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Philippians
Chapter Three
I.
Content of the Chapter
Not
in the Flesh, But in Christ
Jesus
A. “Rejoice” in the Lord (v.1);
B. Beware of dogs ---- those who boast in the flesh (v.2);
C. He who is the circumcision rejoices in Christ Jesus and has no confidence in the flesh (v.3);
D. The testimony of Paul:
1. He might have confidence in the flesh (v.4).
2. He was born a Pharisee (v.5).
3. His excelled others in zeal and works (v.6).
E. The change of Paul:
1. What things were gain to him,
these he has
counted loss for Christ (v.7).
2. He counts
all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord (v
Not Think of Having Attained, but Press
On
A. Suffer the loss of all things to gain Christ
(v.8b);
B. What he will gain:
1. In Him to obtain the righteousness which is from God by
faith (v.9);
2. To know Christ and the power of His
resurrection (v.10);
3. To attain to the resurrection from the dead (v.11);
4. To lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid
hold of me (v.12);
5. To press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ (v.14);
C. The attitude of the pursuit:
1. Not think of having attained, but press on
(v.12
2. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching
forward to those things which are ahead and pressing toward the goal (v.13b-14);
D. The practice of the pursuit:
1. Have the desire of pursuit according to the
revelation of God (v.15);
2. To the degree that we have already attained, let us walk
by the same rule, let us be of the same mind (v.16);
The Heavenly Citizenship Makes One not Set
His Mind on Earthly Things
A. Join in Paul’s example (v.17);
B. Beware of the enemies of the cross of Christ (v.18);
C. They set their mind on earthly things
(v.19).
D. Our citizenship is in heaven (v.20).
E. The Lord will transform our lowly body when He comes again (v.21).
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Phil. 3:1 “Finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but
for you it is safe.”
YLT: “As to the rest, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord; the same
things to write to you to me indeed is not tiresome, and for you sure;”
Meaning of Words: “finally”: besides, the rest, furthermore;
“tedious”: tardy, indolent, irksome; “safe”: sure, secure, certain;
Literal
Meaning: “but for you it is safe”, joy provides Christians positive attitude
and is the medicine in their life (Pro. 17:22), removing their physical and
mental affliction. Besides, joy keeps in the church life healthy and avoids any
division.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Believers should rejoice in the Lord instead
of boasting in the works of the law.
2) “In the Lord”, it is the source of
believers’ joy. Our real joy is from the Lord. Therefore, even though we are in
unprosperous condition, we still have full joy.
3) “Self” is the source of all vexations. The
more believers draw near the Lord, the more they will be delivered from their
“selves” and the more joyful they will be.
4) Rejoicing in the Lord is the important
practice and enjoyment in Christians’ daily life and inner life.
5) Paul can say “rejoice in the Lord … for me to write the same things to you
is not tedious” in prison.
Therefore, this is a kind of joy transcending the environment and emotions.
6) Joy in the Lord has not the slightest
“hesitation” (the original meaning is “tedious”), so it is by no means
slothful. Besides, such joy is not apparent affectations, but the manifestation
of life.
7) If we have no joy when we are faced with any
circumstance, it shows that we are falling in danger. Once Satan robs our joy,
we have lost our armor.
8) Joy is the real value of life. Once man has
no joy, his precious value of his life is deprived.
Phil. 3:2 “Beware of dogs, beware of
evil workers, beware of the mutilation!”
YLT: “look to the dogs, look to the evil-workers, look to the
concision;”
Meaning of Words: “beware”: behold, look at, take heed,
regard; “mutilation”: a cutting down;
The Background: in the
Literal
Meaning: “beware”,
Paul means that they shall not only pay attention to them, but also discern
them by observation and learning so as not to be harmed by them.
“Dogs”, Paul uses it to address those who uphold the Jewish laws, for
they break into the church and bark out and they are not real Jews (Rom. 2:28)
for they refuse the grace of God (Gal. 5:4).
“Evil workers”, the false apostles who declare the words against the
truth (2Cor. 11:13) have only godly form but deny the godly power (2Tim. 3:5).
“The
mutilation”: the ignorance of
the meaning of the circumcision (Col. 2:11); those who boast of the sign of the
circumcision in the flesh only cut off their flesh, just like the gentiles that
hurt their bodies (1King 18:28).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The heart of the apostle is large and bears
those who are different from him. However, he treats those who announce the
heresy without any kindness and call them “dogs” and “evil workers” directly.
2) It is unnecessary for us to be too kind to
the heretics, for they are unclean and may defile the
3) Many people care for the external letter,
but actually are evil workers. The hypocritically modest men do not fear God in
their hearts.
4) If our love lacks true knowledge, we may be
deceived by the heretics.
Phil. 3:3 “For we are the
circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have
no confidence in the flesh,”
YLT: “for we are the circumcision, who by the Spirit are
serving God, and glorying in Christ Jesus, and in flesh having no trust,”
Meaning of Words: “worship”: minister, serve; “rejoice”:
boast of;
Literal
Meaning: “have no confidence in the
flesh”: those who do not
keep the laws and rules by the flesh;
This verse points out three conditions in those who are the
circumcision: 1) worship
God in the Spirit; 2) rejoice in Christ Jesus; 3) have no confidence in the
flesh;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Worship is the height of the fellowship
between man’s spirit and God’s spirit. If we focus on the letter only in
worship, but not worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24), that is not true
worship.
2) True worship should be characterized by its
spiritual nature. Therefore, it should not be turned into nominal formalism.
True worship should be true and spiritual, not hypocritical.
3) The most difficulty of the children of God
before God is that their flesh has not been dealt with and yet they have
confidence in the flesh.
4) All those who have confidence in themselves
are those who have not been truly circumcised.
Phil. 3:4 “though I also might have
confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the
flesh, I more so:”
YLT: “though I also have trust in flesh. If any other one
doth think to have trust in flesh, I more;”
Literal
Meaning: it refers to Paul’s
testimony before he becomes a Christian from verse four to six. At that time,
his faith is established on Jewish parentage, privilege and achievements (2Cor.
11:18, 22-23).
“Have
confidence in the flesh”: trust in and rest
in the flesh;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Christians are not those who are inferior in
works, but do not boast of good works.
2) The birth of our natural life cannot raise
our position before God. Believers do not fear of humble birth condition, but
that they do not desire to pursue Christ after being saved.
Phil. 3:5 “circumcised the eighth day,
of the stock of
YLT: “circumcision on the eighth day! of the race of
The Background: all the Jewish boys have to be circumcised
on the eighth day after birth according to the law (Lev.12:3).
“The tribe of Benjamin”, it is the strongest tribe among the twelve tribes
of
“The Hebrews”, it is another name of the
“A Pharisee”, it is the sect
whose belief is comparatively right and that keeps the laws of Moses strictly
among all the Jewish sects at that time.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is the religion, culture, tradition and
customs that seize men most deeply. We are occupied and taken over by them from
childhood, unconsciously.
2) If Paul can forsake all these background,
what background can we not forsake?
Phil. 3:6 “concerning zeal,
persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law,
blameless.”
YLT: “according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according
to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!”
Meaning of Words: “persecute”: press forward,
flee;
The Background: before Paul had been saved, he was zealous of the
law and seized believers of the Lord Jesus everywhere and persecuted the church
(Acts 22:3-4; Gal. 1:14, 23).
Literal
Meaning: “concerning the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless”, Paul says the words according to the standard of
the legalists. He has kept all that they are supposed to keep according to the
law. No one can pick up his faults. However, after Paul has believed the Lord,
he knows that no one can be justified before God by works (Gal. 2:16) according
to the standard of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The salvation of God is too amazing to
change an extreme man.
2) Not only does “a bad one” need salvation,
but also “a good man” needs salvation.
3) Unless our righteousness surpass of the
scribes and Pharisees, we shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of the
heavens (Matt. 5:20).
Phil. 3:7 “But what things were gain
to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.”
YLT: “But what things were to me gains, these I have counted,
because of the Christ, loss;”
Meaning of Words: “gain”: earn, lucre; “loss”: damage;
Literal
Meaning: according to the
statement from verse four to six, Paul thinks that all the boastful things in
the past are valueless and harmful.
“Were gain” and “have counted”, the two different tenses indicate that
his life has been changed because of Christ.
“Gain”, “loss”, the two words show that they have big difference between
recognition, lying on the two ends of the balance.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The interests, thoughts and opinions of a
man will surely be changed after he has believed the Lord.
2) Christ is the standard according to which
believers estimate everything.
3) All the boasts in the past have now become
unworthy of boasting on account of Christ. If believers have boasts outside of
the Lord, they have not truly known the preciousness of the Lord.
4) If man estimates things falsely and counts loss as gain, he just
counts debts as assets and his whole life will be in danger of destruction and
bankruptcy.
Phil. 3:8 “Yet indeed I also count all
things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I
may gain Christ”
YLT: “yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because
of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of
the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I
may gain, and be found in him,”
Meaning of Words: “count”: consider, regard; “excellence”:
superior, higher; “loss”: damage, injure; “rubbish”: dung, ordure;
Literal
Meaning: here “all things”
are opposite to “Christ”, and “rubbish” is opposite to “excellence”, and “loss”
is opposite to “gain”.
According to the previous verses, here “all things” do not refer to
physical enjoyment but religious customs and letters and traditions and etc.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) All that are not of Christ are loss and
should be rejected.
2) All that prevent men from true knowledge of
Christ should be counted as loss, even though they are good according to human
insight.
3) Knowledge is before actions. The mind of
“counting as loss” brings about the action of “rejection”.
4) Many times, we cannot reject things of the
world, for we have not counted them loss but profit.
5) If we can really count all things loss and
as rubbish, we will naturally reject all things.
6) To experience Christ is not an impulsive
action. Man should count first. If he has not counted clearly, he may pick up
again what he had counted as loss.
7) Christ is excellence and all things are
rubbish. What a tremendous difference between their values!
8) Christ and “all things” cannot co-exist in
us. The measure of all things that we have counted as loss decides the measure
of Christ that we will gain. How much we have emptied our heart decides how
much Christ we have been filled with.
9) If we seize any best thing, we may loss
Christ, for it may replace Christ and rob our enjoyment in Christ.
10) A candle can only shine after it is burnt. A
believer can only benefit others after he has suffered loss first.
11) The condition of one’s spiritual life is
decided by his knowledge of Christ. Christ is precious to us who have believed.
How much we have known of him decides how much we can have part in Him.
12) One counts what he boasts of as precious,
and his character is shown by what he boasts of.
13) Paul counts only “something” loss in verse
seven and count “all things” as loss in this verse. The deeper believers know
the Lord, the more they will count loss.
14) Men in the world hold the opposite opinions
toward the world, so they seize and pursue fiercely. Only when God opens one’s
inner eyes, he will know the greatest value of the Lord and will reject all
things in the world.
15) If one counts all things loss but have not
gained Christ (be disillusioned with the world, or devote much money to the
temples in which men worship idols), this is of no value at all.
Phil. 3:9 “and be found in Him, not
having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;”
YLT: “not having my righteousness, which of law, but that
which through faith of Christ -- the righteousness that is of God by the
faith,”
Literal
Meaning: “and be found in Him”, it is not only the
past experience but also a kind of continual relationship at present.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We may be found in Christ in the gathering.
However, in our daily life, we can not be found in Christ.
2) The righteousness
by faith gives us right relation with God and makes
us found in Christ.
3) To believe Christ is to believe God. He who
believes God but not Christ can not be justified nor establish right relation
with true God.
Phil. 3:10 “that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
conformed to His death,”
YLT: “to know him, and the power of his rising again, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,”
Literal
Meaning: the word “know”
here does not refer to objective knowledge but knowledge drawn from subjective
experiences.
“Be conformed to His death”, identify with His death and make all conform to
the requirements of such death (2Cor. 4:10-11);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) One knows Christ when he has been saved. He
will know more of Christ after he has been saved. It is a beginning of being
saved. One shall then seek to know Christ more deeply in everything.
2) Believers may know Christ objectively first
and then subjectively in experience.
3) On the spiritual way, revelation is before
experience. Where there is no revelation, there is no experience. The more one
is revealed, the more deeply he will experience.
4) Believers are conformed into the image of
Christ by the cross of Christ and the fellowship of His suffering. Therefore,
how much we have experienced the cross decides how much we have been conformed
into His image.
5) We are put in the model of the “death” of
Christ until our natural life is totally dead so that the life of Christ will
be perfected manifested.
6) Only the children who have grown up know
they shall have part in the responsibility, sorrow of their parents. And only
the grown-up believers are willing to suffer with Christ and be conformed to his
death.
Phil. 3:11 “if, by any means, I may
attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
YLT: “if anyhow I may attain to the rising again of the
dead.”
Literal
Meaning: “attain to the resurrection from the dead”,
it refers to special resurrection, which is a rising from death. Therefore, it
is called excellent and outstanding resurrection. When the Lord comes again,
all those who have fallen asleep in the Lord will rise. However, only
Christians who overcome will have part in the excellent resurrection and reign
with Christ a thousand years in the kingdom (Rev. 20:4).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) All in the Christ shall be made alive, but
each in his own rank (1Cor.15:22-23).
2) Death is before resurrection. If we have no
experience of the cross, we will have no the experience of resurrection.
Phil. 3:12 “Not that I have already
attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that
for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
YLT: “Not that I did already obtain, or have been already
perfected; but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was
laid hold of by the Christ Jesus;”
Meaning of Words: “attain”: seize, hold, know; “press on”:
persecute, press forward, pursue;
Literal
Meaning: “perfect”: it is the absolute perfection, which is
different from the perfection in position (Heb. 10:14), or the perfection in
reality (Col. 4:12; Heb. 13:2; James 1:4).
“Lay
hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me”, aim at the goal set by Christ;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Desire is one thing, and pursuit is another
thing. It is no good desiring but not pressing on. Desire and pursuit bring
about reality.
2) Believers may become complacent after having
attained some spiritual experience and impassive in spiritual pursuit.
3) Believers should not pursue Christ
slothfully, but shall press on vigorously and rise above every difficulty
without missing him in anything.
4) Even Paul thinks that he still has to press
on, let alone believers like us! There is no end to spiritual pursuit!
Phil. 3:13 “Brethren, I do not count
myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,”
YLT: “brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold; and
one thing -- the things behind indeed forgetting, and to the things before
stretching forth --”
Meaning of Words: “count”: estimate accurately; “reach forward”: stretch forward;
The Background: “reach forward”, this word in the
original describes the runners in the race in the round Roman arena ---- the
runner bent his body and stretched forward his hands and looked ahead unto the
end.
Literal
Meaning: “forgetting those things
which are behind”, it is not
forgetting without a cause, but purposefully. He forgets not only sins, failure
or shameful things but also achievements and victory in the past.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Self-complacence is the major obstacle to
man’s achievement.
2) What believers mind, think and love should
be “one thing”: that is pursuing Christ.
3) If one does not forget the past
achievements, he will be complacent. However, if one does not forget his
failure or weakness, he will be discouraged and distressed and unable to press
forward.
4) Both the positive and negative experiences in
the past can exert negative effects on us and hinder us from pressing on.
Therefore, we should forget those
things which are behind and press forward.
5) There is not any superior achievement in the
world that is not earned by efforts.
6) Spiritual gain is also obtained by reaching
forward like a runner in a race.
Phil. 3:14 “I press toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
YLT: “to the mark I pursue for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus.”
The Background: “goal”: it is a goal set on the destination of the
racetrack for the runners to focus on.
“Prize”, according to Greek customs, the host of the Olympic Games would
award the victorious runner a prize ---- crown him with laurel and declare his
name and background. Therefore, the prize became the driving force of every
runner.
Literal
Meaning: “press toward”: run continually;
“Prize”, it refers to “the crown of life” (James
1:12) that Christ promised to them that love Him. This prize is of eternal
value. Paul compares the condition of those who pursue Christ to the situation
of a runner in a race for the prize
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The whole life of a Christian is a race. We
run the race that lies before us with diligence (Heb. 12:1).
2) He who is in the heavenly race should “run
straightly” and run “continually” unto the end.
3) He who runs “straightly” need not to pay
attention to things irrelevant to the race or note the sneer or praise of
others, but to press forward.
4) The prize that we shall obtain in the future
is not earthly prize, but the
prize of the upward call of God.
5) “In Christ Jesus”,
it indicates that only those who “have believed into” the Lord have the
qualifications of partaking in the race and the way of the race is also in Him.
6) God has called us and is pleased to give us
prize. The problem lies in our condition of running.
7) Many believers do not care for “the prize”.
However, God thinks it excellent, so He calls us to gain the prize.
Phil. 3:15 “Therefore let us, as many
as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will
reveal even this to you.”
YLT: “As many, therefore, as perfect -- let us think this,
and if anything ye think otherwise, this also shall God reveal to you,”
Literal
Meaning: “mature”: be mature and perfect in mind; it is
relative perfection, not absolute perfection in verse twelve.
Paul means that all those who are mature in mind should keep the
attitude in verse twelve to fourteen and seek to be truly perfected. If anyone
does not realize the need of “pressing forward”, God will still reveal them
this principle.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Though we are not perfect in mind, we should
seek to be mature in mind.
2) Our pursuit is a lot to do with our mind. If
we do not set our mind on Christ, we will seek things outside of Christ.
3) Today, many things in the world are luring
us away from the goal of “Christ”. Therefore, we always need God to reveal us
and remind us and lead us on the right way.
4) The attitude and goal of Paul’s pursuit
(v.12-14) is all right, which is the mind that all believers are supposed to
have. May we have no other mind.
Phil. 3:16 “Nevertheless, to the degree
that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the
same mind.”
YLT: “but to what we have come -- by the same rule walk, the
same thing think;”
Meaning of Words: “attain”: come, have arrived at; “walk”:
march in rank, keep step;
Literal
Meaning: “walk”, it is not walking whatever one wants in
the original, but marching in military rank with order.
This verse means that let us walk according to the same principle, not
act on our own.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God gives us different requirements
according to the different conditions of believers’ life.
2) Each believer shall be responsible to the
truth he has known. How much truth one has apprehended decides how much he shall put into practice.
3) God’s word is given to men to keep. Every
one who hears God’s words and does not do them, he has no foundation in the
building of his life (Matt. 7:26-27).
4) Man shall grow in spirit in order and step
by step. There is no short-cut to the growth of spiritual life.
Phil. 3:17 “Brethren, join in following
my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”
YLT: “become followers together of me, brethren, and
observe those thus walking, according as ye have us -- a
pattern;”
Meaning of Words: “join in follow”: co-imitator, follow
together; “pattern”: a stamp or scar, form;
Literal
Meaning: “note”: take aim at, imitate; this word shares
the same etymon with the word “mark”, so it indicates that one shall press
toward the mark after noting.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The walking of believers should become the
pattern for others to note.
2) Remember your leaders who have spoken to you
the word of God and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).
3) Only those who imitate the death of the
cross of Christ (v.10).
4) What we shall note is the Christ in others,
not their “old men”.
Phil. 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:”
YLT: “for many walk of whom many times I told you -- and now
also weeping tell -- the enemies of the cross of the Christ!”
Literal
Meaning: “the enemies of the cross of Christ”, it refers to both
the legalists and the philosophers of wisdom ---- the former despises the truth
of the redemption of Christ’s cross and holds that man can only be pleased by
God by good works, and the latter has given themselves up to lasciviousness
(v.19).
“Tell you even weeping”, Paul tells them in a sorrowful mood.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The cross of Christ sacrificed oneself for
others (v.19). Those whose god is their belly often profit at another’s expense
in their walking, so they are enemies of the cross.
2) Though many people exhort others, they only
exhort for the purpose of shifting responsibility, but not “often” or
“weeping”.
Phil. 3:19 “whose end is destruction,
whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind
on earthly things.”
YLT: “whose end destruction, whose god the belly, and whose
glory in their shame, who the things on earth are minding.”
Literal
Meaning: “whose god is their belly”, it refers to those who indulge them in
intemperance ---- who seek the enjoyment of life and the satisfaction of the
flesh, or the legalists ---- who cling to the customs of food. The sound truth
of Christ is neither dissipation nor self-torture
“And
whose glory is in their shame”, show off the
shameful things;
“Earthly
things”, things on the
earth in this age;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Though there is much seemingly good
philosophy, it is setting men’s mind on nothing more than person or things on
the earth, not on God in the heaven or heavenly things.
2) Though men are prosperous in the world and
fully enjoy all the glory on the earth, their end is still destruction.
Phil. 3:20 “For our citizenship is in
heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
YLT: “For our citizenship is in the heavens, whence also a
Saviour we await -- the Lord Jesus Christ --”
Meaning of Words: “wait for”: look, expect
fully;
The Background: at that time, Philippi was the colony of
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Since our “citizenship is in heaven”, we should have strong “national consciousness”
of the kingdom of the heavens and pay attention to the heavenly profit in
everything.
2) The view and value of believer’s life are
different from that of men on the earth, for our hope does not lie on the
earth.
3) Since are merely travelers and sojourners on
the earth (Heb. 11:13-16; 1Pet. 2:11), we do not set our eternal hope on the
earth.
4) If Christians have really known that the
world is not our home, we will not be troubled by the loss on this earth.
5) The life of Christians should focus on
preparing meeting the Lord’s second coming.
6) The day of Christ’s second coming is the day
in which believers shall be delivered from sign or labor. Therefore, how can we
not wait for Him eagerly?
Phil. 3:21 “who will transform our
lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the
working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
YLT: “who shall transform the body of our humiliation to its
becoming conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working of his
power, even to subject to himself the all things.”
Meaning of Words: “working”: operation, effectual working;
“lowly”: humble (2:8); “transform”: transfigure;
Literal
Meaning: “our lowly body”, our physical body had been made subject
to weakness, corruption and death (
“Transform”, when believers
are risen, their body will be redeemed and transformed into heavenly image
(Rom. 8:11; 1Cor. 15:49-53).
“Be
conformed to His glorious body”, Christ is the
first-fruit (1Cor. 15:23). The risen body of those who are of Christ will be
like the risen body of Christ.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Men in the world seek physical enjoyment.
However it is not the object that we believers pursue.
2) The body of believers is noble, not
“ignoble”. However, if we compare it with the glorious one in the future, it is
“lowly”.
3) Today, when we believers still live on the
earth, we are sill restricted with the flesh, e.g. hunger, disease, emotions
and etc. However, all these troubles will disappear because of the
transformation of our body when the Lord comes again.
4) The second coming of the Lord Jesus is
believers’ greatest hope. The salvation that we cannot fully enjoy will be
perfectly experienced and gained at that time.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Three Elements of
Sound Faith (v.3)
A. Worship God in the Spirit;
B. Rejoice
in Christ Jesus;
C. Have
no confidence in the flesh;
What is in the Flesh
(v.5-6)?
A. Circumcised the eighth day ---- the distinct mark;
B. The stock of
C. A Hebrew of the Hebrews ---- living environment;
D. A Pharisee ---- the orthodox
ministry;
E. Persecuting the church ---- be zealous in his faith;
F. Blameless in works ---- keep
the letter and customs;
Ten Stages of the
Experience in Christ (v.8-11)
A. the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ
B. count all things loss
C. Suffer the loss of all things;
D. Gain Christ;
E. be found in Him;
F. Know Christ further;
G. Know the power of His
resurrection;
H. Know the fellowship of His sufferings;
I. Being conformed to His death;
J. Attain to the resurrection from the dead
Two Different Kinds
of Righteousness
A. The righteousness which is from the law ---- though blameless, unprofitable (v.6-7,
B. The righteousness which is through faith in Christ ---- the righteousness which is from God
by faith (v.9b);
What is the Gain of
Christ?
A. Gain Christ Himself (v.8b);
B. Have the righteousness which is through
faith in Christ (v.9);
C. Know Christ and the power of His
resurrection (v
D. Know the fellowship of His sufferings,
being conformed to His death (v.10b-11);
E. Lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold
of me (v.12);
How to Gain Christ?
A. Know Him objectively (v.8);
B. Have faith in Him (v.9);
C. Know Him subjectively (v.10);
D. Imitate Him (v.10);
The Right Attitudes
of the Pursuit of the Lord
A. Toward the past ---- count all things loss (v.8);
B. Toward the present ---- not that I have already
attained, or am already perfected
(v.11);
C. Toward the future ---- press on and forget those
things which are behind and reach
forward to
those things which are ahead (v.12-13);
D. Press toward the goal (v.14);
Those Whom Believers
Should Beware of
A. Dogs ---- the legalists
who seem to themselves to be right (v.2);
B. Evil workers
---- the false apostles who preach the truth falsely (v.2);
C. The mutilation
---- those who show off the mark in the flesh (v.2);
D. The enemies of the cross of Christ ---- those who disobey the principle of the cross
in conversation (v.18);
E. Those whose god is their belly ---- those who seek to meet the need of
their flesh (v.19);
F. Those whose glory is in their shame ---- those who confuse right and wrong but
have no sense of shame (v.19);
Our Heavenly
Citizenship
A. Who have the prize of the upward call of God (v.14);
B. Who do not set our mind on earthly things (v.19);
C. Who eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ (v.20);
D. Whose lowly body shall be conformed to His glorious body (v.21);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou