Philippians 3: Watch Out!

(This November our church is devoting ourselves to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. And from last Sunday to this, our congregation is studying, meditating on, and asking God to speak to us through chapter three of Paul’s letter.)

In Philippians 3:2 Paul writes, “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.”

“Watch out!” Paul says. “Watch out!”

That two-word phrase is one we still use from time to time in our culture. And each time it’s used in the context of danger. At a baseball game you may hear something like this: “Watch out for baseballs and bats that may fly into the stands.” On vacation in Rome several years ago, a tour guide said, “Watch out for ‘tourist traps’ and ‘pick-pocketers.’” Before letting my children play outside in the front yard I remind them to “watch out (and listen, too!) for cars. No playing or running in the street.” Some parents warn their teenage daughters before going out, “Watch out for guys who are only interested in one thing” (and that thing ain’t information on your personality or your favorite Bible verse).

“Watch out!” Paul says. "There’s great danger associated with 'those evil dogs.'" (On a side note, this text is proof that God prefers cats to canines!)

That leads to three brief questions:

1. Who are “those dogs?”

2. Why are they so dangerous?

3. What’s the alternative to getting caught up with “those evil dogs?”

“Those dogs” is most likely a reference to those (often Jewish Christians) men who came to a newly established Christian church and preached a “gospel” that mixed the idea of faith in Christ for salvation with the notion that all who want to be part of God’s family must accept the burden of “keeping” the Jewish law. Gentile believers, in their view, basically had to become Jews in order to be saved.

Paul has already witnessed the danger and consequences of this (see his letter to the church in Galatia), and so he wants to warn his friends in Philippi. These “dogs” are extremely dangerous, Paul warns, because they distort the gospel that Jesus preached and lead people to trust in their own “good works” instead of in the faithfulness and grace of Jesus Christ for their hope and salvation. And this this wrong-headed invariably leads to a judgmental spirit, self-righteousness, guilt, discord and an unhealthy view of life’s purpose.

So what’s the alternative? The alternative, Paul says, is to focus on Christ and his faithfulness. Paul writes:

“If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (verses 4a-9)”

And the result of orienting our lives around the pursuit of Christ and His faithfulness, Paul says, is the joy of a relationship with Jesus, the hope and purpose that comes with experiencing the power of His resurrection and the fellowship that ensues when we share in his sufferings.

Philippians 3 talks about two very different approaches to a relationship with God. One leads to life, hope and and faith-filled purpose and the other to frustration, finger-pointing and fearfulness.

"Watch out!"

Philippians Two and Huey Lewis (when you think about it, that's a pretty cool name)

(This November our church is devoting ourselves to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. And from last Sunday to this, our congregation is studying, meditating on, and asking God to speak to us through chapter two of Paul’s letter.)

As I write this, I’m listening to a song called “Forest for the Trees” by Huey Lewis and the News. It’s from their 1986 album, Fore! (Perhaps you are tempted to stop reading this altogether now, either because of your judgment of my musical tastes or the fact that I’m gaining even a measure of inspiration for this writing from that song. But please read on!)

The song’s message is captured in these words:

“Things are never as bad as they seem.
You just gotta learn to see the forest for the trees”

It’s not their best or most popular song, by a long shot. But, ironically, its central message seems to be very similar to one of Paul’s central messages in his letter to the Philippians. Paul says that no matter our circumstances (no matter what “trees” we face in our lives), we would do well to always remember that we have an infinite God with an undying love for us and an eternal plan for our lives (that’s the forest).

That plan is one that God set in motion at creation and one that He started fighting to redeem the day Adam and Eve took a bite from the apple. That plan involves you and me.

That plan involves Jesus,
“6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2).


Two versus later Paul reminds us that that same Jesus will do a work of transformation inside of anyone who will submit his or her heart and mind to Him. It’s a transformation that brings hope amid hopelessness, peace amid problems and an ability to see the forest while standing underneath the trees.

That doesn’t mean we’ll always see life as God sees it. Often we’ll find ourselves discouraged by all the trees. But it does mean that when all we can see are obstacles, there is still reason for hope. We can hope because there is another tree in the forest, an old, rugged tree, where the God of the Forest hung for your sins and mine. We can hope because nothing can separate us from God’s love and God’s grace is still sufficient. We can hope because God is in the transformation business, and he can still make any situation we face work together for the good (Rom. 8:28).

And so that does mean, in a very real way, that “things are never as bad as they seem. You just gotta learn to see the forest for the trees.”

Philippians One

This November our church is devoting ourselves to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. He wrote it while sitting in a Roman prison around 60 A.D. It's a small letter, just four chapters in the New Testament. (Paul probably only used a dozen pieces of papyrus when he wrote it). But it's filled with words of wonderful encouragement and hope. And it's a call to a next step of deeper trust, richer hope and purer love.

From last Sunday to this, our congregation is focusing on chapter one of Paul's letter. I've been particularly moved by verses 3-6 over the past couple days.

"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

I love the idea that Paul thanks God EVERY TIME he thinks of his friends in Philippi. I wonder if there is anyone in your life that you thank God for that regularly. I wonder who in your life needs to hear your words of thanks on a more consistent basis.

I also love the reasons why Paul gives thanks for his friends in Philippi. First Paul gives thanks for them because they have entered into a "partnership" with him in the work of the gospel. It's a consistent, faithful partnership, too, from the first day he preached it among them, until the present. Oh how our world needs more faithful partnerships that aren't tossed to and fro by every whim and changing circumstance!

Paul's second reason for thankfulness to God is his confidence that God will complete the good work he has begun in the Philippians. That's good news for the Philippians.

And that's good news for us, too! It's good news because God's faithfulness is not just limited to the Philippian church of 60 A.D. Throughout history God has demonstrated his faithfulness to anyone who seeks after him. And thus we can have confidence in God's ability to complete the work he's started in us.

And that's good news. It's good news for our friendships. It's good news for our marriages. It's good news for our parenting. It's good news for our neighborhood, our city and our world. It's good news for our own souls.

It's good news because we can get so bogged down with the demands of everyday life. We can so easily get discouraged by our present circumstances. And so Paul writes words worthy of remembering always: "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." God is a keeper of promises, and if we'll let him, He will complete the good work he's begun in us.