Episode 335- "Beware the dogs, evildoers, and those who would mutilate the flesh" - Philippians 3:1-6
Phil. 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
Phil. 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
How can you not appreciate someone who says, “Finally . . .” and then proceeds to write or say as much as they already have up to this point? Then, what comes from his pen? He tells the Philippians the same thing he’s told them multiple times already: “Rejoice in the Lord.” I think Paul means it, right? Paul’s point is that when you truly stop to consider who Jesus is and what he’s done to serve us, it puts everything else in perspective, and we should rejoice in our gratitude and awe. For Paul, Jesus diminishes the reality of his own incarceration and even the potential that he could be executed. This is why he states, “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” (Philip. 3:1)
He follows that with a dose of reality by warning them about a group of troublemakers. He refers to them in three ways. He calls them “dogs, evildoers, and those who mutilate the flesh.” These aren’t three different groups. They are the same. What does he mean by this? Who are these people?
These are people who would come in among the Christians, posing as people with authority and attempting to control them by requiring them to be circumcised. Why would Paul, a Jew who had Timothy circumcised, speak of these people as evildoers and those who would mutilate the flesh if he had Timothy circumcised? The answer is that those people are not trusting in the gospel of Jesus. Their motives are not about Christ and his Church but are entirely self-serving. They would attempt to use a requirement of circumcision to create confusion and conflict among the believers in an attempt to gain control over them. These are people whose motives and mindset are not consistent with Jesus’ motives that Paul described back in chapter 2.
Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant and was required of Jewish males. But physical circumcision does not make one righteous. It never did. It was intended to be an outward act of inner faith in God’s promises to Abraham and his seed.
Even though Paul was physically circumcised himself, as a Jewish man, he identifies those, “who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (v.3) as the circumcised. While circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant, the Holy Spirit is the sign of the New Covenant. Notice how Paul explains circumcision and the work of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the church at Rome:
Rom. 2:25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
While we likely don’t have the problem today of people coming into our churches and demanding that all males be circumcised, there are “evildoers” whose only motives are to control and manipulate people and will ultimately divide the church. We need to keep a watchful eye on who might become leaders in the church. Do they exhibit the humility that Jesus did, or do they start imposing rules and acting as though they have authority over everyone?
Paul follows the warning with an “Oh! By the way . . . “ comment. He tells these Christians that if someone presents themselves as having great credentials to validate their authority, Paul has more credentials than they do. Don’t trust the outward signs. Evaluate their attitudes and actions.
Let us rejoice in Christ according to the leading of the Holy Spirit that God has given to us as a sign of his New Covenant established through the death of Jesus on the cross.