The High Calling
The High Calling:
A Study of Philippians 3
In the first verse of Philippians 3, Paul by revelation
says, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. . . .” A
person cannot rejoice until he has first experienced joy.
Rejoicing is a repeat performance of joy. We rejoice in
the Lord; if we rejoice in anything or anyone else we
are going to be let down.
Philippians 3:1:
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write
the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous
[irksome], but for you it is safe gives certainty, reinforces].
What “same things”? The things he had already told
them through his helper Epaphroditus.
Verse 2:
Beware of dogs,* beware of evil workers [those
with evil intent], beware of the concision.
“Concision” is an interesting word in this particular
instance referring to the mutilation of physical bodies.
Christ was the end of the law, but legalistic believers
continued to teach that one who believed in Christ had
to be circumcised in order to be a Christian, even as
things are taught today, perhaps having substituted other
legalistic practices.
Verse 3:
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in
the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh.
We who worship God in spirit are the circumcision.
The literal translation according to the critical Greek texts
and Aramaic Peshitta text is: “We are the circumcision
who worship by the spirit of God” or “. . .who worship
God via the spirit.”
To “worship God in the spirit” does not mean to worship
by contributing to the collection plate. There is only
one way we can worship God “in spirit” and that is by
speaking in tongues. To worship in the spirit, a person
must have spirit; all other ritual is part of the senses
realm. We cannot worship God by the senses for He
“dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”** As John
4:24 pointedly declares, “God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
To worship Him in spirit can only be by speaking in
tongues. If The Word means what it says and says what
it means, then these truths are fabulous. The Word always
causes us to joy and rejoice.
The last part of Philippians 3:3 says, “And rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” “The
flesh” refers to body and soul. Those of us who are born
again by the Spirit of God have a third part—spirit. The
spirit should be the foremost interest in our total being.
We are the circumcision, the chosen, who worship by
way of the spirit. We can rejoice in Christ Jesus because
we at one time experienced joy in Christ Jesus. Rejoicing
in Christ Jesus is only possible by renewing the mind
and focusing on spiritual matters—trusting in things spiritual
rather than trusting or having confidence in the flesh.
We do not go by what the senses promote; we abide in
The Word and the revelation of the spirit.
Verse 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:
Verse 5:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews;
as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Verse 6:
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching
the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Verse 7:
But what things were gain to me, those I counted
[declared] loss for Christ.
What things were personal gain to Paul? He just listed
seven personal gains in verses five and six.
Verse 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 [gain]
Christ.
Paul considered all his previous academic training and
social and religious positions but excretion in comparison
to “the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. . .that I
may win Christ.”
Verse 9:
And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith.
If righteousness were achieved by one’s own efforts
and good behavior, then a person could not glory in Christ.
The glory would belong to himself. But righteousness is
not achieved by works or by keeping the law. Righteousness
is through, or by way of, the faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all who believe.***
Verse 10:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings, being
made conformable unto his death.
The word “know” means “to know by personal spiritual
experience” which is possible only to those who
are righteous. “That I may know him experientially as
my Savior and the inherent power [the dunamis] of his
resurrection.”
“And the fellowship” refers to baptism into Christ Jesus.
This means that we were buried with Him, and raised
up from the dead, now to walk completely in this new
life. Legally when He died, we died with Him; when He
was buried, we were buried with Him; when He arose,
we arose with Him.† Being with him in “the fellowship
of his sufferings” we were “made conformable [like he
was] unto his death.”
“That I may know him [experientially as my Savior]
and the [inherent] power [the dunamis] of his resurrection,
and the fellowship [of His death, burial, resurrection] of
his sufferings, being [therefore, we are] made conformable
[like He was] unto his death.”
Verse 11:
If by any means I might attain [come] unto the resurrection
of the dead.
“Unto” is the Greek word eis which is always used
with the accusative case. In mathematics this word eis,
“unto” of verse 11, is the movement towards an object
with the intent of reaching the object. That is its literal
usage. “If by any means I might come toward the objective
with the intent of reaching it.”
The word translated “resurrection” is the Greek word
exanastasis which means “out resurrection.” Here Paul
is not concerned with the resurrections of the just and
the unjust as noted in Revelation 20:5 and 13; he is concerned
with an “out resurrection.” The “out resurrection”
is spoken of in I Thessalonians 4:16 and 17: “. . .the dead
in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up.” Paul did not care to die; he
wanted to be changed through the “out resurrection.” This
“out resurrection” or exanastasis should literally be translated
“out from among.” “If by any means I might reach
out towards the coming of the Lord.”
Verse 12:
Not as though I had already attained [Paul had not
arrived at that “out resurrection” yet.], either were
already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend
[attain to] that for which also I am [was]
apprehended [attained] of [by] Christ Jesus.
He was appointed by Christ Jesus to live this life, to
carry out the ministry, to believe, to know that he was
crucified with Him, to know that he arose with Him.
Verse 13:
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended
[attained]: but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before.
Paul says that he is forgetting his ancestry: Hebrew
of the Hebrews, his education at the feet of Gamaliel,
and other reasons for earthly acclaim. Paul now is reaching
for those things which are ahead. If we would only
do this—forget about the past—we would profit.
Verse 14:
I press [”follow after,” as in verse 12] toward the
mark [finish line] for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus.
In a race or in a track meet, the finish line determines
the winner. Paul says he will press toward the finish line
which will culminate in the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.
Verse 15:
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus
minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded,
God shall reveal even this unto you.
The word “perfect” means “initiated ones,” those who
have been brought into the inner secrets of the great
mystery, that mystery which was kept secret from the
foundation of the world and was first made manifest unto
the Apostle Paul as recorded in Ephesians 3:3. Paul here
is talking to those who know that mystery, the initiated
ones, those who have gone further with the Lord than just
being pledges or neophytes or carnal Christians. “Let us
therefore, as many as be perfect [initiated], be thus
minded”—be intent on reaching the finish line. “And if
in anything ye be otherwise minded,”—if you have any
other goal—“God shall reveal even this unto you” by a
continued accurate study and right dividing of The Word
or by revelation.
Verse 16:
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let
us [all] walk by the same rule, let us mind the same
thing [with the same minds].
Verse 17:
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark
them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample
[example].
Verse 18:
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often,
and now tell you [again] even [with] weeping, that
[those people who so walk] they are the enemies of
the cross of Christ.
Brothers in Christ should be examples, not counterfeits.
The people in verse 18 looked sincere and religious,
yet The Word says they were the enemies of the cross
of Christ because they were not walking according to
the revealed Word, with the same mind.
Verse 19:
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly,
and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things.)
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly.”
The word “belly” is the figure of speech called a synecdoche,
meaning that one part or member represents
the whole. The enemies of the cross are their own god,
“whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
Earthly things are fleshly things, things of the senses.
They are obedient to things of the senses, they have confidence
in the flesh rather than in the things of the Word
of God.
Verse 20:
For our conversation [citizenship, politeuma] is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ:
Do we pray that the Lord may return? No, we just look
for the Savior; we cannot influence His return. Man had
nothing to do with Christ’s first coming for the Bible says
in Galatians 4:4, “. . .when the fulness of the time was
come, God sent forth his [only-begotten] Son. . . .” Likewise,
when the fullness of time comes again, Acts 1:11
reveals that “. . .this same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go. . . .” All we do is look with expectation for
this “out resurrection.” “We look for the Saviour, [who
is] the Lord Jesus Christ.”
What about the teaching that we are to build the kingdom
of God upon earth, that we are to bring Utopia to
this world? The Bible tells that the earth is going to
become progressively worse. The only one who is ever
going to get the world out of the turmoil which man has
made of it is the Lord Jesus Christ. We must focus our
undivided attention upon the Lord Jesus Christ, looking
for him.
Verse 21:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the
working [ability] whereby he is able even to subdue
all things unto himself.
Our physical bodies have the nature of death written
into them; that is why Philippians 3:21 calls them vile.
Our death-prone bodies will “be fashioned like unto his
glorious body.” Who will change our bodies “like unto
his glorious body”? The Lord Jesus Christ will “. . .according
to the working whereby he is able to subdue all
things unto himself.” When we have a body fashioned
like unto his glorious body, we will then know even as
we are now known. In the meantime, we joy and rejoice
in him because we have the certainty of his presence
and power within.