This morning we return to Paul’s letter to the Philippian church

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul continues his instruction as he writes to the Philippian fellowship, warmly referring to them twice in this passage as “brothers”…the overarching theme of this section of the book is a comparison between those who are in union with Christ and those who are not, but Paul also takes a moment to speak directly to a situation within the local body as he intervenes, not so much with apostolic authority as with pastoral concern…let’s dive into the text 

Are you watching me now? (3.17)

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 

Much as he does to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians, here Paul offers himself -- and in this case, his co-workers as well -- as models for the Philippians to emulate…some have seen unbridled arrogance in Paul because of these repeated calls to believers to follow his example…and while it may seem that way on the surface, it doesn’t take long to see why he would do that

It has to do with understanding the time and place of the letter, the context in which it was written…in the middle of the first century, as Paul is writing his letters, the NT hadn’t been compiled…the canon, or list of writings accepted as divinely inspired and constituting Scripture, was not closed until almost 100 AD…historians aren’t certain of the dates, but we believe the three synoptic gospels -- Matthew, Mark, and Luke -- were compiled together and circulated among churches and individuals…Paul’s letters were often passed from church to church…but it is almost certain that individual congregations would not have had reliable access to writings they could have treated as authoritative instruction or guidance

So -- in the absence of Scripture beyond the OT, or perhaps with a document or two of that day -- Paul couldn’t refer churches to written records as guidance for faith and practice, so the most effective way to teach someone about what it meant to be a Christ-follower was to encourage them to observe more mature believers and follow their examples…the situation highlighted the importance of mentoring and one on one discipleship…those were the only ways to communicate and model Christian truth and behavior in the first century, before the canon of Scripture was complete and technology developed to reproduce and distribute the letters that would become the NT

In the absence of what we know today as the NT in writing, Paul took on the responsibility of living out a much-needed example of Christianity before the churches…and he directed them to also watch and imitate the lives of other co-laborers, including Timothy and Epaphroditus; they could also look at people like Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila, Barnabas, and others 

But even with the NT now complete, it doesn’t mean we no longer have a need for good examples of our faith…men and women who have walked with Jesus for years and even decades, who have faithfully served…in fact, I think that, more than ever, we need those believers who are willing to intentionally be examples to younger believers in the faith…what a powerful combination it is when you have clear Biblical teaching and the opportunity to see people walking in that teaching day after day, week after week; we’re blessed to have many of those mature believers in our congregation, and I hope if you’re on the livestream today that you have some believers around you as well to whom you can look for an example of how to walk with Jesus

“Enemies of the Cross…”      (3.18-19)

Paul’s thoughts now turn to those who opposed his work in the gospel, and very likely those who even then were specifically opposing the work in Philippi…

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 

This statement lands somewhere between an observation of the state of lost mankind, and a pointed warning 

Paul grieves over the “many” who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ…verse 18 seems to indicate that these adversaries had been a topic of discussion before, and probably by name…why would Paul weep? Perhaps it’s that the work of the Cross continually faces the opposition of the world…or perhaps it’s that Paul knows these enemies personally, as they may well have come from the ranks of the Jewish religious leaders of which Paul himself had been a part…or perhaps it was because Paul still recalled with anguish and regret how he himself had been the preeminent Enemy of the Cross of Christ…in any case, he provides a clear description of these opponents

But I don’t want us to overlook an important truth: all those who do not know Jesus, who are not in union with Him, who are not indwelt by the Spirit of God, stand as adversaries to the cross of Christ

If we stop for a moment and examine the condition of unregenerate mankind, if we see with clear eyes exactly who we are apart from Christ and prior to salvation given by Christ, we’ll see that it’s a very dark picture…let’s just look at five short passages, all from the gospel of John, to illustrate this

Lost mankind is spiritually ignorant...John 1.9-11 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. In our lost condition, we do not recognize Jesus as the Son of God, despite the witness of Scripture testifying to us of His deity, His perfection, His holiness, His miracles, His teaching…apart from the Spirit of God, we neither know Him nor recognize Him

Lost mankind is spiritually blind…John 3.3  3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again (or “born from above”) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  In addition to being spiritually ignorant of the identity of Jesus Christ, we are also spiritually blind to the things of God…unless you belong to Him, have been born from above, you cannot see the kingdom of God…not “may not” as a matter of permission, but “cannot” referring to a lack of ability -- we cannot see God unless He lifts the veil of sin from our eyes and gives sight to the spiritually blind

Lost mankind is guilty of spiritual hatred toward God…John 3.19-20 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  The judgment -- the condemnation of mankind apart from Christ is clear -- the light came to our world -- and we hated it…why? Because the light and truth of God exposes our own deeds as evil and wicked…we rebel against the truth because the truth shows us who and what we really are…everyone who does wicked things hates the light and will run from it, not toward it…this passage alone clearly shows that lost people apart from the saving regeneration of God will not come to Jesus…we see the same truth in Romans 3.10-11  10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.  And Isaiah 53.6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; 

Lost mankind is spiritually defiant…John 3.36  36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. If a person does not obey the Son of God, but persists in sinful rebellion against the righteous and just authority of God, then two things will happen -- they will not see life, which is to say they will only experience death; and the wrath of God will remain on that individual, excluding grace and mercy and forgiveness from their experience

And worst of all, lost mankind is spiritually dead…John 5.25 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Jesus says “Truly, truly, I say to you…” to emphasize the point that the work of the Son of God is to raise the dead…that His word, His voice brings the dead to life …for all of us were spiritually dead, and the only way anyone experiences spiritual life is to be resurrected by the very voice of God the Son…this same truth is made clear in Colossians 2.13-14

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 

So the truth of God is this: apart from Jesus Christ, all of us are spiritually ignorant, blind, hostile and hateful toward God, defiant of His authority, and most damning of all, dead in our trespasses and sins…only in Jesus can we know grace, life, peace, and forgiveness…Romans 5.10 says it well: 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 

While it’s true that in our lost state we defy God and seek to live apart from His sovereign authority, within this rebellious part of mankind who reject God, there are some who are not passive about their disobedience, but active -- attacking the truth and message of the Cross of Christ…Paul speaks about them here, describing them in four ways

19 Their end is destruction: Paul defines the wicked here first by describing their end -- destruction at the hand of a righteous and holy God…we see this ultimately in the book of Revelation, where in Chapter 20 verse 15, the final verse before the coming of the glorious new heavens and the new earth: 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. -- that is the end of those who refuse to repent and turn to Jesus

their god is their belly: what rules the lives of these people? Their physical appetites -- all that they desire in an earthly or worldly way…it renders Gr ‘koilia’ used also in Romans 16.17-18   17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, -- this describes the heart of the individual…when a person’s heart is set on the world and the things of the world, it’s a clue that he or she is not following after Jesus

they glory in their shame: the word for “shame,” Gr ‘aischyne’ -- means that which is disgraceful, dishonorable, indecent -- in a word, shameful…a characteristic of those who care nothing for God, and in fact are enemies of the Cross, is that they glory in things the Bible considers shameful…this describes the will and the choices driven by the will…the Word says there is a objective distinction between what is good and what is evil, and that believers are to move toward and imitate that which is good…III John 1.11 11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

The last descriptor is this: they have minds set on earthly things…this completes the full picture as it describes the mind of the lost in addition to the heart and the will …this identifies where this person places their attention and spends their time…Romans 8.6a is clear about the consequence of this: 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death

“Citizens of Heaven”    (3.20-21)

But now Paul turns to those belonging to God -- 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Of all the ways Paul speaks of believers, this description is unusual -- he calls us citizens of heaven…”citizens” renders Gr ‘politeuma’ -- also “commonwealth,” a politically organized body of people under a single government; especially where one’s citizenship and loyalties lie; it’s the source of our words “politics” and related words like “politician” or “political” even related words like “metropolis” and “police”

After a person comes to faith, it doesn’t take long to realize that this world doesn’t feel like home anymore…suddenly everything -- values, priorities, relationships, time management, all the things that really matter -- seem upside down from what we knew before…our citizenship has changed, and everything else changed along with it…the author of Hebrews says it well speaking of those who walk by faith: Hebrews 11.16 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. The Almighty God has prepared for us a city -- a place for us to be together, both with Him and with each other

And in that new city -- our forever home -- we will be enjoying transformed bodies

The Scripture doesn’t tell us as much as we would like to know about these bodies, but we do know a few things

John confirms what Paul tells us here: that we will be like Jesus…I John 3.2 says 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 

Much could be said here about the work and promise of the Spirit to give life to our mortal bodies…Romans 8.11 gives us this truth

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Though they will not stay mortal in the sense they are now…we are exchanging these bodies for bodies like that of Jesus, which can only be called “imperishable” Note I 

Corinthians 15.50-53

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 

When we receive these transformed bodies, suited for an eternity in the new heavens and the new earth, they will not be subject to sin or the curse of sin, or decay, or pain, or illness…none of the things that plague each of us now, particularly as we start to age…in this perfected state, with no flesh nature, no propensity to sin, no experience of temptation, and with a body made to last forever, we’re going to have to find other things to talk about since a lot of conversations now revolve around our always expanding medical records…

And those new bodies will be pretty amazing…since we know from John that we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is, what we know about Jesus in His resurrected body we learn from the post-resurrection appearances: still able to eat broiled fish but also able to simply appear in rooms with no entrances; yet recognizable with all the essential qualities of the bodies we have today…in Revelation 6 we are given a glimpse of saints, martyrs specifically, who have memory, cognition, speech, evidently some form of body as they are given robes to wear…it’s exciting to anticipate what lay ahead of us as we go to be with Jesus following our death, or His return to meet us in the air…

“Stand Firm…”      (4.1)

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.   

Now jumping past the chapter break, we reach Paul’s conclusion to this lengthy passage of challenge and encouragement…once again calling the Philippian believers “brothers,” Paul affirms his love for this precious congregation and his longing to be with them in person

Paul also calls them “his joy and crown” and while the Philippians were very special to Paul -- we’ll see more of their relationship in the remainder of chapter four -- he loved all the churches…in fact, he uses almost exactly the same language toward the Thessalonians…I Thessalonians 2.19   19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Now Paul gives to them a clear command: to stand firm

As it is true of San Antonio and all around the world today, so it was true then in Philippi -- it’s not easy to be a decisive, uncompromising, steadfast Christ-follower in the midst of an ungodly world…the Philippians faced temptations to fall away from the faith, to compromise with idolatry, to slip back into legalism or paganism …the call is the same to us as it was to them: stand firm

The same call Moses gave to the children of Israel as they were caught between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea: “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord”

The same call Paul gave to the Corinthians in the midst of a wicked city: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 

The same call Paul gave to the churches of Galatia: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

The Greek word ‘steko’ is found nine times in the NT -- always translated the same -- to stand, meaning to stand firm, to maintain one’s position, to be steadfast and upright

It should be said of all believers, and churches, in all times and places…that they would not compromise on the truth of the gospel; they remained morally upright, ethically steadfast, even in the face of attacks from the world and temptations from the devil

But in the midst of it all, it’s good to know that ultimately, it isn’t in our own strength that we stand firm -- it’s only because of the inner strength of the Holy Spirit Who reminds us that we can trust in Him when we are afraid, telling us to “fear not, for I am with you” -- always remember that the Holy Spirit never leaves us alone…never abandons us…that weeping may last for the night, but that joy comes in the morning…

So church of the Living God, stand firm in His power and strength

Postscript    (4.2-3)

Here at the end of today’s text we encounter something you find from time to time…a break in the train of the author’s thought in the middle of a letter

Here in verses 2 and 3, Paul takes a moment to directly address two ladies in the Philippian church -- their names are Euodia and Syntyche

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Other than their names, we don’t have many details…we know they were faithful and diligent workers in the cause of the gospel, working with Paul and a co-laborer named Clement (the only mention of this person) and other unnamed “fellow workers”

In fact, the word translated here “labored” is also translated “fought”

But somehow, these two godly women got sideways with each other…we don’t know how or why…and Paul appeals to an unnamed person, called his “true companion” to “help these women”

It sounds simple -- but just below the surface of this straightforward request is something that represents a vital part of the body life of the church…when people are struggling in a relationship, like these two, or a husband and wife are struggling in a marriage, or parents and a son or a daughter are struggling, or an individual church member is wrestling with a persistent problem or sin, one of the most basic and most valuable callings within the body of Christ is to “help” -- and thank the Lord, churches are gifted with those whom God has equipped and motivated to take on a “helping” ministry…these choice servants take on the “one anothers” of the Bible

To love one another -- live in harmony with one another -- to not pass judgment on one another -- to be able to instruct one another -- to have the same care for one another -- to comfort one another -- to serve one another -- to bear one another’s burdens -- to be kind to one another -- to forgive one another -- to encourage one another -- to build one another up -- to exhort one another -- to pray for one another -- to have fellowship with one another

Here at Verse by Verse Fellowship, we are blessed to have a strong group of dedicated helpers and counselors in our ministry called Help for the Hurting -- today you might be in the position of Euodia or Syntyche, needing someone to come alongside you in love -- or perhaps you are that “true companion” to whom Paul referred…it’s no accident that the person isn’t named -- that way each of us is free to put our name in the place of the helper, and to serve the body of Christ -- it’s not the helper’s job to solve the problem, only to help those who need it, giving comfort and challenge and encouragement how and when the fellowship needs it

So today, here’s your reminder to-do list:

Look for a mentor to imitate -- and BE a mentor someone else can imitate

Recognize there are enemies of the Cross of Christ -- weep for them, pray for them, be patient with them, for such were we before the grace of God came to us

Be a joyous citizen of the kingdom of Heaven

Stand firm in your faith against sin, the flesh, and the devil

And be a helper to someone in need.