Comments on Philippians 3:17-21

  In the first eleven verses, Paul discussed his past accomplishments and heritage, but how none of it mattered when it came to his salvation. His goal, as ours ought to be, was to be “found in Him.” The next five verses reflected on Paul’s present: he was not yet perfect but was pressing “on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

In these final five verses of chapter 3, Paul turns his focus to the future, the eternal outcome of two kinds of people: those who follow Christ sincerely and those who only claim to. Let’s read the passage together: “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

    On an initial read, this might feel like arrogance on Paul’s part. But, since we know from the rest of his writings that Paul was not arrogant, we should look to see what he might be meaning here. If you’ll remember 1 Corinthians 11:1 which reads, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ,” we can understand that Paul here is encouraging the Philippians believers to follow the example of his Christian walk. He is telling them here to follow his example, and to watch out for others that are walking in the same pattern. 

When we look at Paul’s life as revealed in Scripture, we see someone whose example is truly worth following. He followed after God’s things, his life was governed by the law of Christ, he cared deeply for his fellow believers, even those he had not met personally. He showed Christ in his actions. I liked how Ironside put it and so I’ll quote him here: “It was not prideful egotism that led him to plead with saints to follow him and his faithful companions as they followed Christ. He lived what he taught. His life was a practical exemplification of his teaching. He was not one man on the platform or in the meeting, and another in private or in business life. For we need to remember that Paul was no gentleman of leisure. He was not a clergyman afraid to soil his hands with honest labor. He wrought night and day tent-making, when funds were low or when he felt the need of setting an example of activity to any inclined to slothfulness. Yet all the while preaching and teaching publicly and from house to house with a diligence that few if any have equaled, and none have surpassed. He was careful also as to his personal communion with the Lord, striving to keep a conscience ever void of offense toward both God and man. What an example for us all to follow!”

In other words, because he was a man of integrity, and because he preached Christ, he lived Christ out. His life could be used as an example of Christian living in a way that even Jesus’ life couldn’t, because he was just a man, called of God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is obviously supposed to be our ultimate example, but we can follow the example of Paul’s life and any others who we observe to be walking in that same pattern.

    He then transitions to telling them about those who have not walked well, those who have not followed the pattern Christ set and Paul followed. Wiersbe noted that it was odd in this book, often known as the book of joy, that we find Paul weeping. Yet he had good reason to do so. We don’t know exactly as to which group Paul is referring to here, but given how much trouble Paul had with the Judaizers, they would fit as one such group that were “enemies of the cross of Christ.”

To note as well, they are enemies of what was shameful about Christ’s death. They are not listed here as “enemies of the blood of Christ,” or “enemies of the death of Christ,” but “enemies of the cross of Christ.” There are many who will try and claim the name “Christian” as long as it brings no shame to themselves. They are more than willing to be associated with “those good people,” in churches around the world, but, as soon as it might cause them to lose some position or privilege, they fall away. We are told in Hebrews 12 that Christ, “for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame…” and we read in Galatians 6 that Paul himself writes, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” 

So these enemies of the cross are missing the entire point of the gospel. There is no glory in this world for the believer. This world rejected Christ, and will reject us as well. If it was the Judaizers here that Paul was warning of, we know that they worked for the opposite of what Christ did. In Ephesians 2:14-16 we read, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” The Judaizers advocated for following the Law and were trying to rebuild the wall the Christ had already torn down.

These men had no evidence of the Spirit controlling their lives. They lived for worldly things as Paul mentions in the next verse. It is no wonder that Paul weeps when he thinks of these that would lead astray any that listen to them.

    Paul doesn’t pull any punches in his condemnation of these men at all. First he mentions their end: “destruction.” This word is ἀπώλεια in the Greek, carries with it the idea of waste or “lostness.” The same word is used in Mark 14 of the perfume being “wasted,” and again in John 17 in the phrase “son of perdition.” Those who are enemies of the cross are wasting their own lives, and will have an eternity of waste to look forward to. 

He also mentions that “their god is their belly.” Their worship is toward fulfilling their own desires; satisfying their own hungers. In contrast, when Paul was writing to the Colossians, he said, “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) - in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” (2:20-23). Those in Colosse apparently had the opposite problem from those in Philippi. On the one hand we have those who are refusing any earthly pleasures and hoping to appear godly by abstaining. On the other, we have those that worship their own appetites, and indulge their every desire. Whether it’s legalism or license, both miss the heart of the gospel. One tries to earn righteousness through rule-keeping; the other rejects God’s rule entirely. But both are rooted in pride.

The Lord mentions one such man in Luke 16. The story is found in verses 19 through 31 which I won’t read all of right now, but to remind us of some of the details there was a wealthy man who lived luxuriously his whole time here on earth and there was a poor man, named Lazarus, who sat at this man’s gate, “longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table;” They both die and Lazarus is carried to “Abraham’s bosom” and the rich man is taken to Hades. The rich man sees the comfort that Lazarus now has and is told that he received his comforts in life and would not receive them now. He chose the way of pride and earthly satisfaction over listening to the prophets and Moses about Christ. There are those today who make that same choice and Paul is talking about them here.

The next thing Paul tells us, describing these “enemies of the cross,” is that their “glory is in their shame.” To quote Ironside again, “Unlike Mary, who chose that good part never to be taken from her, or like Moses, who chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, they deliberately reject the good and choose the evil. They put away the hope of heaven for a brief season of sensual or sensuous pleasure here on earth.” They ought to be ashamed of their sin. They ought to be ashamed of their wanton pleasures, and choosing earthly things over heavenly, and yet they glory in it. 

The last descriptor given to these condemned people is that they “set their minds on earthly things.” Those that belong to Christ are told to be heavenly minded. We are not to use that as an excuse to neglect the place where God has put us, but we do that work because of what Christ has already done for us. These men, though, only care about the present. They might claim Christianity, but their lives show a completely different picture. 

    In stark contrast, Paul reminds the Philippian believers “For our citizenship is in heaven.” It is good to remember that at the time of writing, Philippi was a Roman colony. This meant that those born there were granted Roman citizenship by virtue of their birth. Each Philippian, though living in Macedonia, could say, “I am a Roman citizen.” They were subject to Roman law, and were to live in such a way that would honor Rome. So when Paul reminds them where their true citizenship lies as believers this would have made good sense to them. They were not currently living in heaven, and yet they ought to live in such a way as to honor heaven with their words and deeds. 

The next part of the verse also contrasts those “enemies.” They were minding earthly things. Their focus was on current desires and passions. As believers our focus is on heaven because, “we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;” So not only is our attention directed heavenward, it is also directed to the future. The hymnwriter says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Or another wrote, “I can’t see the sun with my head to the ground. Tears in my vision that weigh my heart down. Well I found a secret when I knelt to pray. I lift up my head and He lifts up my heart and my burdens, they all roll away.” When we have our focus as it ought to be, the cares of this world cannot stick, as it were. We eagerly await the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to take a brief moment here to discuss this title as well. In the Roman Empire at the time, archaeologists have discovered, the emperor, if he had received deification, was granted the title κύριος here translated as Lord. Now we know as well as the believers in Philippi that there is only one God, and so there are none else actually worthy of that title besides Jesus Christ Himself. This is just another evidence that our focus should be on the true ruler of the world, not on earthly pressures or cares.

    Our hope is in His return, yes, but Paul next writes another reason for hoping for the return of Christ. He “will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” Our citizenship is in heaven. Our Lord is there, and when He returns our bodies will be like His is now. We don’t know every detail, but we do know we will be like Him. And that’s something to rejoice in.

He will make this change by His own power and will, as the KJV has it, “subdue all things unto Himself.” To quote Wiersbe now, “When Jesus returns, He will ‘subdue all things unto himself.’ That word subdue means ‘to arrange in ranks.’ Isn't that our problem today? We do not arrange things in their proper order. Our values are twisted. Consequently, our vigor is wasted on useless activities, and our vision is clouded so that the return of Christ is not a real motivating power in our lives.” Isn’t that something else we can look forward to on His return. Things will be “right” for the first time since before the Fall, and Christ will reign over all.

So Paul ends this chapter with a vision of what’s coming. Some walk as enemies of the cross: their end is destruction. But for those who are in Christ, our end is transformation. We are citizens of heaven. We wait eagerly for a Savior who will not only return, but will make us like Himself.

Until then, we follow the pattern Christ set, and we watch for faithful examples like Paul. We live not for what’s seen, but for what’s coming. And we press on, not perfectly, but purposefully, because our hope is not in this life, but in the Lord who is coming soon.