Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: PHILIPPIANS #4 - 3:1-21)
G. 3:1-21 REJOICING IN CHRIST: PAUL'S SUPREME EMPHASIS
1. 3:1 REJOICING: THE KEY TO THIS LETTER
a.. 3:1a For the rest, my brethren, rejoice in theLord.
To loiPON, a-delPHOI mou, CHAIre-te [5463] en KuRIo.
b. 3:1b To write the same thingsto you, to me indeed is not irksome, but for you is safe.
ta auTA GRAphein huMIN, eMOI men ouk ok-neRON [3636], huMIN de as-phaLES [804].
2. 3:2-4a DANGERS THAT ROB ONE OF REJOICING
BLEpe-te [991] tous KUnas [2965], BLEpe-te tous kaKOUS erGAtas [2040],
Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil workers,
BLEpe-te ten ka-ta-toMEN [2699]: heMEIS GAR es-men hepe-ri-toME[4061],
look out for the concision: 3for we are the circumcision,
hoi PNEUma-ti TheOU laTREUon-tes [3000], kai kauCHOme-noi [2744]en ChrisTO IeSOU,
who worship by God's Spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus,
kai ouk en sarKI [4561]pe-poiTHOtes [3982]: KAIper eGOEchon pePOIthesin kai en sarKI.
and have no confidence in flesh: 4athough I myself might have confidence even in flesh.
3. 3:4b-16 JOY IN CHRIST: PAUL'S SUPREME GOAL
a. 3:4b-6 THE POTENTIAL TO ROB PAUL OF REJOICING
EI tis doKEI [1380]ALlos pe-poiTHEnai en sarKI, eGOMALlon:
If any other thinks to have confidence in flesh, I yet more:
pe-ri-toMEok-taEme-ros, ek GEnous [1085]Is-raEL,
5 circumcised the eighth day, of Israel's race,
phuLES [5443]Ben-iaMEIN, EbRAIos [1445]ex EbRAIon; kaTA NOmon [3551], Pha-riSAIos;
of Benjamin's tribe, Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching law, a Pharisee;
kaTA ZElos [2205], diOkon [1377]ten ek-kleSIan [1577];
6 as touching zeal, persecuting the church;
kaTA di-kai-oSUnen [1343]ten en NOmo, geNOme-nos Amemp-tos [273].
as touching righteousness which isby law, become blameless.
b. 3:7 But what thingswere gains to me,these have I counted loss for the Christ.
AlLA Ati-na EN moi KERde[2771], TAUta HEge-mai [2233]diA ton ChrisTON zeMIan [2209].
c. 3:8-11 CHRIST SUPERCEDES ALL OTHER POSSIBILITIES
alLA meNOUNge, kai heGOUmai [2233]PANta zeMIan [2209]EInai
Yes truly, and I count all thingsto be loss
diA to hu-peREchon [5242]tes GNOse-os [1108]ChrisTOU IeSOU tou KuRIou mou:
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my :Lord:
di' hon ta PANta e-ze-miOthen [2210], kai heGOUmai [2233]SKUba-la [4657], HIna ChrisTON kerDEso[2770],
for whom I suffered loss of :all things, and count themrefuse, that I may gain Christ,
kai heu-reTHO[2147]en auTO, meEchon eMEN di-kai-oSUnen,
9and be found in him, not having MY righteousness,
ten ek NOmou, alLA ten diA PIste-os [4102]ChrisTOU,
which isof thelaw, but which is through faith of Christ,
ten ek TheOU di-kai-oSUnen ePI tePIstei:
the righteousness from God upon the faith:
tou GNOnai auTON, kai ten DUna-min [1411]tes a-naSTAse-os [386]auTOU,
10that I may know him, and the power of his :resurrection,
kai koi-noNIan [2942]pa-theMAton [3804]auTOU, sum-mor-phiZOme-nos [4833]tothaNAto[2288]auTOU;
and fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his :death;
ei pos ka-tanTEso[2658]eis ten e-xaNAsta-sin [1815]ten ek neKRON.
11if somehow I may attain unto the out-resurrection :from thedead.
d. 3:12 PAUL'S GOAL: NOT YET ACHIEVED
ouch HOti EdeEla-bon, eEdete-teLEIo-mai [5048]:
Not that I have already received, or am already made perfect:
diOko[1377]de, ei kai ka-taLAbo[2638]
but I follow on, if so be that I may apprehend
eph' hokai ka-teLEMPHthen [2638]huPO ChrisTOU IeSOU.
that for which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus.
e. 3:13-14 CHRIST: STILL PAUL'S SUPREME GOAL
a-delPHOI, eGOe-mauTON OUpoloGIzo-mai [3049]ka-tei-lePHEnai:
Brethren, I reckon not myself yet to have apprehended:
hen de, ta men oPIsoe-pi-lan-thaNOme-nos [1960], tois de EMpros-then e-pek-teiNOme-nos [1901],
but one thing, forgetting the thingsbehind, and stretching forward to those before,
kaTA skoPON [4549]diOkoeis to braBEIon [1017]tes AnoKLEse-os [2821]tou TheOU en ChrisTOIeSOU.
14I follow on toward themark unto the prize of the upward calling of :God in Christ Jesus.
f. 3:15-16 PAUL'S EXAMPLE: GOOD FOR US ALL
HOsoi oun, TElei-oi [5046], touTO phroNOmen [5426]:
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded:
kai EI ti heTEros phroNEIte [5426], kai TOUto ho TheOS huMIN a-po-kaLUpsei [601]:
and if in anythingyou are otherwise minded, this also shall :God reveal to you:
plen, eis ho ephTHAsa-men [5348], toauTOstoiCHEIN [4748].
16only, unto where we have attained, by that same rulelet us walk.
4. 3:17-21 CHRIST AND HIS CROSS: FOUNDATION FOR ALL JOY
a. 3:17 PAUL EMPHASIZES HIS EXAMPLE
Sun-mi-meTAI [4831]mou GInes-the, a-delPHOI, kai skoPEIte [4648]tous
Brethren, become imitators together of me, and mark them
HOUtope-ri-paTOUNtas kaTHOS Eche-te TUpon [5179]heMAS.
that so walk even as you have us for an example.
b. 3:18-19 FALSE LEADERS: CONTRAST TO PAUL'S EXAMPLE
polLOI gar HOUtope-ri-paTOUNtas, hous polLAkis Ele-gon huMIN,
For many walk, of whom I told you often,
nun de kai KLAIon [2799]LEgo, tous echTHROUS [2190]tou stauROU [2716]tou ChrisTOU:
and now tell you even weeping, they arethe enemies of the cross of the Christ:
hon to TElos [5056]aPOlei-a [684], hon ho theOS hekoiLIa [2836],
19whose :end is destruction, whose :god is the belly,
kai heDOxa [1391]en teaisCHUne[152]auTON, hoi to ePIgei-a [1919]phroNOUNtes [5426].
and theirglory isin their :shame, who mind the earthly things.
c. 3:20-21 OUR HIGH CALLING IN CHRIST JESUS
heMON gar to poLIteu-ma [4175]en ou-raNOIS [3772]huPARchei,
For our :citizenship is in theheavens,
ex hou kai soTEra [4990]a-pek-deCHOme-tha [553], KUri-on IeSOUN ChrisTON:
whence also we wait for a Savior, theLord Jesus Christ:
hos me-ta-sche-maTIsei [3345]to SOma [4983]tes ta-peiNOse-os [5014]heMON,
21who shall fashion anew the body of our :humiliation,
SUMmor-phon [4832]toSOma-ti tes DOxes auTOU, kaTA ten aNERgei-an [1753]
conformed to the body of his :glory, according to the working
tou DUnas-thai [1410]auTON kai hu-paTAxai [5293]auTOta PANta.
by which he is able even to subject :all thingsto himself.
“THE SPIRITUALLY VIGOROUS SAINT” - Oswald Chambers - MUFHH
Philippians 3:10 - “. . . that I may know Him . . .”
A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point over and over again until we do. Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing - even eating, drinking, or washing disciples' feet - we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. “Jesus, knowing . . . that He had come from God and was going to God, . . . took a towel . . . and began to wash the disciples' feet . . .” (John 13:3-5).
The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is “that I may know Him . . .” Do I know Him where I am today? If not I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.
“HELD BY THE GRIP OF GOD” - Oswald Chambers - MUFHH
Philippians 3:12 - “I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you “turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (Deuteronomy 5:32). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has “laid hold of” us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, “Well, I'm really not suited for this.” What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God's hand on you - your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?
Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are - you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do ... I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).