Looking unto the Heavenly Citizenship (Philippians 3:20-21)

(Class Notes)

• The Walk (Philippians 3:20)
  • After the parenthetical NEGATIVE EXAMPLE of "the ENEMIES of the CROSS of CHRIST ... who MIND EARTHLY things" (Philippians 3:18-19) - Paul returns to the POSITIVE EXAMPLE (Philippians 3:17) of those whose FOCUS is on their HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP (Philippians 3:20):
    • The Greek word "politeuma" (Philippians 3:20) is related to the Greek word "politeia" rendered "FREEDOM" (Acts 22:28) - the CONTEXT in this case, clearly pertaining to Paul's Roman CITIZENSHIP (Acts 22:25-27)
    • Another related Greek word "polites" is used in reference to Paul's EARTHLY native CITIZENSHIP of Tarsus - "a city in Cilicia. a CITIZEN of no mean (common) city" (Acts 21:39)
  • Thus, the believer's WALK (Philippians 3:17), i,e. CONVERSATION or BEHAVIOR in this world (Philippians 2:15-16) - should reflect the believer's HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP (Philippians 3:20), i.e. the believer's "HIGH CALLING (CALLING ON HIGH)" (Philippians 3:14 cf. Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 4:1):
    • A very ILLUMINATING PARALLEL is drawn with the Lord's "BEING" (Greek, "HUPARCHO") God in essence (Philippians 2:6) and the believer's citizenship which "IS" (Greek, "HUPARCHO") in heaven (Philippians 3:20) - the Greek word "HUPARCHO" literally meaning "FROM THE BEGINNING"
    • This is consistent with what God says about the BEGINNING of the "the CHURCH, which is His BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23) - "CHOSEN ... IN HIM" (Ephesians 1:4), i.e. IN CHRIST - "BEFORE the FOUNDATION (OVERTHROW) of the WORLD" (Ephesians 1:4)

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