PHILIPPIANS 3
Survey of the chapter
The apostle feels the need to warn the Philippians of the dangers posed by those who would seek to undermine the gospel by adding law-works to it. These people were of two sorts, as we learn from Acts 15. There were those who taught that “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved”, Acts 15:1. These said that, in effect, a Gentile had to become a Jewish proselyte before he could get saved. This amounted to adding a law-work to the gospel before salvation. Others said, (and it was some of the believers who had once been Pharisees who said this, therefore probably known to Paul), “That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses”, verse 5. This amounted to adding commitment to law-works after salvation.
The apostles and elders had come together at Jerusalem to consider these matters, but the Jews were still a threat to the believers, and so the apostle writes to warn the Philippians, and us, of the danger of adding the law to the gospel in any way.
The gospel of the grace of God does not undermine the law of Moses, but it is not possible to add works to the gospel, or else, in the apostle’s words, “grace is no more grace”, Romans 11:6. The apostle is emphatic that “ye are not under the law, but under grace”, Romans 6:14. Grace, by definition, is unmerited, but law-works, by definition, suppose expected merit. The life of the believer who walks according to the Spirit will not infringe any of the legal requirements of the law, (even though the ceremonial of the law such as the sabbath is not followed), but will fulfil the righteous requirements of God as set out in the law, Romans 8:4.
The reason why the apostle was so concerned about the effect of the teaching of the Judaizers was that it would hinder the progress of the believers. Conversion is only the beginning for the Christian. It is God’s will that we should progress in the knowledge of Himself and His Son, and this will be prevented if the law becomes the rule of life.
Structure of the chapter
| (a) | Verses 1-3 | Paul’s appeal |
| (b) | Verses 4-6 | Paul’s attainments |
| (c) | Verses 7-9 | Paul’s assessment |
| (d) | Verses 10-16 | Paul’s ambition |
| (e) | Verses 17-21 | Paul’s anticipation |
(a) Verses 1-3
Paul’s appeal
3:1
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.
Finally, my brethren- the word for finally here is translated “furthermore” in 1 Thess. 4:1. It could be thought of as meaning “as to the rest”, so the apostle begins to deal with the other subjects he has on his mind.
Rejoice in the Lord- despite the good example of Paul, 2:17,18; Timothy, 2:19-24; and Epaphroditus, 2:25-30, they were not to rejoice in these, but in the One they followed. Caesar claimed the title of lord, but this is to be rejected. The psalmist exhorted us, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart”, Psalm 32:11, and Paul and Silas did this even when they were imprisoned in Philippi, Acts 16:25. Now Paul is imprisoned in Rome, but is still rejoicing.
To write the same things to you- a general statement that any truth may profitably be repeated. We need to be constantly reminded of the truths of the faith. All too often, important topics are not mentioned year after year. The local assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth, and the doctrines of the faith should be systematically and thoroughly taught there by those gifted to do so, 1 Timothy 3:14,15.
To me indeed is not grievous- we should not find the repetition of well-known truths tiresome or irksome, for the apostle did not.
But for you it is safe- constantly repeated truth has a preservative effect on the soul. By contrast, the next verse speaks of the danger of error. The best antidote to error is the clear presentation of the truth.
3:2
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Beware of dogs- the apostle now issues a threefold warning. In verse 8 he will describe how he has counted his attainments in Judaism as dung, with the word meaning, “that which is thrown to the dogs”. So the ones he describes as dogs would appreciate his achievements; they must be Jews therefore. The dogs in an Eastern town were unclean, untamed, and unscrupulous, a fit description of the character of Judaisers. To a Jew, a dog was an uncircumcised Gentile; Paul turns the tables.
There does not seem to have been a synagogue at Philippi, for Paul’s usual practice was to seek a hearing in such a place. However, Luke tells us they went down to the riverside, where certain women were praying. The Jews could not form a synagogue congregation unless there were ten men available.
At Philippi the persecution that always followed the preaching of the gospel came from those who made their living taking advantage of the girl with the spirit of divination. It was different at the next stop on their journey, Thessalonica, for Luke tells us there was a synagogue there, (in contrast to Philippi), and the Jews stirred up trouble, Acts 17:5-9. As a result Paul moved on to Berea, and even there the Jews from Thessalonica pursued him, verses 13-15, so Paul left and went to Athens. This was the pattern during the apostle’s journeys, for the Jews hated the gospel he preached, and regarded him as a traitor and an apostate. It was because of their hostility that he eventually found himself in prison in Rome, see Acts 21:27-29; 22:30; 23:12-15; 24:1, and 25:6-12.
Because the apostle saw the consequences of the teaching that these men brought, he was free to give them a label usually reserved for uncircumcised Gentiles, (like Goliath, for instance, 1 Samuel 17:26,36), because for all their claims to holiness, they were in fact unclean, like the dogs that roamed the streets. And far from being governed by the law, they were untamed beasts. And far from being a spiritual help to men, they were ridden with the disease of error and hypocrisy. Note how the Jews, dog-like, hunted Stephen down, and hounded him to death, (“ran upon him with one accord”, Acts 7:57), just as they did his Saviour, Psalm 22:16,20.
Beware of evil workers- there is no reason to believe that these men are different from the dogs, or the concision. These are descriptions of the same people, looked at from different angles. As dogs, they appreciate the things Paul threw away. As evil-workers, they claimed to be zealous for the law, yet were nonetheless evil. By calling them workers, the apostle highlights the fact that they were keen on the works of the law, (they were “works-men”), but by their attitude to Paul and the gospel they showed that they had no spiritual life, and by their persecution of him showed that they were evil.
Beware of the concision- two words are used in these verses, concision and circumcision. The “cision” part of both words denotes a cutting, but a different preposition precedes them. The preposition for concision is “kata”, meaning “along”, whereas the one for circumcision is “circum”, meaning “around”. So one sort of cutting was partial, merely cutting along, whereas the other was complete, being a cut that is full-circle. Circumcision as a physical rite was carried out on Jewish male children on the eighth day of their lives, (the day we are least likely to bleed to death), and was a cutting round and a cutting off of part of the flesh. By describing Jews as the ones “cut along”, rather than “cut around”, the apostle is pinpointing the fact that the physical ceremony was not all that God had in mind for those who believe, and as such was not a full cutting round and off. In the epistle to the Romans we learn that “he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcisiion which is outward in the flesh: 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”, Romans 2:28,29. So circumcision was not meant to be an end in itself, (it was a partial cutting off), whereas the gospel of the cross brings into the full meaning, (the complete cutting round).
Circumcision as ordained by God had a variety of meanings. There was the circumcision of Abraham, and for him, circumcision was the mark of faith in God, or as the apostle puts it, “a sign of the righteousness of the faith which he had being yet uncircumcised”, Romans 4:11. There was the circumcision of Ishmael, which simply meant that he had descent from Abraham, but was not a sign and seal of faith, Genesis 17:20-23. There was the circumcision of Moses, being the sign of a people who had committed themselves to keeping the law given at Sinai. Then there was the circumcision of Joshua, by which the reproach of Egypt was rolled away, Joshua 5:2-9. Then finally there is the circumcision of Christ, for as the apostle wrote, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”, Colossians 2:11. The cross has cut us off from the world, and from the law, and is a complete thing, full-circle, and not partial and therefore incomplete. It is also totally spiritual in character, being made without hands, for it is God’s doing, being the application of the doctrine of the cross, with its separating power. Those who were the concision belonged to a system of things that did not bring them into full separation to God.
3:3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
For we are the circumcision- the apostle is writing to those who were probably all Gentiles before they got saved, (although some of the women by the riverside in Philippi were probably Jewesses). The Jews became known as “the circumcision”, because of God’s requirement that their male children be physically circumcised, to represent the fact that God had separated them off from the rest of the nations when He chose Abraham, and their distinguishing mark was that they had His Law, hence to be “of the circumcision” meant to be a Hebrew and to be under the Law. See Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3; Joshua 5:7. Yet Paul does not hesitate to describe believers who were not necessarily physically circumcised as “the circumcision”.
There is no hint here of trying to accommodate the Jewish false teachers. There is direct confrontation, the denial that they are truly circumcised, and the assertion that Christians are truly circumcised. As those who have had the truth of the work of Christ on the cross applied to them by the Spirit, they may claim to be fully separated to God, cut off even from the law, as well as the world.
Which worship God in the spirit- the service of God involves the whole of our activity, not just when gathered together. It consists of spiritual exercises, not ceremony and ritual which a natural man may engage in. When the Samaritan woman brought up the subject of worship, the Lord was able to unfold to her precious truths on the subject. Notice how the conversation went, as recorded in John 4:
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John 4:19 John 4:20 And ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship- she believes that He is a Jew, and therefore puts the emphasis on the word “ye”, meaning, “ye Jews”. She is about to discover that whilst He will defend the Old Testament worship engaged in by Israel, for it was ordained of God, He will introduce her to something far better. There is no reason to suggest that she was using the question of where to worship as a means of evading the question of sin, for she has repented by this time. John 4:21 With these words the Lord Jesus emphasizes two things. First, that worship will be open to women on the same basis as it will be to men. Both the Samaritan and Jewish system allowed only the men a prominent part. All this is to change. Second, those who worship God in the future will not rely on natural, seen things to help them. Those who subsequently believed in Israel were greatly tried by the fact that they had no visible temple and altar. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews encourages them by asserting that entrance into the presence of God is in the full assurance of faith, so they need have no misgivings about leaving the visible, earthly temple behind, see Hebrews 10:22. The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father- first of all, there is information for her as a Samaritan worshipper. He announces with authority that there is a time coming when she will not worship on the top of Mount Gerizim. But that does not mean she will transfer to Jerusalem. Something far more radical than that awaits. The hour referred to is this present age, whose beginning was marked by two things. First, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, by which He set aside the things of the First Covenant, Hebrews 10:1-14. Second, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, that He might indwell God’s people and empower them to worship. Note the way in which God is described here. When Abraham was at Shechem, he built an altar to the Lord, or Jehovah, who had appeared to him, Genesis 12:6,7. When Jacob was there, he built an altar to El-Elohe-Israel, or God, the God of Israel, Genesis 33:18-20. Now the Lord Jesus is near Shechem, and speaks of the worship of the Father. It is the same God who is spoken of in each instance, but revealed in a different way. The highest revelation of God that there ever could be is through His own Son, John 1:18. Hence He is to be worshipped in His character as Father. How profound are the truths being revealed to this Gentile Samaritan woman! John 4:22 We know what we worship- the Lord Jesus defends the Old Testament system of worship as being one where God revealed Himself to His worshippers, and clearly set out His requirements if they were going to know Him and worship Him. This the Samaritans had rejected by building a rival temple, even though they accepted the books of Moses as Scripture. For salvation is of the Jews– The Jews had been protected from idolatry by God, and as such, ideally, were an example of that salvation from false worship which the other nations of the earth should have learnt from their example. John 4:23 And now is- now we know what the Lord Jesus was doing as He “sat thus on the well”. Without adopting any special posture; or putting on special clothes; with no temple or altar, He, wearied by His journey, worshipped God in the energy of the Spirit of God. As such, He becomes the example of a present-day true worshipper of God, who needs no earthly means to enable worship to be given to God. When the true worshippers- so this new mode of worship will render all others outmoded. Only Christian worship is “true”, that is, corresponds to reality. Hebrews 8:2 says that the Lord Jesus is now the minister in the true tabernacle, and in spirit those who worship God are able to come into that sanctuary. Shall worship the Father in spirit– they will be enabled to enter into the very presence of God in heaven, by the power of the Spirit of God. They will not need the things of time and sense to help them, (the things which the natural man appreciates), but their faith will lay hold on spiritual realities. And in truth- the idea of the word is that of full development. Now that the Lord Jesus has made God manifest, the ideal situation has arrived. The Lord Jesus accused those of His day of drawing near to God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him, Matthew 15:8, but the true worshippers will come to God in sincerity and reality. They will also come near to God in submission to the truth which He has revealed about Himself, and not be influenced by error. For the Father seeketh such to worship him- how affecting to the hearts of God’s people that they are in a position to satisfy this strong desire on the part of their Father. He had made man so he might glorify Him, but Adam and his race seek their own glory. There has been a blessed Man down here, however, who could honestly say that He sought the glory of Him who had sent Him, John 7:18; 8:49,50. John 4:24 And they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth- not only does the Father seek this sort of worshipper, as verse 23 indicates, but now we learn that these are the only ones that can worship Him aright, they must worship like this if they are to worship at all. |
We return to Philippians 3, where the apostle continues to list the things the true circumcision does.
And rejoice in Christ Jesus- not in self, but in the Risen and Ascended One, who passed through death and has gone into heaven, separating us from the sphere of the Law, and introducing us to heavenly things. As John 4 indicates, the Father is the seeker of worship, the Spirit is the sustainer of worship, and the Son is the subject of worship. We are enabled to worship God as our minds are filled with truth as to His person, for to see Him is to see the Father, John 14:9. As he goes on to show, the apostle could have boasted about many things, but he has given them all up in favour of rejoicing in Christ Jesus.
And have no confidence in the flesh- the apostle was not confident that the flesh, (either of himself or of another man), could help at all in the worship of God. True worship can only be offered by those who have the Spirit of God within them, which is why the conversation in John 4 began with the matter of the gift of the Spirit. Unless He is within the heart, and is “springing up into everlasting life”, ranging over the full extent of the things of God, then there is no material with which to worship God. The Judaisers did have confidence in the flesh, priding themselves on their advance in religion, thinking this gave them merit before God.
(b) Verses 4-6
Paul’s attainments
3:4
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh- Paul had excelled above many of his fellows in his zeal for the Jews’ religion, Galatians 1:13,14. Not only did he excel academically in Judaism, but he surpassed all others in his zeal in promoting it. But he now advances his experience as a powerful argument against Judaism. If he who excelled them all saw the need to renounce it, how much more should those less advanced give up mere religion in favour of faith in Christ.
If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more- to prove this, the apostle now lists a catalogue of eight things in which he might have confidence. Four are his by birth, (meeting the objection of the Jews), and four are by his own achievement, (meeting the objections of proselytes from the Gentiles). Each one has the idea of separation involved in it with increasing force, until the climax is reached where Saul of Tarsus stands alone, towering over his fellow religionists, just as his name-sake King Saul in the Old Testament stood shoulders and upward above his fellows physically, 1 Sam. 9:2.
3:5
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Circumcised the eighth day- so he was not one converted to Judaism in later life, but born into it. The Rabbis taught that to be descended from Abraham and Isaac, and to be circumcised, guaranteed a place in Messiah’s kingdom. This explains why Nicodemus was so puzzled when the Lord told him that he would not even see the kingdom, let alone enter it, unless he was born again, John 3:1-8.
Of the stock of Israel- so he was not the son of a Gentile who had gone over to Judaism and who had circumcised his son in the Jewish way. He was descended, not just from Abraham and Isaac, but from Jacob as well, showing he was not a descendant of Esau, who could claim descent from Abraham and Isaac.
Israel is a name of dignity, (whereas Jew is a name of disgrace, being given to Israelites just before the Captivity, during it, and since), and also the name of destiny, for Messiah is King of Israel. Jacob’s name was changed because he proved himself to be a prince with God, the meaning of the name Israel, Genesis 32:24-28. As Moses said, “What nation is there so great which hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law”? Deuteronomy 4:8.
Of the tribe of Benjamin- this is the tribe that remained with David and formed, with the tribe of Judah, the Southern Kingdom known as”Judah”. It was noted for its warriors, its zeal, and its commitment. No doubt Paul, (otherwise known as Saul) was named after Israel’s first king, who was from the tribe of Benjamin.
An Hebrew of the Hebrews- that is, he was a Hebrew of Hebrew parents. There was a broad division in Israel between Hellenists, those who embraced aspects of Greek culture, (in other words, were worldly), and Hebrews, who refused to do this, and cherished the Old Testament way of life. The parents of Saul were of the latter class, and he was content to be the same. At this point the list of achievents is wholly about himself, not his descent.
As touching the law, a Pharisee- these men were the ultra-orthodox in Israel, compared to the Sadducees who were the liberals, and the Herodians who were the political party. See Acts 22:1-3; 23:6-9; 26:5. The Lord Jesus had much to say about the Pharisees, especially their hypocrisy. See, for instance, Matthew 23:1-36.
3:6
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church- he really believed that Christians were blasphemers because they taught the Deity of Christ. He was so zealous for the idea of One God, (he would probably recite Deuteronomy 6:4,5 twice a day), that he would not rest until they were stoned to death as the Law of Moses commanded blasphemers should be. By “the church” is meant the church at Jerusalem, Acts 8:1.
Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless- we might have thought that this would be listed after the fact that he was a Pharisee, but the persecution of the church comes next, and then this phrase. This shows that he believed he was free of any blame before the law even whilst he was persecuting the church. In fact, he saw the persecution of Christians as doing God service, as Christ said would happen, John 16:2.
In verse 9 he contrasts his own righteousness, which was of the law, with the righteousness which is through faith in Christ. He had to discover that “except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven”, Matthew 5:20. The word “blameless” means that no fault was found, so the question is of fellow-Pharisees examining his life, and not finding outward fault. As he claimed in Acts 23:1, “I have lived in all conscience before God until this day”. And in 2 Tim 1:3, “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience”. Saul of Tarsus really thought that his life and activity was acceptable to God.
All these items gave confidence to the flesh, and also show an ascending order of separateness from others. In this way they illustrate what concision was, as opposed to circumcision. Saul was cut off from other men, but not cut off fully in separation to God. Those who are spiritually circumcised are cut off from all men, and are totally free from the bondage of the traditions of men.
As circumcised the eighth day, he was separate from proselytes.
As being of the stock of Israel, he was separate from the sons of proselytes.
As of the tribe of Benjamin, he was separate from the unfaithful ten tribes.
As an Hebrew, he was separate from Greek culture, even though brought up at Tarsus.
As the child of Hebrews, he was separate by upbringing, being taught Old Testament ways by his parents.
As a Pharisee he was separate from the Sadducees and the Herodians.
As one who persecuted the church, he was separate from the indifferent majority in Israel.
As blameless, he was separate from blame, as he and others thought.
(c) Verses 7-9
Paul’s assessment
3:7
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
But what things were gain to me- as Saul of Tarsus, he really valued his pre-conversion achievements, seeing them as positive and meaningful.
Those I counted loss for Christ- on the Damascus Road the Deity of Christ was revealed to him, and he realised the evil of his ways, and also that what Stephen had said was right, namely, that Israel were uncircumcised in heart, and were resisting the Holy Spirit, Acts 7:51-53. It was not just that he now saw his achievents as valueless, but that they were liabilities, for they rendered him the chief of sinners, as he himself says later, 1 Timothy 1:15. It is the value of the person of Christ that has totally altered his thinking, for he thinks former things are loss compared to Him. He now recognises that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah, the Christ, and as such is the subject of Old Testament prophecy.
3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Yea doubtless- he is still very sure that his estimation of things is correct. Nothing, not even the opposition of the Jews, had made him change his mind.
I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord- he had looked back to his change of outlook on the Damascus Road and said “I counted”, verse 7. Now he says “I count”, for his attitude has not altered. He has not been disappointed by Christ. In verse 7 he thinks of the things he lists in verses 5 and 6, but now it is all things, for his conviction has been strengthened. We might think of his Roman citizenship, his education, his intellectual ability, but all these were now a positive disadvantage compared to the knowledge of Christ.
The “all things” could also include the things he was noted for, such as being a “blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious”, 1 Timothy 1:13. He had consented to Stephen’s death, Acts 8:1, and breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, Acts 9:1. All these things he puts together and declares them to be a liability, not an asset, so changed is his thinking.
The knowledge of who Jesus really is surpasses everything that the Rabbis could teach him, for that knowledge is not the result of intellectual effort, but comes through having eternal life, which gives the believer the capacity to know God and Jesus Christ. He confesses to Timothy that he did what he did to believers because of ignorance, 1 Timothy 1:13.
He now knows Jesus of Nazareth as Christ Jesus, the One who is risen and glorified, and who therefore has had all His claims vindicated by God. As a consequence, he does not hesitate to call Him “my Lord”, for as the psalm says, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand”, Psalm 110:1. It was this psalm that was Christ’s final word to the Pharisees, but they either did not understand His meaning, or rejected the meaning, Matthew 22:41-46. But now the truth has dawned on one of their number.
For whom I have suffered the loss of all things- he suffered the loss of all things, so it was not just that he thought these things to be loss, but nonetheless kept them; nor is it that he thought them to be loss casually and without feeling. It really cost him something to reckon them to be loss, and to act upon that reckoning. Paul no doubt lost many friends when he became a believer. It may even be that, if he was married, then his wife left him when he was converted.
And do count them but dung- by “dung” Paul means “that which is thrown to the dogs”, which, as we have noted in connection with verse 2, indicates that the dogs he refers to in that verse are those who would appreciate his achievements, and wish that they were theirs. He treats his former glories as if they were shame. Note he still speaks in the present tense.
That I may win Christ- the word for “win” is the verbal form of the word translated “gain” in verse 7. So having counted his former gains as loss, he is now going in for the true gain, which is to know and appreciate Christ in the various ways he will enumerate in verses 10 and 11.
He had spent his unsaved days gaining prestige for himself, now he devotes the rest of his life to gaining Christ, that is, laying hold in practical terms, of the things of Christ. The things we have are to be held. For example, we have eternal life, John 5:24, but we are to lay hold of it, 1 Timothy 6:12. We are linked eternally to our Head in heaven, but we are to be “holding the head”, Colossians 2:19, meaning we should be drawing resources from Him to enable us to be intelligent testimony bearers to Him. By doing this we shall advance in the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, which knowledge is surpassingly excellent.
3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
And be found in him- the apostle was confident that he, as far as his position before God was concerned, was “in Christ”, so that God looked at Paul and saw Christ. But the apostle desires more. He wants to be found in Him. He had been examined by his fellow Jews and was thought of as blameless, verse 6, but he wants to be found to be a true believer. What characterises a true believer he tells us in the next phrases.
Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law- this was how he was found or discovered by men.
But that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith- this is the first thing he desires to be found as having. This position is the direct opposite of having the external righteousness of the law, which he had before. That depended on his own efforts at law-works. Now he is depending on Christ, for the faith of Christ, or faith that is vitally linked to Christ, is his ground of confidence now. But this is only the beginning. When he was setting out the principles of the gospel in the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle quotes the words of Habakkuk, “the just shall live by faith”, Romans 1:17. This might have sounded an inappropriate verse to quote, because it concerned believers, (“the just”), living by faith after coming into a relationship with God, (summed up in the word “live”). But the point is that the Christian life is continued as it begins, by faith, and this is the apostle’s point here. The believer has as his foundation his faith in Christ, but that means several aspects of things concerning Christ open up to view. Considered together, they form what he will call “the mark”, verse 14. The things relative to Christ that he desires to know are as follows:
1. The satisfaction of being found in Him.
2. The knowledge of Christ personally.
3. The power of His resurrection.
4. The fellowship of His sufferings.
5. The conformation to His death.
6. The attainment of the resurrection of the dead in practical terms.
7. The involvement in the high calling of God.
3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
That I may know him- the Lord Jesus made clear that to have eternal life was to know God, and Jesus Christ, John 17;3. But there is more than an initial knowing of God through the first exercise of faith, for the word “that” He uses means “in order that”. So there is the initial knowledge of God and Christ, and this is the start of a process of getting to know them. So when the apostle expresses here the desire to know Christ, he is saying he is aiming to mature and grow spiritually. To put himself under the law will prevent maturity, for the law is for slaves, not sons, Galatians 4:1-3. The apostle John indicated that to know “him that is from the beginning”, meaning Christ, was to be a father in the family of God, 1 John 2: This means there had been progress from simply being infants, through to being young men, and finally to being fathers. This progress is made as we consider Christ as He is presented to us in the gospel records. As John tells us, he and his fellow apostles wrote down what they personally saw and heard so that we might have fellowship with them in the things of Christ, 1 John 1:3. The other things listed in our passage are learned as we read the rest of the New Testament, for it is there that further truth is unfolded to us.
And the power of his resurrection- the teaching of the apostle as he wrote to the Ephesians was that the power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that is “to usward who believe”, Ephesians 1:19,20. The Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in us, according to Romans 8:11, so we have the power within us to live lives that are clear from our past life, with its trespasses and sins. Physical circumcision could never cut us off in this way, but spiritual circumcision, the circumcision of Christ, can and does do this. There are evil forces at work seeking to frustrate the desire for this power to be realised, but the superior power put forth to raise Christ is available, even the energising power of the Spirit of God, who enables the Christian life to be lived effectively.
And the fellowship of his sufferings- we cannot share Christ’s penal sufferings, but we may share His martyr-sufferings endured because of His stand for the truth. Those who caused Him most suffering were the representatives of the law of Moses. The apostle could write to the Galatians, (the premier epistle for warnings about going back to the law), “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the cross ceased”, Galatians 5:11. To preach circumcision is to preach works, and this the Judaisers would have approved of. To preach the cross, however, is to preach that man cannot save himself, but must rely on the work of Another at Calvary. This provokes opposition, for man proudly thinks he can please God by his own efforts.
Being made conformable unto his death- the apostle’s aim is to allow the principles involved in the death of Christ to shape his life, conduct and attitude. We are dead to the law by the body of Christ, (that is, by the sequence of events His body experienced, on the cross, in the tomb, in resurrection), Romans 7:1-4. By His death, and our association with it, Christ has severed our links with Adam’s world, so that we are free to be involved in the things of Himself, which are the other side of death.
3:11
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
If by any means- this does not mean that the apostle used every device he could think of to attain the resurrection of the dead. He is referring, rather, to the spiritual means or resources that God uses to enable the believer to live effectively for him, and hence to “attain”, the word meaning to “arrive at the end of the journey”. We could think of some of those means as being the possession of eternal life; the indwelling of the Spirit; the availability of the word of God; the fellowship and encouragement of other believers; the certain hopes which the believer has which spur him on; the remembrance of the Lord Jesus at the Lord’s Supper, a constant reminder of Christ’s perseverance on the pathway; the example of former saints. All these are means God uses to encourage on the pathway of progress.
I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead- the resurrection of the dead is a sure hope of the true believer, and he does not have to make a certain amount of progress in Divine things before he qualifies. The Lord Jesus made it clear that “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live”, John 5:25. In other words, all those, (for He lays down no conditions to His promise), who are in the good of the truth of the previous verse with regard to everlasting life and not coming into judgement, shall respond to the voice of the Son of God at the rapture. In this way they shall take part in the first resurrection. But this cannot be what the apostle is referring to here, for the rising from the dead of believers does not depend on their attainments, and they are the subject of the passage.
The clue to the meaning is found in the word he uses, which is not the normal one for resurrection, but one which is intensified in meaning, giving the literal sense of the out-resurrection of the dead. The emphasis being on the “out”. When we were baptized, we emerged out of the waters “to walk in newness of life”, Romans 6:5. Thereafter, as those who are risen with Christ, we should “seek those things which are above…for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”, Colossians 3:1,3.
So the proper life of the believer is the other side of death, spiritually speaking, and the cross of Christ has circumcised us, cutting us off completely from former things. So when the apostle hopes to attain to the resurrection of the dead, he is saying he is striving to live the sort of life that is suitable for resurrection conditions, because that will mean he is living as if the resurrection has taken place already. The clear emergence out of death that will be realised actually when Christ comes, may be anticipated morally now, as we go in for the things connected with a resurrected Saviour.
This verse does not support the idea of a partial rapture, the notion that only some believers will go when the Lord comes. The apostle is very definite when he writes “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed”, 1 Corinthians 15:51, and when he describes Christ as the one “who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him”, 1 Thessalonians 5:10. 3:12. “Wake” in that verse means “watch”, and “sleep” means “to not be alert”, so even believers who are not watchful and alert, (regrettable though that condition is), will be taken at the rapture.
3:12
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Not as though I had already attained- there are three different words all translated “attain” in this chapter. In verse 11, attain means “arrive at”. In this verse 12, attain means “received the prize” (at the end of the race). In verse 16, attain means “to reach with difficulty”. It we had asked Saul on the Damascus road if he had “arrived”, and “obtained the prize”, he would have cited his achievements in Judaism, climaxing in being chosen to spear-head the persecution of believers. Now he realises that that sort of life did not give him true insight into Divine things, for only Christ can do that, so he now strives to obtain the prize of gaining Christ.
Either were already perfect- that is, he had not reached the goal of knowing Him, for that is a life-time’s occupation. If he had reached the goal, he would have gained the prize.
But I follow after- he is pressing on, undeterred by the long way to go in reaching the goal.
If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus- having been laid hold of by Christ at conversion, (in his case on the Damascus Road), he now desires that the purpose for which that happened, namely the knowing of the things of verse 9 and 10, may be realised.
3:13
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Brethren- the name common to all believers. The chapter may be divided with reference to this title, used in verses 13 and 17. He uses it here to arrest attention, for we might have difficulty believing that the apostle had not apprehended, but he assures us solemnly that it is so. If that is true of Paul as a brother, it is true of all the brethren, that is, all believers.
I count not myself to have apprehended- he does not reckon (count) that he has yet achieved the end for which he was saved. We must beware of thinking that getting saved and thus being ready for heaven is the whole of the Christian life. There is much to learn and to do and to be before heaven is reached. We must beware of being content with our progress thus far.
But this one thing I do- he now has only one aim in life; he is determined not to be distracted, having spent a good part of his life aiming for the wrong thing.
Forgetting those things which are behind- whether it be the things of verses 5 and 6, before he was saved, or the measure of progress since he was saved. “To rest on one’s laurels” is a saying taken from the Greek games, where the winner was awarded a laurel wreath. The athlete must continue to strive, and not rely on past achievements.
Reaching forth unto those things which are before- the things of verses 9-ll, summed up in the phrase “gain Christ”. The figure is of an athlete leaning forward as he strives to reach the goal. One of the biggest mistakes a runner can make is to look behind, for he will inevitably slacken his pace.
3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I press toward the mark- this is the same as “follow after” in verse 12. It is a sad thing if we have less zeal for good things now, than we had for evil things before we were saved. If it is a big mistake for an athlete to look round, it is an even bigger one for him to take his eye off the goal.
The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus- as with the expression “out-resurrection of the dead”, verse 11, the apostle wants the principle that will be at work when the saints are raised from the dead and raptured on high to heaven, to operate in their lives now. It will do so if they heed the apostle’s word to the Colossians, “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”, Colossians 3:2.
3:15
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded- the word translated “perfect” was used in the secular world for those initiated into the pagan mysteries, but used by the Holy Spirit of those who receive the truths of the faith, see 1 Corinthians 2:6. The apostle is directing his remarks to as many as have received the truths set out in verses 8-14, which speak of proper Christian ambition. He is appealing to them to allow those truths to influence their minds, and therefore their actions.
And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you- if any aspect of these truths has not been taken in, and therefore the mind is not fully persuaded, then the apostle is confident that God will reveal the truth to them if they are willing to receive it. He is greatly desirous that we might run a good race to His glory. As the prophet said, “Then shall ye know, if we follow on to know the Lord”, Hosea 6:3. Interestingly that verse comes after the one that speaks of being raised up on the third day and living in God’s sight.
3:16
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained- the word “nevertheless” is a combination of an alternative plus an extension of what has just been said. An alternative, because he turns from speaking of the future to refer to the past, an extension because verse 16 will affect the future, as will verses 13 and 14. He is thinking of the point which the believers have reached.
Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing- so as they survey the progress they have made in pressing toward the mark, they should resolve to walk by the same rule or set of principles that had governed them and the same way of thinking that had enabled them to progress as much as they had. They should walk and think in the same way going forward as they walked and thought up to that point, for that way of thinking and walking had resulted in genuine spiritual progress. So it is not so much a call for unity as for continuity.
(e) Verses 17-21
Paul’s anticipation
This final section may be thought of as follows:
| Verse 17 | The example of the apostle and those like him |
| Verses 18,19 | The enemies of the cross of Christ |
| Verses 20,21 | The expectation of the saints |
3:17
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Brethren, be followers together of me- they should be united together in their resolve to have the same commitment which they know from past experience to be in him. There was no doubt about that commitment, given his history as set out in verses 7-14.
Mark them which walk so- they should keep their eye on those who are sympathetic to apostolic doctrine. The apostles’ doctrine and fellowship go together, Acts 2:42, so they should only have fellowship with those who conform closely to that doctrine. “Evil communications corrupt good manners”, 1 Corinthians 15:33. In other words, the company we keep affects the way we think and act, whether we realise it or not.
As ye have us for an ensample- be constantly comparing even those who copy the apostle’s manner of life, to check they have not deviated. This is important in view of those of the next verse.
3:18
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
For many walk- sadly, not everyone had followed the instruction just given, and they were walking, or conducting their lives, in a way contrary to the doctrine of the apostles. The reference is to those who make a profession of being believers, for it would not be appropriate to say of the men of the world, “many walk”, for they all walk in the way he goes on to describe.
Of whom I have told you often- note the earnestness of the apostle for the welfare of the saints, for these of whom he speaks represent a danger to their soul’s best interests. This would perhaps suggest that the apostle wrote to the assemblies on a regular basis. The Philippians had sent gifts to him on several occasions, as we learn from Philippians 4:16, and we may safely assume that he sent a letter back to thank them. He would not have let pass the opportunity to warn them of the dangers that beset them.
And now tell you even weeping- the unchanged strong feeling of the apostle for the honour of Christ is evident here.
That they are the enemies of the cross of Christ- by the word “cross” he means a doctrine, not a piece of wood. The cross of Christ is not the gospel in general, but a specific separating doctrine found within the doctrine of the gospel. A crucified person was cut off out of the land of the living as being a disgrace. The cross brings out the hostility of the world to Christian things, and severs us from that world, freeing us to walk in relation to heaven. The men of whom the apostle speaks here are hostile to such truth, even if they claim to be believers. They are not necessarily enemies of Christ, (in which case they would be unbelievers, Romans 5:10), but are hostile to the doctrine of the cross, representing, as it does, a severe rebuke to their worldliness.
We recall the situation in the Corinthian assembly, with those who are thought of as believers, (“called a brother”, as the apostle puts it), being immoral, covetous, idolaters, railers, drunkards, extortioners, 1 Corinthians 5:11. We might have dismissed them as unbelievers, but the apostle instructs that they be put out of the assembly, and delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. They acted like the world, so they must be exposed to Satan’s world. If they come to their senses, then they will realise that they are indeed acting according to the flesh, and they will destroy that flesh by applying the truth of the cross of Christ to themselves. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts”, Galatians 5:24. If they do respond in this way, (as the immoral man did, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11), they will show themselves to be believers after all, and can be brought back as changed men into the assembly.
3:19
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Whose end is destruction- instead of the Christian’s goal of reward and joy at the end of the race, see 4:1, these have destruction, that is, loss of reward before them. They are those referred to in Matthew 7:13,14 who choose not to walk the narrow way, and as a consequence lose their life’s work.
Whose god is their belly- they worship self-interest and self-gratification. They seek to “gain the whole world”, but lose their own soul, Matthew 16:26. Covetousness is idolatry, Colossians 3:5. The word the apostle uses for belly is not the stomach, but the innermost being, as in John 7:38, “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”.
And whose glory is in their shame- the things they glory in are what they should regard as shameful. We are reminded of the Corinthian believers, who were allowing gross sin in the assembly, and the apostle has to say, “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned…your glorying is not good”, 1 Corinthians 5:2,6.
Who mind earthly things- they have no links with heaven, or if it should be they are true believers, they rise no higher than the earth in their minds. Jude refers to those in his day who professed to know God, but who were “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness”, Jude verse 4, thinking that the grace of God gave them a licence to live as they pleased, not realising that it only gives the opportunity to live as He pleases. See also Romans 3:8;6:1.
Summarising, we may note that they walk as those who are enemies.
The destruction of their life-achievements is their end.
They are self-centred, being marked by ego-mania.
They glory in what they should be ashamed about, such is their estimation.
They do not mind heavenly things, they are noted for earthly-mindedness.
3:20
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
For our conversation is in heaven- the “for” links back to verse 17, where the apostle is exhorting the saints to live as he did, and also to verse 19, where he refers to those who were not heavenly minded. The “our” would suggest one of two things. Either that those of verse 19 were not believers, or else their citizenship would also be in heaven. Or, that they were believers, but were not living according to their true calling, and Paul has to remind them what that calling is.
By “conversation”, the apostle means the heavenly state to which we as citizens belong, and where our allegiance lies. The word is not exactly the same as in 1:27, where a manner of life consistent with the mother-state was in view. He is using the fact that the citizens of Philippi lived in a colony, which derived its rights and privileges from Rome. Their city-state was Rome, the believer’s is heaven.
When the apostle writes “is in heaven”, the idea is that it really and presently exists in heaven; that is, it is a place to be reckoned with now, not just in the future. We are expected to live the life of the citizens of heaven now. To mind earthly things is to be untrue to our calling. Those who know the grace of God have Jerusalem which is above as their mother, whereas those still under law own allegiance to “Jerusalem which now is”, which is the earthly Jerusalem, the centre of Judaism. See Galatians 4:21-31.
From whence also- as well as having our proper place in the heavenly commonwealth, we also wait for Christ to emerge from it to save us.
We look for the Saviour- it is true that He is the only Saviour, but the emphasis here is that He is coming in His Saviour-character. The particular aspect of salvation in view is detailed for us in the next verse.
3:21
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Who shall change our vile body- our bodies will need to be altered if they are to be suited to heaven. The change of living saints is emphasised here, where we are on the earth looking heavenwards, whereas the change of the dead is emphasised in 1 Corinthians 15:42-54, where resurrection is the theme.
By “vile body” the apostle does not mean despicable or disgusting, in the modern sense of vile, but “body of low estate”, fitted for life upon earth. It is the word that Mary used of herself when she said God had “regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, Luke 1:48. James speaks of “vile raiment”, by which he means shabby clothing, James 2:2. The believer is going to be “clothed upon” in resurrection, 2 Corinthians 5:2, so our present shabby clothing will be exchanged for the goodly resurrection garment.
That it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body- not only does the purpose of God involve moral likeness to Christ, Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2, but also likeness to Him as to the body, whilst still retaining our own individuality. As we have “borne the image of the earthy”, (Adam, made from the dust), we shall also “bear the image of the heavenly”, (the risen Christ, who is coming as the Lord from heaven), 1 Corinthians 15:49. Believers wait for “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body”, Romans 8:23, the entrance into full and unfettered sonship, We shall be able to worship and serve in heaven unhindered by the limitations that this present body imposes upon us.
According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself- the change of the saints at the rapture is the signal for a transformation throughout the whole of creation, when Christ, the second Adam, takes up His dominion, and subdues all that is contrary to God, see Psalm 8, Hebrews 2:5-9, 1 Corinthians 15:21-28. Creation was made subject to vanity, Romans 8:20, but this was done by God in hope, for He purposed to rescue creation from its bondage once the last Adam was revealed at His second coming. Before that happens, the saints of this age shall feel the same power that will transform the whole of creation, so that when the manifestation of the sons of God takes place at Christ’s return to earth, they will be the sign of what God can and will do with the whole physical universe.
We learn from 1 Corinthians 15 the character of the resurrection body:
| Verse 36 | A quickened body |
| Verse 37 | A clothed body |
| Verse 38 | A sovereignly-given body |
| Verse 38 | A body with continued indentity |
| Verse 39 | A body suited to the nature |
| Verse 40 | A body suited to the environment to be lived in |
| Verse 41 | A body capable of radiating glory |
| Verse 46 | A superior body |
| Verses 47,48 | A suitable body |
| Verse 49 | A serviceable body |
|
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 Structure of the section
Summary of the section (a) Verse 50 1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren- the apostle asserts his personal authority as the steward of Divine mysteries. He also encourages the Corinthians to take note, by calling them brethren. That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God- in other words, the bodies of believers, (brethren), cannot enter into full inheritance in heaven as they are. Flesh and blood conditions are suited to the earth, but not heaven. Note it is a question of inheriting. The children of God are heirs, Romans 8:17, (another reason why he calls them brethren here, for they are members of the family of God), and they are about to receive the fulness of their inheritance. Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption– to be flesh and blood does not imply sin, (for after all Christ took part in flesh and blood, and He is sinless, Hebrews 2:14), but corruption does, for it reminds us that there has been a fall, with its consequent bondage of corruption for all of creation, including our bodies, Romans 8:18-23. “Flesh and blood cannot” indicates a physical impossibility, whilst “corruption doth not” indicates a moral impossibility. It is said of the holy city that “there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth”, Revelation 21:27. 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery- the word “show” as used here means to tell, or explain. A mystery in ancient times was a secret known only to the initiated, (called “the perfected”, see 1 Corinthians 2:6), and revealed by one specially authorised, see Ephesians 3:1-4. Paul acts in this capacity here as he unfolds the truth regarding the bodies of the saints who are still alive when the Lord comes. How are they going to share in the resurrection if they have not died before Christ’s coming? We shall not all sleep- that is, not all believers will pass into death, where the body sleeps, see John 11:11. The mystery is not about the fact that not all shall sleep, but about the fact that all shall be changed. We know that not all shall sleep because 1 Thessalonians 4:15, (written five years before 1 Corinthians), speaks of those who shall be alive at the coming of the Lord. In that passage Paul simply said that the living saints would be caught up with the saints who had died, but had now been raised from the dead. But we shall all be changed- whether dead or alive at Christ’s coming. The word change means to make other than it is. Paul does not use the word that speaks of the manifestation of inner reality which he employs in Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:29, no doubt because he is thinking of bodily changes only at this particular point in his argument. The ground of this change is that the believer’s body is indwelt by the Spirit of God; so Romans 8:11 reads, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive) your mortal (tending to death) bodies by (on account of) his Spirit that dwelleth in you”. Taking this passage and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 together, we see that dead saints shall rise first, the living will be changed, so that both classes stand momentarily upon the earth in bodies fit for heaven, and then they are caught up together to be with the Lord. Is this my reader’s hope? If it is not, then please re-read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, looking to God to reveal His truth to you. (b) Verse 52 1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment- the Greeks believed that they had discovered the smallest particle, so small that it could not be further divided; they called it “a-tomos”, meaning “not divisible”, and this is the word the apostle employs here. If we could imagine a period of time that could not be divided up, then we would have an idea of the rapidity with which the change will take place. It is not, therefore, a process, but speaks of indivisible time, preparing us for eternity. This has solemn moral implications for us, for there will be no time to make amends with others, nor to repent of sins before God. As the apostle John wrote, “He that hath this hope on him, purifieth himself”, 1 John 3:3. In the twinkling of an eye- which is not a blink, but the momentary change of the light in the eye. This tells of change that is so sudden that the eye cannot capture it. There will be an imperceptible change, preparing us for the changeless state. At the last trump- now we learn of an irresistible call. In 1 Corinthians 14:8 the apostle likens the ministry of Christ to His people as a trumpet sound preparing them for battle. He no doubt has in mind the uses to which the silver trumpets were put in Israel, in accordance with Numbers 10. They were for calling the assembly; for a signal to journey; to call the princes, and to sound an alarm for war. Clearly, at the coming of Christ it is a question of preparing to journey. Many have been the soundings of the trumpet down through the centuries, as Christ has led His people forward, but now there has come the last trump, for the last journey, this time from earth to heaven, is to be made. No doubt there is also an allusion to the Roman Army, with its first trumpet call to wake the troops, the second to pack up the tents, and the third or last trump, to move off. Those asleep in death will be awakened, those still alive will put off their present tabernacle, and all shall move off at the last trumpet call. For the trumpet shall sound- in Revelation 4:1 the apostle John heard a voice like a trumpet saying “Come up hither”, and he went through the opened door of heaven. Such shall be the experience of the saints. The apostle John heard the voice of the Lord as of a trumpet, Revelation 1:10,11, so no doubt Paul is alluding to the voice of the Son of God that shall wake the dead saints, John 5:25. And the dead shall be raised incorruptible- not only shall the bodies of believers not be corrupt, but shall be unable to be affected by corruption, assuring us the saints will never fall into sin. And we shall be changed- the apostle links himself with those alive at the Lord’s coming, such was the expectancy with which he anticipated it. (c) Verse 53 1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption- the believer’s body is corruptible because it is the seat of the sin-principle, which means it is in the bondage of corruption. It is morally imperative that this body be altered, for nothing that defiles shall ever enter heaven, Revelation 21:27. Incorruption here has the thought of incorruptibility, which means the resurrection body is not only incorrupt, but cannot be corrupted. And this mortal must put on immortality- likewise it is vital that the body that tends to death should be changed to one that is totally and eternally deathless. So sin which brings corruption, and death which brings mortality, shall both be dealt with. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 Structure of the section
Summary of the section (a) Verse 54 The victory of life over death. 1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption- “this corruptible” means this body which is capable of deteriorating because of the bondage into which the Fall of man brought it. “Put on” is the same figure used in 2 Corinthians 5:2, “clothed upon with our house which is from heaven”. The resurrection body is not able to decay. This mortal shall have put on immortality- now the body is viewed as being subject to and tending towards death. The resurrection body is not capable of dying, for the One who is life-giving has worked upon it, verse 45. Then- there are three distinct formulas for introducing the fulfillment of prophecy: 1. With the word “ina”, meaning “in order that it might be fulfilled”, in cases where the object of the prophecy is completely realised. 2. With the word “opus”, meaning “so that it might be fulfilled”, in cases where not the full realisation of the thing prophesied, but an event within the scope and intention of the prophecy, is meant, in Matthew 8:17 for instance. 3. With the word “tole”, as here, meaning merely a case in point, when what happened was an illustration of what was said in the prophecy. So the resurrection of the saints of this age is not a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah that Paul quotes here, nor of the prophecy from Hosea which he alludes to in the next verse. Rather, what will happen in relation to Israel in the future provides an illustration of what will happen at the resurrection of church saints. The principle is the same but the time and the people are different. Shall be brought to pass the saying which is written- the saying of Isaiah 25:8 still stands written, hundreds of years later, for God’s word is inspired, not just was inspired- it retains its original character. “Death is swallowed up in victory”– this is the Hebrew way of saying that permanent victory over death has been achieved. What God pledged to do He will have then done. (b) Verses 55,56 1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is thy sting?- this will be the exclamation of the saints when the resurrection has taken place. The original wording was “O death, I will be thy plagues”, Hosea 13:14, and is a declaration that God will accomplish this in the future. This He has done in the first instance by raising Christ from the dead, thus robbing death of its prey, and plaguing death itself with the plague of death. He will do it again in relation to His people when the Lord comes. O grave where is thy victory?”– the original wording in Hosea indicates God’s intention to destroy death, “O death, I will be thy destruction”, and this He did when Christ rose from the dead, no more to die. If death cannot hold one who had all sins laid upon Him, its power is broken; if the Devil cannot defeat Christ when He is crucified through weakness, 2 Corinthians 13:4, he will never defeat Him. So it is that saints who have died will find that the grave has not had the ultimate victory over them, and saints who are still alive when the Lord comes will rejoice as they realize they have escaped it altogether. The Hebrew word “sheol” is translated in the Old Testament as “the grave” 31 times, and as “hell” 31 times. It is never translated “a grave”, but “the grave”. It is also translated “pit” three times, twice in connection with Korah. (In the passage from Hosea that Paul is alluding to here, the definite article is replaced by the vocative “O”, as God addresses the grave as if it is a person). So the same word is used of the place where the body is put, and the place where the soul resides until the resurrection. Jacob said, “For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning”, Genesis 37:35. But Jacob believed that his son had been devoured by a wild beast, and therefore had no grave in the earth. So in this first mention of the word sheol the grave is looked on as the entrance to the world of the dead, so that Jacob would go down to the grave where his son was, meaning sheol, the realm of the dead. The Authorised Version translators very wisely translated the word hades, (which is the equivalent of the Hebrew word sheol), as grave, and not Hades, because they knew full well that church saints do not go there anyway. They had the precedent of the Old Testament, where there was a choice between translating as hell and the grave, according to the context. Christ has the keys of death and of Hades. He unlocks the door of death to His saints so that they die. But He locks Hades so that they do not go there, but go immediately into His presence. 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin- this is no doubt a reference to the word plague in Hosea 13:14. The bite of the serpent in Eden has resulted in the poison of sin being in us, which brings about death, for “the wages of sin is death”, Romans 6:23. On the resurrection morning all the saints shall be completely free from the sin that currently dwells in our body. It will not be transferred to our resurrection body, for that body will be like Christ’s, and He has no sin. And the strength of sin is the law- that which gave the sin-poison its potency, was the fact that it was the transgression of God’s law, for sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4. “The law worketh wrath”, Romans 4:15, and is the “ministration of death”, and “the ministration of condemnation”, 2 Corinthians 3:7,9. The apostle wrote, “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful”, Romans 7:13. So the law combines with the sin-principle in man to make that sin principle all the more deadly. In this way the law becomes the strength of sin, (the word is dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite), giving it even more power than it has on its own. There will be nothing of this in resurrection, however, for sin will be gone, and there will be nothing for the law to work upon in this way. (c) Verse 57 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God- the word thanks is “charis”, meaning grace, so is in direct contrast to the law which enhanced the power of sin in us. The grace of God gives us the victory over the powerful forces of sin and death. The law could not do this, Romans 8:3. Which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ- the victory which was achieved when God destroyed death, hell and the grave by raising Christ from the dead, is given by grace to us, because of Him. Isaiah 53:12 speaks of God dividing a portion to Christ among the great, and Himself dividing the spoil with the strong, the reason being that He has poured out His soul unto death. His surrender to death has gained the surrender of death. |