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Philippians
3:1-7;
1Finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again
is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Beware
of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3for
we are the true
circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus
and put no confidence in the flesh, 4although
I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a
mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5circumcised
the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a
Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6as
to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in
the Law, found blameless. 7But
whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for
the sake of Christ.
A.
A Cause to Rejoice
vs. 1a
“Finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord”
1.
Their Cause to Rejoice in the News of Timothy
Philippians
2:19; But
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also
may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
2.
Their Cause to Rejoice in the News of Epaphroditus
Philippians
2:29, 30; 29Receive
him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30because
he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to
complete what was deficient in your service to me.
3.
Their Cause to Rejoice in Name of Christ
Philippians
2:1,2; 1Therefore
if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of
love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and
compassion, 2make
my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,
united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Paul,
in a similar manner, encouraged the saints in Corinth;
2nd
Corinthians 13:11;
Finally,
brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in
peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Christ
is our peace and the joy of His salvation overcomes all circumstances we
are called upon to face.
B.
A
Creed to Reject
vs. 1b-3
1.
Paul’s Warning as a Doctrinal Safeguard;
“To
write the same things again
is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.”
Paul
put aside any inconvenience to himself and thought it needful to warn them
for their own safety.
2.
Paul’s Warning as a Doctrinal Lesson;
vs. 2
& Beware
of the dogs
Dogs
were
regarded by Jews as despised and unclean creatures; it was common for
orthodox Jews to refer to Gentiles as “dogs”; however, here Paul
switched the designation to refer not to Gentiles but to an extreme
faction in the church.*
& Beware
of the evil workers
The
Jews regarded themselves as good workers, not evil workers, because they
kept the law. Paul labeled them as evil, not because they were immoral,
but because reliance on the law lessened their reliance on God.*
& Beware
of the false circumcision
Finally,
he called them “those who mutilate the flesh.” Some Jewish
Christians wrongly believed that it was essential for Gentiles to follow
all the Old Testament Jewish laws, especially submission to the rite of
circumcision (which Paul here calls “mutilating” the flesh), in order
to receive salvation. The Greek word for circumcision is peritome,
but Paul refused to use it here; instead he used katatome,
which refers to pagan mutilation of the flesh.*
3.
Paul’s Warning as a Doctrinal Lesson; vs. 3a
3for
we are the true | 
