This scripture is taken from a letter Paul wrote to the gentile congregation at Philippi. Paul's work and teaching began that congregation. For that day, it is a strange situation. Paul was a Jewish Christian. Philippi was a gentile congregation. Palestinian Jews [Paul lived and studied in Jerusalem prior to conversion to Christianity] had as little interaction with gentiles [non-Jewish people] as possible (see Acts 10:28; 11:1-3). The majority of Jewish Christians did not approve of Paul's preaching to gentiles. A group of Jewish Christians [known as Judaizing teachers--teachers who insisted that gentile Christians must convert to Judaism if they were to be saved--see Acts 15:5] at times came to gentile congregations established by Paul urging gentile converts to accept Jewish rites and traditions. They insisted gentile Christians had to be circumcised.
Paul urged the gentile Christians at Philippi to find and express joy in their salvation. He then urged them to beware of people who wanted them 'to be mutilated', or as the New American Standard translation says to get them to submit to false circumcision. Some translations refer to these people as mutilators of the flesh [NIV, RSV] or those who cut the flesh [TEV, JB]. Those who truly have entered a covenant with God are not those who cut the body in a physical circumcision [this referred to a religious rite, not a hygiene practice]. They are those who understand God's accomplishments in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. They are the people who worship in God's Spirit, who glory in Jesus Christ, and who do not place spiritual confidence in ancestry or physical rites.
Paul declared he knew the distinction between those who placed confidence in their physical credentials and those who placed confidence in Jesus Christ. He had been a person who placed confidence in physical credentials. Like the ardent Judaizing teachers, he was circumcised eight days after birth. He had the right ancestry--he was born into the nation of Israel. He was a Benjamite--he even knew the Israelite tribe from which he came. He could speak Aramaic, the language of Jews who lived in Palestine. He was a Pharisee, a religious group in Israel who believed in carefully obeying the law. He was formerly so devoted to Israel's way of life that he killed Jews who believed Jesus was God's Messiah promised to Israel (see Acts 8:1-3; 9:1,2). According to Israel's standards and ethics, he was a man of integrity.
Be careful to understand Paul's point. Paul was not saying that it is wrong to be a Jew. Obviously, he himself was Jewish. He was saying that it was wrong to place one's confidence in being Jewish. Though he was Jewish, he placed his confidence in Jesus Christ. Thus things that were once the foundation of his confidence were now items for his trash can. In the past his Jewish credentials were invaluable to him. Those credentials proved to him he was one of God's chosen people. However, when he understood (1) Jesus was the Messiah God promised Israel and (2) understood God's achievements in Jesus Christ, his past foundation for spiritual confidence became his garbage. To place spiritual confidence in his physical credentials was ridiculous. Such confidence should be placed only in Jesus Christ. What God accomplished through Christ was superior in every way to what God accomplished in Israel! In fact, the purpose of Israel was to allow God to bring the Christ [the Messiah]. Therefore, everything that was extremely important to Paul prior to conversion to Christ became nothing worth defending. Now he had one goal: to gain Christ. That goal could be every person's goal. Gentiles have as much right to 'gain Christ' as did Israelites.
What were the incredible advantages of gaining Christ and being found in Christ?
(1) Such a person is given [by God] the 'unearned' and 'unmerited' righteousness that comes through placing confidence in Christ. The contrast is not between obeying and not obeying. It is not between serving and not serving. The contrast is between placing confidence in self's achievements and placing confidence in God's achievements. This confidence does not arise from 'who I am' and 'what I have done.' This confidence arises from faith in God and what He did in Jesus Christ. While 'I' always fall short in what 'I' have done, what God did in Jesus is more than adequate for every person's every need.
(2) When any person understands the adequacy of God's work in Jesus Christ, the person wants four things. (a) He/she wants to 'know' Christ. The person wants more than information. He/she wants relationship with Christ. It is not enough to know about Christ. It is enough only when the person has relationship with Christ.
(b) He/she wants to know the power that raised Jesus from the dead. That power could give life to Jesus' dead body. That power can give life to 'my' body that was killed by evil. With 'me' also, that which was dead can come to life. But only if 'I' know the power that produced Jesus' resurrection.
(c) He/she wants fellowship with Jesus' sufferings. Jesus' sufferings produced wonderful things. His suffering was not wonderful, but what his suffering produced was wonderful. Jesus is alive! He is enthroned at God's right hand! He occupies a position of eternal significance that never can be touched by suffering again. The right kind of suffering leads to incredible things. Fellowship with his sufferings leads to his greatness!
(d) He/she wants to be conformed to Jesus' death. Paul often used the image of a Christian participating in Jesus' death. Read Galatians 5:24. Jesus died to one form of existence that he might assume a different, superior form of existence. He can show us how to leave a form of existence that destroys us for a form of existence that is superior in every way.
Why would a person want those four things? He/she wants to escape the greatest enemy known in physical existence--death! The person wants resurrection! Faith in Jesus Christ resulted in radical change in Paul's life.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 9