake about it, they were zealous for that physical mark of identification, but it was obvious that their great need was for a circumcision of the heart. Gal. 6:13, "For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh." These Judaizers boasted in having more people circumcised, in bringing them under the Jewish laws. Paul says in the very next verse, “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (6:14).

So what was Paul’s position? Wasn’t he also a Jew? Yes, he certainly was. He describes himself later in this chapter as a Hebrew of the Hebrews (3:5). Likewise, the other apostles were also Jews. So because they believed Jesus to be the Messiah, it was no problem for them to come to Him. He was their Messiah. The problem was that Gentiles were claiming to be saved, even though they had never been circumcised and did not submit to all the Jewish laws. How could that be? Had God not said that if a man wasn’t circumcised, he was cut off from God’s people? This was the crucial issue in the early church and in the early chapters of Acts. That is precisely why they had the big meeting in Acts 15, what has been called “the Jerusalem Council.” The position of many Jews is stated concisely in the first verse of that chapter, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, ‘Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.’” Their position was simple enough, “No circumcision, no salvation.” But Paul and Barnabas had apparently seen many Gentiles saved, even though they had not been circumcised and brought into submission to the Jewish law. Listen to what Peter said to those who had gathered for this meeting in Jerusalem… (Acts 15:7-11)

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Here was the solution. Since God had given those Gentiles (Cornelius, family, and friends) the same Holy Spirit He had given the apostles and other Jews, it was clearly evident that they had been saved, even though they hadn’t been circumcised. Peter then referred to circumcision and the Jewish law it represented as a yoke too heavy to be borne. The church then agreed that Gentiles could be saved apart from circumcision and that they should not be compelled to be circumcised. But that did not stop the Judaizers. There were those who refused to abide by the decision of the Jerusalem Council. They continued to dog the steps of Paul and try to convince the new believers that they needed to be circumcised and submit to the Jewish law. These were the false teachers Paul opposed so vigorously.

III. The Judaizers and the Galatians

Rather than go on to verse 2 here in Philippians 3, where we actually come to the warnings, I think we should lay a little more background by looking at a few passages from Galatians. Here in Philippians 3:2 we have this brief warning, but in the case of Galatians, the entire letter was written to deal with the false teaching of the Judaizers. My primary purpose in turning to Galatians is to underscore the seriousness with which Paul regarded these false teachings.

Before we go there, let me remind you of the context here in Philippians. We have just finished looking at chapter 2, where the focus was on the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (2:5).

In other words, have the same attitude that Jesus had. That attitude is the secret of the first four verses of chapter 2, which emphasize the unity among believers in the local church. Ultimately, the only way we will be likeminded is by demonstrating the mind of Christ. When it comes to thinking the same thing, we are to think as Jesus thinks. The goal does not begin with all of us trying to think the same thing. Rather, as we think like Jesus thinks, as we conform our attitude to His, we will find that we are indeed thinking the same thing. What we must understand is that there is a standard for this thinking the same thing, and the standard is the mind of Christ. It is only as we are conformed to His way of thinking that we will be able to esteem others better than self and look on the things of others.

The verses that follow verse 5 bless us with the details of Jesus’ attitude. Though He was equal with God, He humbled Himself, being made in the likeness of men. He not only came into this world as a man, but He made Himself a servant of all. But even that was not low enough. Jesus obeyed His Father even to the point of death. It was not any death, but death on the cross. It was there that He became the propitiation for sin, taking upon Himself the wrath of God. What humility; what sacrifice; what unswerving obedience.

But praise God that isn’t the end of the story. “Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:9-11). Jesus came into this world and took the lowest place, that He might effectively deal with sin by becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God, but when He comes again, every eye will see Him and every knee will bow before Him. He will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And those of us who have suffered with Him will also reign with Him (II Tim. 2:12).

Then in verses 12-16 we see the results of the mind of Christ. Because that same Jesus lives in us who have been reconciled to God by Him, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We are to live out day by day what God has put in us. We are to faithfully bring to completion that which He has begun. But how can we do such a thing? It is because God works in us, to give us both the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. No, it won’t be easy. There will be plenty of opposition, but even in the midst of that opposition, we are to do all things without grumbling and questioning, so that we will be blameless and pure and without blemish. That is the picture of God’s children. No we aren’t there yet, but that is where God is taking us, as He conforms us to the image of His Son. This working out of our own salvation without murmurings and disputings doesn’t take place in heaven, but right here in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. In that dark setting, we shine forth as lights, like the stars in the universe. As we shine in the way we live, we hold out to people the Word of life, the truth about our Lord Jesus. Then in the last half of the chapter we had three shining examples of men who demonstrated the mind of Christ -- Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. Praise God for those individuals who encourage us by showing us that living out the attitude of Christ is not some heavenly dream, but it can be a present reality.

It is against that background that we encounter the warnings here in the first part of chapter 3. Brothers and sisters, don’t get tired of such warnings. They are a vital part of God’s Word. It is a blessing to preach through books of the Bible, because in doing so we let God choose the subject matter. Yes, there is great encouragement, especially in the last half of chapter 2, but then we have the stern and bold warning here at the beginning of chapter 3. Paul wanted his Philippian brothers and sisters to follow his own example and the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus in living out the mind of Christ, but he was well aware that there were false teachers whose insidious work would undermine them at every turn. Paul can’t ignore that danger; he must deal with it head on.

Nowhere does he deal with it more thoroughly and bluntly than in his letter to the Galatians. So I call your attention to these passages to emphasize how seriously Paul took these false teachings. We will talk more about the nature of these teachings and try to make application from them next week. For now, let’s turn to Galatians and hear the great concerns of the apostle Paul. Let’s begin with the classic passage from Gal. 1:6-9 (ESV)…

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

That word “accursed” (anaqema) is very strong. It speaks of destruction. In Acts 23:14 those who were trying to kill Paul said, “We have cursed ourselves with a curse (Anaqemati aneqematisamen) if we taste any food until we have killed Paul.” Here in Galatians 1 Paul is saying that anyone who preaches such a “gospel” should be doomed to destruction. And what “gospel” is he talking about? Any gospel that differs from what he taught. In this context, any gospel but the gospel of grace, any gospel that adds anything to what Jesus did through His death and resurrection. Paul opens the letter by pronouncing this strong curse on anyone who promotes this false teaching.

But how was Paul so sure that his gospel was the truth and nothing but the truth? 1:11-12, “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Paul maintained that he got his gospel straight from Jesus Himself. How could the false teachers possibly argue with a claim like that? By questioning the credentials of Paul. “So just who is this Paul? Isn’t he the one who defected from Judaism, the true religion?” Paul spends the rest of chapter 1 and most of chapter 2 explaining and defending his apostleship. He wasn’t defending himself as much as he was defending the true gospel by going back to his calling and his faithfulness as an apostle.

In chapters 3-5 Paul gives a powerful explanation of how justification through faith delivers from condemnation by the law, but even in this section he shares some pointed words about his opponents. Let me read to you from chapter 4, where we see both Paul’s love for the Galatians and how much he despised those who were hindering them. 4:12-19 ESV…

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Notice in verse 17 how Paul suddenly introduces the false teachers by abruptly saying, “They…” At first, we want to say, “Who?” Understand that these Judaizing opponents are never far from his mind.

We need little explanation when we come to this passage in chapter 5, because Paul makes himself quite clear. 5:7-12 ESV…

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

And finally let’s read from 6:11-15 ESV…

See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

When it came to dealing with these false teachers who were threatening to destroy God’s little lambs, Paul was tenacious.

Conclusion

I realize we spent a lot of time laying a background this morning, but I believe we will find it very helpful when we launch into the threefold warning of verse 2. Lord willing, that is where we will be next Sunday.

I would encourage you to read Galatians this week. It doesn’t take long, as there are less than 150 verses in the entire letter. As you begin to read, keep in mind this background we have laid down. Then be chewing on Phil. 3:2, “Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the concision.” That’s where we will spend most of our time next week.

May God give us grace to meditate on the gospel of grace.