Paul EXHORTS those BELIEVERS who THINK they are PERFECTED
- to BE LIKE MINDED as himself (Philippians 3:15), i.e. to NOT THINK of themselves as ALREADY PERFECTED (Philippians 3:12)
- for GOD WILL REVEAL to them IF IN ANYTHING they be THUS OTHERWISE MINDED (Philippians 3:15), which is why Paul EXHORTS ALL BELIEVERS to "ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER"
(Romans 15:14)
ALL BELIEVERS should ALWAYS be about "FORGETTING
those THINGS which are BEHIND" (Philippians 3:13) and "REACHING FORTH unto the THINGS which are BEFORE" (Philippians 3:13)
Those THINGS which are to NOT OCCUPY the BELIEVER'S MIND
are the "THINGS on the EARTH" (Colossians 3:2)
Those THINGS which are to OCCUPY the BELIEVER'S MIND are
"those THINGS which are ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH" (Colossians 3:1) and WHERE ALSO God sees the BELIEVER SEATED "TOGETHER WITH CHRIST"
(Ephesians 2:6)
Paul EXHORTS ALL BELIEVERS to MIND the "SAME RULE"
(Philippians 3:16) i.e. to "WALK BY" the MEASURE to which they have "ALREADY
ATTAINED (COME)" (Philippians 3:16)
ALL BELIEVERS are to EVER "PRESS TOWARD the MARK
for the PRIZE of the HIGH CALLING" (Philippians 3:14)
ALL BELIEVERS are to "STRIVE LAWFULLY" for the
CROWN (II Timothy 2:5), which is to be RECEIVED "AT THAT DAY ... UNTO ALL ... THAT LOVE
HIS APPEARING" (II Timothy 4:8)
"EVERY MAN that STRIVETH is TEMPERATE in ALL THINGS"
(I Corinthians 9:25), i.e. BEING CAREFUL to "USE this WORLD, as NOT ABUSING IT: for
the FASHION of this WORLD PASSETH AWAY" (I Corinthians 7:31)
It is "the GRACE of GOD" (Titus 2:11)
that TEACHES the BELIEVER to "LIVE SOBERLY (MODERATELY) ... in this PRESENT WORLD (AGE) ... LOOKING for that
BLESSED HOPE ... the GLORIOUS APPEARING of the GREAT GOD and our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST" (Titus 2:12-13)
To "FIGHT the GOOD FIGHT of FAITH" (I Timothy 6:12),
i.e. "to LAY HOLD of ETERNAL LIFE" (I Timothy 6:12) - is to NOT "TRUST in UNCERTAIN RICHES, BUT in the LIVING GOD,
WHO GIVETH us ALL THINGS" (I Timothy 6:17)
Such was Paul's HIGH PRAISE for TIMOTHY who shared the
SAME CONFESSION as his LORD (I Timothy 6:13 cf.John 18:33,36),
i.e. the CONFESSION of BEING "IN THE WORLD" (John 17:11), BUT "NOT OF THE WORLD" (John 17:14) - LIVING the SEPARATED LIFE of a SOLDIER (II Timothy 2:3-4), e.g. EPAPHRODITUS, "MY FELLOW SOLDIER ,,, SICK NIGH UNTO DEATH"
(Philippians 2:25,27)
AFFLICTIONS (Acts 20:22-23) had NO BEARING UPON Paul's GOAL, "that I MIGHT FINISH MY COURSE
... the MINISTRY which I have RECEIVED ... to TESTIFY the GOSPEL of the GRACE of God" (Acts 20:24)
Paul committed to Timothy - the KEEPING (GUARDING) of
this DOCTRINAL DEPOSIT (II Timothy 1:12,14), i.e. the KEEPING (GUARDING) of "the FORM (PATTERN) of SOUND WORDS"
(II Timothy 1:13)
Timothy, in turn, was to commit "the THINGS that
thou hast HEARD ... to FAITHFUL men, who shall be able to TEACH others also" (II Timothy 2:2)
The KEEPING (GUARDING) of "the TESTIMONY of our Lord"
received through "His PRISONER" (II Timothy 1:8 cf.Ephesians 3:1-2)
would involve becoming "a PARTAKER of the AFFLICTIONS of the GOSPEL, according to the POWER of GOD" (II Timothy 1:8 cf.Philippians 3:10)
In view of the PROPHECY concerning the DOCTRINAL DEPARTURE
of the "LATTER TIMES" (I Timothy 4:1-6) and the CHARISMATIC DELUSION (II Thessalonians 2:7-12) associated with the "PERILOUS TIMES" of the "LAST DAYS"
(II Timothy 3:1-9) - the APOSTLE of GRACE (Romans 1:5;Ephesians 3:2,8)
WARNS that "AFTER MY DEPARTING shall GRIEVOUS WOLVES ENTER ... NOT SPARING the flock" (Acts 20:29)
Paul PARTICULARLY WARNED the PHILIPPIANS - that "MANY
WALK, of whom I TOLD you OFTEN, and NOW TELL you, EVEN WEEPING" (Philippians 3:18) - "that they are the ENEMIES of the CROSS of CHRIST" (Philippians 3:18):
He TEARFULLY issued the SAME WARNING to the CHURCH at
EPHESUS (Acts 20:31)
Paul cites THREE TRAITS as the IDENTIFICATION MARKS of
those whom he calls "the ENEMIES of the CROSS of CHRIST" (Philippians 3:18):
Paul declares that "the KINGDOM of GOD is NOT MEAT
and DRINK, BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS, and PEACE, and JOY in the HOLY SPIRIT" (Romans 14:17)
Their "GLORY" is in their "SHAME"
(Philippians 3:19) - Paul had to SADLY REMIND the CORINTHIANS concerning that which he
had HOPE WOULD NOT BE to their "SHAME" (I Corinthians 4:13-14):
"NOW YE are RICH, YE have REIGNED as KINGS ... I
WOULD to GOD YE DID REIGN" (I Corinthians 4:8)
Their "MIND" is on "EARTHLY THINGS"
(Philippians 3:19) as was the CASE with DEMAS:
EARLIER, Paul had referred to him as one of his "FELLOWLABOURERS"
(Philemon 24)
LASTLY, Paul SADLY SAID, "DEMAS hath FORSAKEN ME,
having LOVED THIS PRESENT WORLD (AGE)" (II Timothy 4:10)
BELIEVERS who "OPPOSE THEMSELVES" (II Timothy 2:25)
and, therefore, Paul says WEEPINGLY of them - "they are the ENEMIES of the CROSS of CHRIST" (Philippians 3:18):
For they are in "the SNARE of the DEVIL" having
been "TAKEN CAPTIVE BY HIM TO DO HIS WILL" (II Timothy 2:26)
For "EVERY MAN'S WORK shall be MADE MANIFEST ...
because it shall be REVEALED BY FIRE ... of WHAT SORT it is (I Corinthians 3:13)
However, "IF ANY MAN'S WORK shall be BURNED"
- "HE shall SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF shall be SAVED, YET SO as BY FIRE" (I Corinthians 3:15)
Paul BESEECHES (BEGS) BELIEVERS to "MARK ... and
AVOID them" which "CAUSE DIVISIONS and OFFENCES (STUMBLINGS) CONTRARY TO the DOCTRINE which ye have LEARNED"
(Romans 16:17):
"For they that are SUCH, SERVE NOT the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, BUT THEIR OWN BELLY" (Romans 16:18)
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)
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)
The title ot the Lord Jesus Christ as "SAVIOUR"
(Philippians 3:20) is in reference to the FUTURE GLORIFICATION of the believer's PRESENT
"VILE (LOWLY) BODY" (Philippians 3:21):
"The REDEMPTION of our BODY" (Romans 8:23)
is YET FUTURE for which we NOW have HOPE (CONFIDENT EXPECTATION) and, so we NOW "with PATIENCE WAIT for it"
(Romans 8:25)
The SEALING of "the HOLY SPIRIT of PRIMISE"
(Ephesians 1:13) to the BELIEVER'S SPIRIT (Romans 8:16) is the DIVINE "EARNEST (PLEDGE)" of "the REDEMPTION
of the PURCHASED POSSESSION" (Ephesians 1:14), i.e. of the "PUTTING ON" of an INCORRUPTIBLE and IMMORTAL
BODY (I Corinthians 15:52-55)
Believers who NOW EXPERIENCE the OUT-RESURRECTION (Ephesians 3:11)
from "SLEEPING (DEAD)" believers (Ephesians 5:14) - who LIKE PAUL, "ENDURE ALL THINGS" (II Timothy 2:10)
- will also "OBTAIN the SALVATION ... WITH ETERNAL GLORY" (II Timothy 2:10)
ALL BELIEVERS will have "SALVATION" (II Timothy 2:10),
i.e. will "LIVE WITH HIM" (II Timothy 2:11) - for that is based upon CHRIST'S FAITHFULNESS (II Timothy 2:13)
in IDENTIFYING the BELIEVER with HIS DEATH and HIS RESURRECTION (Romans 6:3-4)
The LORD was PHYSICALLY "HUMBLED" (Philippians 2:8),
i.e. Greek, "TAPEINOO" (literally meaning "MADE LOW") - to IDENTIFY with the BELIEVER'S "VILE
(LOWLY) body" (Philippians 3:21), i.e. Greek, "TAPEINOSIS" (literally meaning "HUMILIATION"):
LIKEWISE, the BELIEVER will be made to IDENTIFY PHYSICALLY
with the LORD'S "GLORIOUS BODY" (Philippians 3:21)
There is PHYSICALLY a "GREAT MYSTERY ... concerning
CHRIST and the CHURCH" (Ephesians 5:32):
In RESURRECTION - the MEMBERS of "the CHURCH, which
is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23) - will become PHYSICALLY "MEMBERS of HIS BODY" (Ephesians 5:30)
- just as EVE was PHYSICALLY taken out as a MEMBER of ADAM'S BODY (Ephesians 5:31 cf.Genesis 2:23-24)
The apostle's MANNER of ADDRESS to the Philippians is
MOST TOUCHING in connection with his EXHORTATION to "STAND FAST in the Lord" (Philippians 4:1):
He AFFECTIONATELY refers to them as "my JOY and CROWN"
(Philippians 4:1) - they being the cause of his REJOICING "in the Day of Christ"
(Philippians 2:16)
He expressed the SAME AFFECTION for the Thessalonians
in view of the Lord's Coming (I Thessalonians 2:19)
The apostle's EXHORTATION to "STAND FAST in the Lord"
(Philippians 4:1) ECHOES his OPENING APPEAL for them to "STAND FAST ... STRIVING
TOGETHER for the FAITH of the GOSPEL" (Philippians 1:27):
This REPEATED EXHORTATION is given by way of CONCLUSION
("THEREFORE") with regard to the ONENESS of SPIRIT and MIND (Philippians 4:1), which should POSITIVELY REFLECT the BELIEVERS' HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP
(Philippians 3:20)
The REASON for the apostle's EXHORTATION - the DISCORD
of TWO WOMEN (Philippians 4:2) THREATENING the UNITY and WELL BEING of the ASSEMBLY (Philippians 2:1-2):
WOMEN were PROMINENT in the FOUNDING of the PHILIPPIAN
CHURCH (Acts 16:12-15) as well as of the other GREEK CHURCHES:
The "CHIEF WOMEN" of the THESSALONIAN CHURCH
(Acts 17:1,4)
The "HONOURABLE WOMEN" of the BEREAN CHURCH
(Acts 17:10-12)
The apostle refers to the TWO DIVISIVE WOMEN (Philippians 4:2)
as "THOSE WOMEN WHICH LABOURED WITH ME in the gospel" (Philippians 4:3)
The apostle CHIEFLY ENLISTS the AID of a NAMELESS "TRUE
YOKEFELLOW" to "HELP THOSE WOMEN WHICH LABOURED WITH ME in the gospel" (Philippians 4:3)
ONLY they "WHOSE NAMES are IN the BOOK OF LIFE"
(Philippians 4:3) are ABLE "WITH ALL PRAYER" TO MAKE "SUPPLICATION FOR
ALL SAINTS" (Ephesians 6:18)
The EXHORTATION to "REJOICE IN THE LORD" (Philippians 4:4)
is IN KEEPING with the PURPOSE for the WRITING of this EPISTLE (Philippians 3:1):
EXPERIENCING "the POWER of His RESURRECTION"
via "the FELLOWSHIP of His SUFFERINGS" (Philippians 3:10), i.e. EXPERIENCING the "OUT-RESURRECTION" FROM AMONG "DEAD"
BELIEVERS (Ephesians 5:14)
This MEANS SEPARATION FROM BELIEVERS whose CONFIDENCE
is in the FLESH and NOT in the SPIRIT (Philippians 3:2-4)
This MEANS SEPARATION FROM BELIEVERS whose FOCUS is on
EARTHLY THINGS and NOT on their HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP (Philippians 3:17-20)
The EXHORTATION to "LET YOUR MODERATION (YIELDEDNESS)
BE KNOWN UNTO ALL MEN" is IN KEEPING with the BELIEVER'S PROXIMITY (NEARNESS) to the LORD (Philippians 4:5):
"MODERATION (YIELDEDNESS)" (Philippians 4:5)involves
the SURRENDER of one's LIBERTY for the EDIFICATION of OTHERS (Galatians 5:13)
The INVITATION to PRAYER (Philippians 4:6) comes to the BELIEVER through the "ONE MEDIATOR beween God and
Man, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS; WHO gave HIMSELF a RANSOM for ALL" (I Timothy 2:5-6):
Therefore, the BELIEVER should "be CAREFUL (ANXIOUS)
for NOTHING; but in EVERYTHING by PRAYER" (Philippians 4:6), i.e. "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (OMITTING)" (I Thessalonians 5:17)
- "WITH THANKSGIVING" (Philippians 4:6), i.e. "in EVERYTHING give THANKS: for this is the WILL of GOD
in CHRIST JESUS" (I Thessalonians 5:18)
PRAYER (Philippians 4:6) has the POWER to KEEP (PROTECT) the HEART of the BELIEVER - for it
CARRIES with it a PROMISE - the PEACE OF GOD (Philippians 4:7):
The PRAYER of the BELIEVER is IMPERFECT due to PHYSICAL
WEAKNESS (Romans 8:26)
However, the PRAYER of the BELIEVER does ENGAGE the SPIRIT
in PRAYER and HIS INTERCESSION is in PERFECT agreement with the WILL of GOD (Romans 8:27)
Thus, the BELIEVER is ASSURED that God has HEARD and will
SOVEREIGNLY ANSWER for the BELIEVER'S HIGHEST ETERNAL GOOD (Romans 8:28)
This KNOWLEDGE will cause the PEACE OF GOD to "RULE"
in the BELIEVER'S HEART and allow the BELIEVER to be TRULY "THANKFUL" (Colossians 3:15)
Paul's EXAMPLE - IF the THINGS TAUGHT are DEMONSTRATED
by the LIFE LIVED (II Timothy 3:10-12) THEN there will be FELLOWSHIP with "the GOD OF PEACE" (Philippians 4:9):