Глава III

The apostle warns readers against being carried away by the teachings of the Judaizers (1-11). A call to imitate the Apostle in the pursuit of Christian perfection (12–21). Phil.3:1. However, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. Writing to you about the same is not burdensome for me, but edifying for you. Having concluded the previous section of the epistle with the call to rejoice in the Lord, the Apostle now moves on to a new circumstance that aroused great fears in him, namely the possibility of the appearance of Judaizing false teachers among the Philippians. He characterizes in sharp terms their methods of promoting Judaism and, in contrast to them, depicts how he himself views Judaism and its advantages. It was he who renounced all the dreams of Judaism and wholly strives to be in Christ. This verse forms the conclusion to the previous chapter. The Apostle spoke at length about Timothy and Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:19–30). The arrival of the latter to the Philippians should arouse joy in them (Phil. 2:29). In relation to the rest, which the Apostle did not touch ("however" is more correct: in relation to other things - τά λοιπόν) they should also rejoice. If the Apostle does not speak in detail about this “other stuff,” it is not because he does not want to: he can happily write several times about the same thing (“about the same thing” - τά αύτα), and knows that it will be useful (“edifying”) for readers, because the call to joy should encourage them. But - this is the unspoken thought that makes up the transition to the next section - he now needs to talk about unpleasant phenomena, change the tone of his speech... Phil.3:2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of circumcision, Phil.3:3. For we who are circumcised are those who serve God in the spirit and boast in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, The Philippians are in grave danger from the false teachers of Judaism. They must therefore be very careful (the Apostle repeats the word three times: “beware”). The apostle does not hesitate in choosing accusatory expressions to characterize these false teachers. He calls them “dogs,” in the sense that all their aspirations are essentially unclean, despite their apparent holiness: the dog was considered an unclean animal by the Jews (Isaiah 66:3; Matthew 7:6). They are “evil workers” - more precisely: “bad workers” in the field of God, because they harm the Gospel by introducing into the minds of believers a new, incorrect idea about the need to observe, in addition to the Gospel instructions, the requirements of the Law of Moses. Finally - they are “circumcision” - more correctly: “deformity, simple mutilation or mutilation” (ή κατατομή, and real circumcision is called ή περιτομή). In fact, circumcision, which the Judaizers demanded, had already lost its original symbolic meaning and turned into a simple meaningless operation. True circumcision is now represented by Christians: they serve God not in the flesh, but in the spirit, which, in fact, was what the Old Testament circumcision called for, they hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and not in the fact that they are circumcised in the flesh and have some other fleshly advantages (see about them below in Phil. 3: 5–6). Phil.3:4. although I can rely on the flesh. If anyone else thinks to rely on the flesh, then more so I, Phil.3:5. circumcised on the eighth day, from the family of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew of the Hebrews, according to the teaching of a Pharisee, Phil.3:6. by zeal - a persecutor of the Church of God, by legal truth - blameless. To make his conviction to shun the Judaizers more effective, the Apostle depicts his own attitude towards the law and towards Judaism in general with all its advantages. He himself had everything that the Judaizers boast or will boast before the Philippians. He received circumcision at the legal time (“on the eighth day” of birth), he came from the family of Israel, and not from any Edomites, he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, which “remained a faithful ally of the tribe of Judah and with it cherished the hope of Israel - the church, all its ranks and all the promises” (Bishop Theophan), and was a Jew from the Jews, i.e. a real, pure-blooded Jew, coming from a family in which there was no mixing with foreigners. All this, so to speak, was independent of Paul. As for his personal services to Judaism, they were also great. Firstly, he adhered to the teachings of the Pharisees, which were considered the most correct by the Jews (Acts 26:5); secondly, he persecuted the Church of Christ, which testified to his zeal for the Jewish religion (cf. Gal 1:14), and thirdly, he was “blameless” or blameless in regard to the requirements of righteousness, that is, he fulfilled all the rites of the law. Phil.3:7. But what was an advantage for me, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. However, the Apostle recognized for himself pure harm (ζημίαν - in Russian translation inaccurately: “vanity”) everything that had previously seemed to him an advantage. So his view changed because he believed in Christ (“for Christ’s sake”). In fact, all these advantages were harmful for him, as for a Christian; they prevented him from being imbued with the same mood that was in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5). Phil.3:8. And I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Him I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, that I may gain Christ. The Apostle repeats this confession in relation to the present time. And now, having already converted to Christianity, the Apostle considers the knowledge, the clear understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he calls “his own” out of special love for Him, much higher than his former Jewish advantages, which he previously enjoyed and which he now considers simply rubbish that should be thrown out of his home. He only wants to “acquire Christ,” that is, to fully assimilate Christ, to make Him his inner possession, which is achieved through prolonged Christian self-development. Phil.3:9. and be found in Him, not having your own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; The believer must “be found in Christ,” as if some part of Him. But this is possible only on the condition that a person will base this desire for Christ not on his own righteousness, but on the confidence that only Christ gives us justification (cf. Rom 10:3). The Apostle calls this righteousness bestowed by Christ the righteousness received from God by faith, because through Christ God Himself acted in the matter of our salvation (Rom. 8:32-33). It is better to replace the expression “by faith” with the expression “by faith,” according to the Greek. text (έπί τή πίστει) and relate it to the verb “to be found”. The apostle wants to “be found in Christ” in a way that is based on faith (Nazarevsky, p. 123). Phil.3:10. to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, The Apostle rejected all his Jewish advantages (Phil. 3:8) in order, firstly, to “know Christ”, to know him experientially, through inner experience, as his Lord and Redeemer, and secondly, to know “the power of His resurrection, that is, the power emanating from His resurrection, which transfers us to a new state - heavenly life, although still beginning and continuing here on earth (cf. Phil.3:20), and thirdly, to know participation in His sufferings, that is, to know and experience internally, in one’s suffering, the meaning of Christ’s suffering. - Conforming to His death. These words stand in relation to the words of Philippians 3:8: I have renounced everything. The Apostle wants to say that his life is actually no longer life, in the sense that ordinary people associate with this word, but constant dying (1 Cor 15:31) with Christ: constant suffering makes it similar to the death of Christ. Phil.3:11. to achieve the resurrection of the dead. According to the usual interpretation, the Apostle says here that he follows the path of suffering in order to be worthy of resurrection in glory (Zlat.). But Ewald draws attention to the fact that here the Apostle uses the unusual expression έξανάστασις ή έχ νεκρών (usually to refer to the “resurrection of the dead” the Apostle uses the expression άνάσταοις νεκρών). Based on a parallel passage from Eph.5:14 (“rise from the dead”), Ewald also interprets our expression in a figurative sense, as a designation of a spiritual uprising from among the spiritually dead. The apostle, denying his Jewish advantages, had in mind to break out of the deadening environment in which he had previously been. The context of the speech speaks for the plausibility of such an interpretation. Phil.3:12. I say this not because I have already achieved or perfected myself; but I strive, lest I attain as Christ Jesus attained me. The Apostle spoke of his improvement, for which he renounced Judaism, apparently as something completely achieved by him, as a completely correct deed. Some dreamers could easily interpret his words and say that all Christians in general have already achieved perfection (cf. 2 Tim 2:18). The Apostle now says that he is still far from complete perfection: he has only just begun his arduous path towards it. Here the Apostle first means only religious perfection (Phil. 3:12–16), and then he speaks about moral perfection (Phil. 3:17 et seq.). Inviting in the latter respect to imitate the example of him and his friends, he speaks bitterly of many Christians who live only for pleasure, forgetting that the true goal of all the aspirations of a Christian is life in heaven. Phil.3:13. Brethren, I do not consider myself to have attained; but only, forgetting what is behind and stretching forward, Phil.3:14. I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The Apostle has already been captured by Christ, and now he himself strives for Him, so as not to lose salvation (Blessed Theodoret). He is like a circus runner who races to win a prize. The life of an Apostle is, as it were, a constant running, a constant striving forward, with the goal of receiving a heavenly reward. And just as a runner thinks only about how he can quickly reach the cherished goal, so the Apostle does not think about what he has done, but only about what he still has to do. In this endeavor, he relies on faith in Christ and His promises (“in Christ Jesus”). Phil.3:15. So, whoever is perfect among us should think like this; if you think differently about something, then God will reveal this to you. Phil.3:16. However, as far as we have reached, we must think and live according to that rule. This is how we need to think about the possibility of “Christian perfection.” Maybe readers have not yet understood that such perfection cannot exist on earth, but over time they will understand this: “our God” (i.e. God as the Father of Christians - in Greek the word God - θεός is placed with a member - ό) will reveal this to them. For now, we need to hold on only to what we have already achieved, and not retreat back. Phil.3:17. Imitate me, brothers, and look to those who walk in the image that you have in us. Phil.3:18. For many, about whom I have often told you, and now even speak with tears, act as enemies of the cross of Christ. Phil.3:19. Their end is destruction, their god is their womb, and their glory is in shame, they think about earthly things. The apostle here begins to speak against moral laxity. He himself and his friends should be considered as models for the Philippian Christians, and in this case the readers will be able to protect themselves from the influence of immoral people, of whom, unfortunately, there are many among them. The life of such Christians is in direct opposition to what the cross of Christ teaches. In fact, those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and lusts (Gal 5:24). Such licentious Christians will not have a share in the bliss that the Cross of Christ guarantees for those who honor it. These people are real idolaters, because they serve their belly as an idol and even boast about their shameful behavior. Apparently, the Apostle does not mean here the Judaists, whom he spoke about above (Phil. 3:2 et seq.), but simple Christians who were unable to wean themselves from the former vices that possessed them in paganism. Phil.3:20. Our residence is in heaven, from where we await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Phil.3:21. Who will transform our lowly body so that it will be conformed to His glorious body, by the power by which He acts and subdues all things to Himself. This direction of life is completely incompatible with Christianity. The Christian's fatherland (more precisely: the civil state τό πολίτευμα) is in heaven. The earth is something alien for a Christian. His thoughts are directed to where Christ is (Col. 3:1 et seq.) and from where He will appear to lead believers to the goal they desire. They expect that Christ will then change their earthly body, in which they feel as if bound (cf. Rom 8:23) and which will be replaced by another, similar to that bright body in which Christ rose from the dead (cf. Rom 8:29). Ap. Paul thinks of this transformation of bodies as the action of the miraculous power of the Lord Jesus Christ and as extending to all Christians, both living and dead (1 Cor. 15:51 et seq.). You might be interested in: