Harsh Words for False Teachers
May 20, 2024 at 2:44 pm | Posted in Philippians | Leave a comment
Tags: beware of dogs, circumcision in the Bible, commentary on Philippians, dogs in the Bible, false teachers, Philippians 3, serrated edge, Sunday School lessons on Philippians, works righteousness
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Philippians 3:1
You probably know the joke about the secret word in a Baptist preacher’s sermon that means you’re going to be there at least another 30 minutes: “finally.” Philippians 3:1 is close to only the halfway point of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, and, though Paul sounds like he intends to conclude the letter, he then goes on for another two whole chapters. This has led many Bible commentators to believe that the original letter did not include Chapter 3, and that some scribe or sneaky person went back and inserted it later. To back up this claim, there is supposedly a different literary style or at least flavor to Chapter 3 that doesn’t match Paul’s normal style. This theory has been pretty well debunked by serious Biblical Greek scholars, but what is possible – and even likely – is that Paul originally finished the letter without Chapter 3, and then – before sending it – was inspired to include additional information, and – self-editing the letter – decided it would go better after what he had written in Chapter 2. If you read the end of Chapter 2 and then skip right to the beginning of Chapter 4, you can see that it does transition very smoothly, but you can also see that it makes more sense to address the false teaching that was going on in Philippi right after the section that talks about the importance of humility, generosity, and unity, than it would to tack that onto the closing salutations.
So, who were the false teachers who came along after Paul left Philippi and – like they always seemed to do – contradicted his Gospel-teaching on free grace apart from works and on faith as the means of justification, rather than religious rituals or self-produced merit? We call them the Judaizers, but Paul had some harsher names for them:
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Philippians 3:2
We think of dogs as a normal part of daily life in 21st Century America, and we are not surprised to see them roaming the streets or sitting in someone’s Lazy Boy recliner sharing a biscuit and wearing a tutu.
In ancient times, though, dogs were considered a nuisance at best, and a menace at worst. Religious Jewish people saw them as unclean and filthy, and when they really wanted to insult someone – like an uncircumcised gentile – they would refer to them as dogs. It was a very biting comment (pun intended) for Paul to turn the tables and say THEY were really the dogs (like heathens who were not God’s people). This reference to dogs will have another payoff in Verse 14
Notice that he went on to call them not just evil, but evil “workers.” They not only did evil works by teaching a false gospel and by attacking the true Gospel, but, thinking that “works” such as circumcision were meritorious works, they actually highlighted the “evil” of such works when offered to God in the place of faith. This is how we know he was talking about Judaizers. To them circumcision was absolutely necessary for salvation (in addition to belief in Jesus), but Paul called them the “concision,” meaning mutilation. Again, this is extreme opposition. Paul was not being passive-aggressive (he was being aggressive-aggressive!) in calling their most sacred rite a vile act of pagan mutilation.
Philippians 3:2 is a warning against false teachers and church infiltrators who taught salvation by works or by grace plus works. Those who were being circumcised based on the belief that this act played a part in their salvation were really just mutilating themselves, so this verse was a stinging jab at those who were encouraging people to “cut themselves short.” Then, he completely turned it around on them:
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Philippians 3:3
One of the revelations of the New Testament is that those who worship God by faith, in spirit and in truth, not in the flesh, are the true Israelites: the true children of Abraham.
What comes next is similar to something we see in II Corinthians, where Paul felt the need – almost against his conscience and certainly against his instincts – to list his own credentials. There, he was challenged as to his apostolic authority. Here, he was saying that, if being Jewish and observing the Old Testament Jewish religious rituals, ceremonies, and lawful obedience COULD save us, he had those things to a greater extent than those who were claiming that THEIR righteousness was the standard.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Philippians 3:4-6
If there was ever an example of exemplary Jewish works-righteousness or righteousness in the flesh (other than Jesus), he was it, but, just as Jesus Himself emptied Himself of the right to assert His own superiority as the basis for how to live before God, Paul, once he was truly saved, thought his previous “righteousness” was utterly ridiculous, and counted it as worthless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Philippians 3:7-8
Again, this is extremely harsh language – about as close as the New Testament comes to scatalogical obscenity.
The Deep End 
Harsh Words for False Teachers
May 20, 2024 at 2:44 pm | Posted in Philippians | Leave a commentTags: beware of dogs, circumcision in the Bible, commentary on Philippians, dogs in the Bible, false teachers, Philippians 3, serrated edge, Sunday School lessons on Philippians, works righteousness
Philippians 3:1
You probably know the joke about the secret word in a Baptist preacher’s sermon that means you’re going to be there at least another 30 minutes: “finally.” Philippians 3:1 is close to only the halfway point of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, and, though Paul sounds like he intends to conclude the letter, he then goes on for another two whole chapters. This has led many Bible commentators to believe that the original letter did not include Chapter 3, and that some scribe or sneaky person went back and inserted it later. To back up this claim, there is supposedly a different literary style or at least flavor to Chapter 3 that doesn’t match Paul’s normal style. This theory has been pretty well debunked by serious Biblical Greek scholars, but what is possible – and even likely – is that Paul originally finished the letter without Chapter 3, and then – before sending it – was inspired to include additional information, and – self-editing the letter – decided it would go better after what he had written in Chapter 2. If you read the end of Chapter 2 and then skip right to the beginning of Chapter 4, you can see that it does transition very smoothly, but you can also see that it makes more sense to address the false teaching that was going on in Philippi right after the section that talks about the importance of humility, generosity, and unity, than it would to tack that onto the closing salutations.
So, who were the false teachers who came along after Paul left Philippi and – like they always seemed to do – contradicted his Gospel-teaching on free grace apart from works and on faith as the means of justification, rather than religious rituals or self-produced merit? We call them the Judaizers, but Paul had some harsher names for them:
Philippians 3:2
We think of dogs as a normal part of daily life in 21st Century America, and we are not surprised to see them roaming the streets or sitting in someone’s Lazy Boy recliner sharing a biscuit and wearing a tutu.
In ancient times, though, dogs were considered a nuisance at best, and a menace at worst. Religious Jewish people saw them as unclean and filthy, and when they really wanted to insult someone – like an uncircumcised gentile – they would refer to them as dogs. It was a very biting comment (pun intended) for Paul to turn the tables and say THEY were really the dogs (like heathens who were not God’s people). This reference to dogs will have another payoff in Verse 14
Notice that he went on to call them not just evil, but evil “workers.” They not only did evil works by teaching a false gospel and by attacking the true Gospel, but, thinking that “works” such as circumcision were meritorious works, they actually highlighted the “evil” of such works when offered to God in the place of faith. This is how we know he was talking about Judaizers. To them circumcision was absolutely necessary for salvation (in addition to belief in Jesus), but Paul called them the “concision,” meaning mutilation. Again, this is extreme opposition. Paul was not being passive-aggressive (he was being aggressive-aggressive!) in calling their most sacred rite a vile act of pagan mutilation.
Philippians 3:2 is a warning against false teachers and church infiltrators who taught salvation by works or by grace plus works. Those who were being circumcised based on the belief that this act played a part in their salvation were really just mutilating themselves, so this verse was a stinging jab at those who were encouraging people to “cut themselves short.” Then, he completely turned it around on them:
Philippians 3:3
One of the revelations of the New Testament is that those who worship God by faith, in spirit and in truth, not in the flesh, are the true Israelites: the true children of Abraham.
What comes next is similar to something we see in II Corinthians, where Paul felt the need – almost against his conscience and certainly against his instincts – to list his own credentials. There, he was challenged as to his apostolic authority. Here, he was saying that, if being Jewish and observing the Old Testament Jewish religious rituals, ceremonies, and lawful obedience COULD save us, he had those things to a greater extent than those who were claiming that THEIR righteousness was the standard.
Philippians 3:4-6
If there was ever an example of exemplary Jewish works-righteousness or righteousness in the flesh (other than Jesus), he was it, but, just as Jesus Himself emptied Himself of the right to assert His own superiority as the basis for how to live before God, Paul, once he was truly saved, thought his previous “righteousness” was utterly ridiculous, and counted it as worthless.
Philippians 3:7-8
Again, this is extremely harsh language – about as close as the New Testament comes to scatalogical obscenity.
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