Following Paul's Example

welcome Prayer Song Silence

So, after telling the believers to mind the same things last week, we come to verse 17 of chapter 3. So let's read to the end as Paul now says:

Philippians 3.17-end /4.1-5 March 29th 2020 Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 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: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 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.

Paul as an Example

Alright, back to verse 17.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Brethren, live as I live. Be a follower of me. This is an interesting line for a couple of reasons. Paul is actually telling them to immolate him, to follow him – a man but nevertheless an apostle man. In the record there is presented an order: God, Jesus, the apostles, the believers. This was the order of the Nascent Church. It was a hierarchy not only of leadership but also of examples.

Jesus of Nazareth looked to God within him and followed. The apostles, who had to be eyewitnesses of Him (remember that important item) looked to Jesus Christ and followed him. And the believers in that day actually had material men who followed Christ to look to and follow – men they could trust, men who had all things in the church placed in their hands, men who were lead by revelation, men who even wrote those inspired words down, and men who did not hesitate in telling others to follow them. This is an established scriptural order in place at that time.

Following Leadership and Example

What is also interesting is that no such order is in place today – unless you want to believe that materially minded men in business suit who call themselves Latter-Day Saints are the living apostles today that men should follow and immolate? But the fact remains Paul DID tell the believers then to follow him – to look to him as a physically present human being that they should trust with their salvation. It was important, in the wrapping up of that age and the gathering of the Bride that there were men on earth that she could look to – so why not still? Why not now?

The human natural man answer to this is that there should now still be men we follow. But that is NOT what the age of fulfillment is based on. It is based on individuals, spirit filled and spirit led by God, who has written his laws in them, to choose to walk by that spirit in their lives and not by the flesh – for there is NO flesh on earth that is worthy of our allegiance and trust. It or they will all fail us.

The Bride of Christ

That was NOT the case in the wrapping up of that age when Christ promised to come back and take his unspotted bride, as evidenced by the very fact that Paul TOLD them TO follow him. Follow me. Live as I do. I am a special witness, taught by the Lord Himself, a parent of the Christian age of the Bride.

And he adds, “and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” Take note of those who do as I am instructing you to do – mark them – they are the bride, those who deny themselves, and do not follow after the flesh, and submit themselves to the will of God. As we will see that (at least for simplicities sake) two camps in the Bride at that time – just like there are two camps in the world today.

The Wheat – or those who walked by the Spirit, not by the world, and humbly lived their lives out and the Tares or those who were proud and arrogant and of the world.

And then at verse 18 Paul enters in to what the scholars have placed as a parenthetical reference where he describes those who were not following after Paul’s example, and he begins this side note by

Enemies of the Cross

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:

Of course he could be describing people in the world itself – but I don’t think so. He has told them to mark the salt of the earth souls who follow after himself. That suggests that there are others in their midst who ought not to be marked, and this lives up to the Wheat and Tare parable of the Lord. And so referring to them as “the many” says that they “walk as enemies of the cross.”

“Of whom I have told you often.”

When Paul preached in Philippi he was not afraid to speak of church-members when they did wrong or to warn others not to imitate their example. He openly admitted to these sorts in the church and made no attempt to cover it up. Do NOT follow after their example, he warned there and again here. Of course this bothered Paul, the choices of these believers and here he says that he refers to them with “weeping.”

Paul's Response to Wayward Believers

And we find a lesson in this from Paul. Perhaps what we could call the true Spirit when confronted with people who claim Christ but walk with the world.

Brokenness and sorrow. He does not name them, he does not find pleasure in their choices, he does not tell the people to treat them badly or judge them, instead he instructs them to merely mark those who walk as Paul walked, which is a more positive spin on the situation. Like Paul we might weep or mourn over those who choose the world because they do not care to put their hand to the plow and not look back, but instead want to indulge in this world and all that it operates by. We are in flesh, and we are forced to operate in the flesh, and work our jobs, and do our careers but do we embrace the world and its ways.

Those who did in Paul’s day caused him to weep. And that makes sense because they were in danger of losing their lives at the coming of the Lord, of missing the high call of God on their lives, of entering to the eternities with a subpar resurrection, of being outside the fellowship of the bride, and of God and Christ. Why? Perhaps because Paul refers to them as enemies of the cross. That takes them out of the body and clearly plants them in the ranks of the tares.

Consequences of Being an Enemy

The word enemies has little wiggle room – these were hateful of the cross of Christ, and we could interpret that in a number of different ways. Of course there is the obvious way. They actually despised the cross of Christ, his life and deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. and offering to the father. They could have seen it as ridiculous, unnecessary, or repulsive. Perhaps they saw the cross as an enemy to the Law which was abolished by its very presence, and instead to cling to works-righteousness instead of the justification that comes by faith. Of course they could have been enemies of the cross in that they refuse to submit to the metonymical meaning of the cross in their lives and refused to “be crucified with Christ” or to “die daily with him” but instead lived for themselves and their flesh. I can’t say that the former ways they could have been enemies of the cross were applicable but I am convinced that they were hateful of the metonymical cross in their lives based on what Paul says next:

19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

This first line is what caused Paul to weep over these sorts, because their end, he says, is destruction. That word is apoleea and means their ruin, their end is waste – it does not mean total obliteration. And when Paul says that their God is their belly, that’s a pretty straightforward description straight out – but the meaning is their God is their own desires, their own appetites – which is why belly is the perfect word to depict their ways. They seek to fill and feed themselves with their own wants rather than the will and ways of God. Therefore their God is their appetites – they follow them.

This isn’t the first time Paul has used the word translated belly. In Romans 16:18 we read:

For they that are such

Earthly vs. Heavenly Mindsets

Serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Same thing. (And whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. There are plenty of other passages that speak to these same folks in that day.

Titus 1:11 says “Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.”

1st Timothy 6:5 reads: Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Identifying the False Prophets

And Peter wrote in 2nd Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

This is what Paul says here – “Whose end is destruction.” Why? In part because they “mind earthly things.” Their hearts are set on obtaining earthly things over Godly things, as we said.

At verse 20 Paul uses come contradistinction and says 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: The enemies of the cross were focused on the things of the world at that time, but Paul says “FOR” (or BUT) our conversation is in heaven.”

Heavenly Citizenship

The word translated to conversation here is not found anywhere else in scripture, and its POL-IT-YOU-MAH. It best means community, citizenship and perhaps even administration of community. So therefore, we belong to another community, the one in heaven, and our lives are based on what THAT community cares about, focuses on, thrives on, and lives by.

They serve their own bellies, they make God their desires, but our community is in heaven lead by God and this is whom we look to, follow and serve.

From whence (meaning, From heaven) Paul says, “we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Expectation of the Savior's Return

This was another way in which those who had their administration and citizenry in heaven lived – they believed that Jesus was coming back to save them – while the others had absolutely no sense of this. This might even be said of our time – in fact, not might, is said in our time. There are those who see the current clamp down due to the virus as a solid reason to expect the return of the Savior while others have no interest in such a view.

Peter writes of this attitude prevalent then, saying 2nd Peter 3:3-4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last daysThe final years of the old covenant age—fulfilled in the first century, not future end times. scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. So it is now, so it was then. The only difference is then He was coming back because he promised to come back, and all of the apostles supported this promise, and that is why Paul writes that they “also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And since he mentioned his return, and their complete expectation of it to happen in their day and age at some point, Paul now adds more information relative to that return of Jesus to them/then saying:

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.

Of course, one of the things tied directly to Jesus' return was the resurrection. And so Paul, while admitting that believers in that day, unlike the citizens of the world, were looking for His return to them to save them also says that upon this return Jesus/He

“Who shall change OUR vile body…”

The words, "vile body," speak to what Paul is calling, "the body of humiliation;" or “our humble bodies. This He, upon His return, would change. That is one of the promises to the believers in that day that upon His return the resurrection would also come. That is why Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 15:22-23

For as in Adam all die (because of these humble corrupt bodies), even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (when? How?) 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits (he is the first to rise from the grave, then Paul adds) afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

In other words

Transformation at Christ's Return

These bodies which are subject to infirmities, disease, and death would be changed by Him at His return. They would move from the corrupt state that they are in to the incorruptible. That is why in the same chapter (1st Corinthians 15) Paul adds speaking of our bodies:

1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

And then at verse 48-49

1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

1Co 15:22-28

This is what Paul was promoting here, their vile bodies being changed at the arrival of Jesus coming to save them at his promised return.

21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body . . . This was another element to what they expected then – that the bodies they received would be fashioned like unto His glorious body.

Assurance from Scripture

Paul wrote in Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. And John the Beloved wrote in 1st John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

So again, they were looking and longing for the return of the Lord to them, and to be changed forever from the vileness of their humble frames to the glory of that which Christ Himself possessed. It is of note that at that time, when Christ returned as promised that he would be a Savior who would have subdued all things unto Himself. He would come in absolute glory, his enemies would be trampled, receiving their just desserts for rejecting him and persecuting the Saints, and at that time Satan would be subdued, and His power over sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. and (spiritual death) and hell would be cast into the lake of fire, and all bodies would be resurrected and received into glory by this victory.

The Complete Picture

That is why here in Philippians Paul says in total:

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.

Meaning that these changes would and could only occur when He had had total victory over all things, that when Satan had his run, and all that had been prophesied was complete, would he return or come back in glory and judgment and power.

And only then could the changes described here by Paul happen – because only then would he have concurred all things and had the capacity to regenerate all of man. Only one had the power over all things that would enable such a great eternal transformation over the bodies of men. And that is why Paul delivers the total picture of what Christ would do in that day of His return, and the beginning of the resurrection of the just, in the following way in 1Co 15:22-28:

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet . . . 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

This was the picture that Paul was painting for them that was headed their way. In it was the hope that they would be saved, redeemed, changed and carried into the heavens in which they knew they were already citizens.

4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 2 I beseech Euodias,

Final Benediction and Appeal

And beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

So, let’s go back to the beginning of this final benediction upon them.

1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. The message of this verse is stand fast in the Lord, my beloved. But the combination of words makes this a tad bit muddled.

The better translation might read for clarity:

Therefore my dearly beloved brethren, (in light of all I have said in chapters 1-3), Stand in the Lord, my beloved, who are my joy and crown. Of course this could refer to the Grecian races but to be called a crown is to be established as the ultimate reward of someone or something.

References to "Crown" in Proverbs

Proverbs 12:4 says, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband;"
Proverbs 14:24, "The crown of the wise is their riches;"
Proverbs 16:31, "The hoary head is a crown of glory;"
And Proverbs 17:6, "Children's children are the crown of old men."

The idea here is, that the church at Philippi was that in which the apostle gloried. He regarded it as a high honour to have been the means of founding such a church, and he looked upon it with the same joy that a monarch has over the crown which he proudly wears on his head.

And Paul adds:

2 I beseech Euodias (Yoo-oh-dia), and beseech Syntyche (Soon-too-kay), that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Most scholars believe that these two biblical characters were females (though the name Syntyche (SoonTooKay) could be attributed to a male). And it appears that they had some status there among the church at Philippi (they were probably deaconesses) and that they had a disagreement of some sort and Paul was appealing to them to be of the same mind in the Lord – a plea he gave to the believers there in chapter three.

Of course, to have the same mind as the Lord is to have a mind that is in total harmony with the Lord’s will and ways, which would be a mind leaning to peace, unity, and forgiveness of one another’s faults.

Appeal to a True Yokefellow

3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

“I also ask, true yoke-fellow”, Because this is in the singular it is not known to whom Paul is referring. All that is known is, that it was someone whom Paul regarded as associated with himself in the labors of the Gospel and one who was perhaps so prominent at Philippi that all who read the letter would know his identity. The presumption is that it was one of the ministers or "bishops" to whom Paul addresses this epistle in the first place as the opening verse has Paul address the letter to the "church, with the bishops and deacons."

Some scholars think this was the husband of one of the two women mentioned in verse two but again, conjecture. And some think that the term translated "yokefellow" (which is Suzugov) is actually a proper noun name) that means yokefellow, so there’s that. Whoever it was Paul asks him to help those women who labored with him in the Gospel and many think he is referring to the women mentioned by name in verse two.

More specifically, he is asking him to step in and help them in their disagreement with each other. But the actual reference seems rather to have the man be helpful to the women who had rendered important assistance to Paul when he was there. Of course women were deacons in that day (Romans 16:1 and 1st Timothy 5:9 support this) and these women were probably entrusted with some sort of responsibility wherein Paul had learned that they needed help.

Best we can do. With Clement also and the other fellow-laborers of Paul who had aiding him in the gospel. Clement was undoubtedly someone who was well known among them too and the apostle felt that, by associating them with him, as having been real helpers in the gospel, their claim to respectful attention would be better appreciated. Many ancients believe that this was Clement of Rome.

Understanding "The Book of Life"

Rome who wound up being known as one of the primitive fathers of the faith but there is no evidence of this and because the name Clement was common this is doubtful. And Paul adds:

“Whose names are in the book of life.”

The phrase "the book of life" is a Hebrew phrase, and refers originally to a record or catalogue of names, like as the roll of an army. The important things to know about the book of life is everyone's name is included in it and they are removed from it, and it is not a book that is blank with names added to it. In other words, when a soldier died their name would be erased from the book of the living.

The phrase book of life is an old phrase and the notion of removing names from it is just as old. In Exodus 32:32 Moses wrote:

“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”

Psalm 69:8 says: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.”

Biblical References

Daniel 12:1: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Isaiah 4:3 reads: “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem.”

And then into the Apostles record we read in Luke 10:20 where Jesus says to the Seventy he sent out who were rejoicing over their abilities to cast out spirits: Lu 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

The Book of Life in Revelation

But it's when we get to the Book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. where the Book comes most prominently into play. Jesus says to the believers at the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:5:

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

Then speaking of the reprobates who worship the Beast John writes in Revelation 13:8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

And then speaking of them then, who were of that age and would be judged according to the workings of it, we read in Revelation 20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Finally, in wrapping the Revelation up to them/then, John says in the last chapter of Revelation 22:19:

“And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

I conclude today that all of this talk about the book, and being removed from it, is over. It has been fulfilled. I could be wrong, and perhaps there are names still being erased from the ledger, but it seems that Jesus has had the victory over all things and that all have been reconciled to the Father. Not all will live with him, anymore than all soldiers who survive a war are heroes, but the narrative appears to have been fulfilled – and that is where we will leave off today.

PRAYER