Finding Life in Christ: Pt.1 The Fake and the Real- Phil 3:2-3

We saw God’s command to have a changed attitude of rejoicing because of the great sovereign work of Jesus last week. Along the way, we noticed that such an attitude is antithetical to a legalism that puts my confidence before God in some activity I performed. Now as we move to the main section in Philippians 3, we find Paul addressing this error and pointing out the true way to stand rightly before God on the last day. For this week we focus mainly on the first part of this section, verses 2-3:

“Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”

Paul is obviously fired up about something. He begins this section with the use of alliteration and a pun, not to mention some sharp descriptive words for this group of people. His counter to this group is straightforward and assertive. What is Paul so fired up about? As we examine these verses we will find out about two groups: The false circumcision and the true circumcision.

I. The False Circumcision

Before we look at verse two, let’s get some background on this issue. In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas run into a group of believers who were Pharisees theologically. This group said that the Gentiles who were getting saved needed to be circumcised. The apostles and church leaders gathered together in Jerusalem to consider this question and decided definitely that circumcision was not necessary for Gentiles. Now Paul is warning the Philippians to avoid those who were still preaching this error.

Back in Philippians 3:2, Paul issues a command three times: “Look out.” Paul warns the Philippians that like sentries on the wall keep watch for intruders and saboteurs, so they must watch for these preachers of a false gospel. Paul also starts with a harsh pejorative to describe the false teachers. He calls them dogs. Though the term has more diverse uses today than in Paul’s time, we can still feel the force of this kind of language. To call someone a dog is to say that person is worthless. Moreover, in the context of Jewish racial tensions with Gentiles, “dog” was a term that the Jews used almost as a racial slur for Gentiles. Applied to these Pharisaical men, it would have been particularly stinging.

Next Paul labels this group as “evil workers.” They thought they did well by keeping the law. They thought their deeds would be seen and considered righteous by God. But Paul says to the Philippians: “Don’t be fooled by their righteous looking exterior. Their deeds are evil, and the falsehood they preach is evil. Look out for them.” Finally in his last phrase, Paul takes it a step further. My bible reads, “Look out for those who mutilate the flesh.” Others say, “Beware of the false circumcision.” I actually found the KJV to be most accurate here. It reads “Beware of the concision,” however even that fails to capture the full sense of Paul’s words here. While keeping with his alliteration, he is actually making a pun here. The word translated “false circumcision” or “concision” sounds very close to the word “circumcision” in verse 3. The former means “to cut down” while the latter means “to cut around.” It is almost as if Paul said, “Look out for the castration, for we are the circumcision.” That’s why the ESV renders it “those who mutilate the flesh” and the NASB reads “false circumcision.” Paul makes it loud and clear: these are not worthy fellows.

This kind of talk from Paul might cause us to wonder, “Is it ok for Paul to talk like that?” We already know the answer must be yes. Ultimately Paul is writing the words God wants written. God does not inspire sinful language for His apostles to write in His book. If you have a Bible with you, look at the front. What does it say? “Holy Bible.” “Holy Bible.” Paul himself calls the Scriptures “Holy” in Romans 1:1-2. We must reject the notion that this language is sinful for Paul to write, or we must reject the notion that Scripture is holy. The most logical choice is to reject the former.

The Bible has never dealt kindly with false prophets and preachers. The penalty for being a false prophet was death, even if that person’s prophecy came true (Deut 13:1-5). Jesus compares them to wolves and a whole chapter in Matthew is devoted to Jesus pronouncing curses on the leaders of false religion in his day. Elsewhere Paul has a not-so-kind suggestion for this same group (Gal 5:12). John says simply of false teachers, “they are liars,” and both Peter and Jude provide descriptions of their evil.

Why does the Bible take such a hard stance against these kinds of people? For the same reason that David killed bears as a shepherd. For the same reason why the government puts a man who throws a shoe at the president in jail for three years. For the same reason a known felon who breaks into an elementary school gets tazed. Just like in those scenarios, the Bible is trying to protect people. God has no problem calling the abominable sin of leading people towards eternal hell just like it is. There are souls at stake here. Soft speech and political correctness are not on Paul or God’s priority list.

If someone asks “What’s so wrong with circumcision? Doesn’t God command that?” Yes God did command circumcision in the Old Testament. But this isn’t godly circumcision. As Romans 2:25 says, “Circumcision is indeed of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.” Obedience to the law cannot save (Rom 3:20). So Paul blasts these peddlers of a salvation that doesn’t save. The Christian faith has no room in it for the modern idea of tolerance. No, we don’t force other to convert (that would deny free grace). Yes we are called to love all people. But we do not have to pretend for one moment that the sum total of man’s religions and religious works is anything other than the worst noxious stinking filth coming from and leading to the pit of hell.

II. The true circumcision

Interestingly Paul does not counter the error of the legalists by saying that circumcision is not an issue. Elsewhere he takes this angle (1 Cor 7:19, Gal 5:6, Gal 6:15). But here, perhaps to prepare the Philippians with a defense in their inevitable encounter with this falsehood, he affirms that the Philippians already have what the legalists say they need.
In other words the way we fight self-righteousness is by knowing who we are. So how do we know who we are? Let’s find out by examining the ways the true circumcision is different from the false.

A. Our circumcision is of the heart.

Paul says to the Philippians “we are the circumcision.” Both Paul and the Philippians are included in this “we.” But the Philippians were not physically circumcised. They were Gentiles, and if they were circumcised Paul would not have had to warn them of people who would tell them it was necessary to be circumcised. In other words, if you were circumcised already, the Pharisees would be wasting their time telling you to get circumcised.

Yet Paul says “we are the circumcision.” If they are circumcised, and they are not circumcised externally, then it follows logically that their circumcision must be internal. Paul affirms this in Col 2:11 where he says, “you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.” This circumcision of the heart is a picture of God’s sovereign work in saving those who believe. As Deut 30:6 says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart.” It is made with out human hands, it is “in Him.” While their circumcision relies on human effort, ours relies on God’s grace.

B. Our worship is by the Spirit.

When God changes our heart he gives us His Spirit. This is a new covenant promise (Eze 36:26-27). Once again, notice God’s sovereign work in the phrase “I will.” God takes the initiative. But here the emphasis is on the Spirit’s enabling. Ezekiel says that God will cause us to live in obedience. Paul in Galatians also sets up a contrast between living by the Spirit and living by our own effort (Gal 5:16-23). The believer acknowledges that the things he does are done in the strength that comes from God (1 Cr 15:10, Col 1:28-29). The idea of worship is a whole life response to God. Paul uses this same idea the familiar Romans 12:1. While legalists try to live out of their own ability, believers look to the enabling of the Spirit to give their whole lives in worship to God.

C. Our boast is in Christ.

Ultimately because legalists try to obtain their own salvation, their boast is in themselves. All of their right doing and all their supposed good standing before God they base in their own work that they initiate. That’s why Jesus condemns the Pharisees for always looking to others to see and patting themselves on the back! It was never for God in the first place. But the believer knows that Christ is his all. Our righteousness is from Christ our salvation is from Christ. We know God through Christ. We receive the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9). It’s all Christ, so the boasting is all in how great he is.

For a final point of application, let’s look to Romans 2:29: “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.” Notice the similar elements: heart circumcision, Spirit and not law. However when Paul speaks of “praise” here, he speaks of the praise that is coming to the individual. The question is: “Where is your praise coming from?” We all know where the legalists got their praise: “They do all their deeds to be seen by others,” said Jesus in Matt 23:5. Where are your complements coming from? For whom are your deeds done? Whose eyes do you try to draw? Whose face would you cause to smile? It’s clear who true imitators of Christ try to please: “His praise is … from God.”

This week consider how different your life would look if it was lived to draw God’s praise alone.