With the beginning of verse 17 many people think that this is a new section that is unrelated to what has just been written. What we have just before this passage is a strong exhortation to Christ like living and then we are given an example of what that life looks like. It is the pattern that we found earlier where we were commanded to have the attitude of Jesus Christ and then Paul gives the example of Christ-like humility in the lives of Timothy and Epaphroditus. Here we are given the example of Paul. So these passages are related. Also most of this chapter has been a personal testimony of the apostle Paul of what a godly desire looks like.
And by Paul giving himself as an example he brings the Philippians and us by extension to make a decision of what way our lives will go. With the introduction of the word “for” in verse 18 Paul indicates why it is so important to follow his example and others who walk in the way of Jesus Christ. It is a contrast of two directions. And this is where it becomes so imperative for us to see that there is a choice that we have to make. The choice is either to go our own way, and to think of self, or to be so Christ centered that we are willing to do anything to make Him known and loved.
It is incredible to look back and to see who those whom God has chosen to use throughout the Christian era are those who love Christ and are willing to use the maximum effort to know and make Jesus Christ known. Those who have been self-serving have always had little impact on the lives of others, whether it is in their families, church or in the community. Christ just does not look that superior to others through their lives. What is superior in their lives is self. And that is like the majority of humanity who are self-centered.
And this is even how the Gospel is marketed today. The idea is coming to Christ is that He will take all your problems today, in other words it is all about you. As one person said when I witnessed to Him is, “I tried that and it didn’t work.” Christ is not looked upon as a Savior from the wrath of God but from my temporal suffering. He has come to give me a greater degree of success in my marriage, in my finances, and in my health. That is the most popular bent in Christianity even though we are told and promised that we will have tribulation. God is looked upon as a cosmic genie that you just have to find how to relate to and you can have the comfort that you always wanted. What happens to be at the forefront of that theology is not God but self. When self is at the forefront we will never have an impact For Christ. We will never sacrifice time, assets, or life for the sake and glory of Christ because it is not about Him but self.
Even in our own circles there are so many believers who are angry, disappointed, and even depressed about how God has orchestrated their lives. They think so much of themselves that they never trust Christ nor ever see His grace, and therefore they never truly serve Him. There is not devotion to Him in their church. They so often will pick so many different activities that are meaningless to have an impact for Jesus Christ. It is too small a sacrifice to come out if they will miss a sporting event or television program, and then they wonder why they are so weak spiritually or have an impact in the lives of others.
The question that we need to ask is: what direction is your life going? Are we following and getting to know, and seeking to emulate Jesus Christ and those who give us Christ-like examples, or are we always concerned with our comfort and how we are faring? Is my Christianity more about me or more about Christ? Sometimes I think that we just do not really stop and take account of what is going in our hearts, and truly examine and truly make the adjustments that God wants us to have. Are we following Christ? In order to do that we need to follow after the examples that God has put in our lives, and secondly to flee from those who are the enemies of Christ.
1. We need to follow Christ-like examples. V.17.
Often we look at individuals in the church and really want to be like them. We see a humility and love for Christ, and putting forth an effort to grow personally and serve others. And I think we say wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of relationship with God, but we never do anything to cultivate that relationship. You look at that person and their relationship with the church, their activity, and effort into knowing Christ and we just never choose to follow Christ in that way. And sometimes we have to honest. It would be nice but I just do not want to put the effort in. I like my own comfort too much. The other thing to recognize about this passage is: are you setting an example for others to follow? Are you leaving that example to our spouse, children, and other believers? The reason why we want Christ-like examples is because we want to become a Christ-like example. Those who only think about self, others do not want to be like, but those who have a radical love for Christ, God uses that to impact others.
Look at the verse, “Brethren, join in following my example.” This is the third time in this epistle that Paul has called these believers “brethren.” He was in the closest of all relations with them and truly wanted what was best for them. And what Paul calls for is a joint effort in following him. More literally, it reads, “join in imitating me.” Now at first respect this seems like Paul might be full of pride holding himself up as the standard, but as you read this in context that I not the case. Paul recognized that he had not arrived, and that is what kept him pressing on to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
The chief example God gives us is Christ but Christ never pressed on to be perfect because he was perfect. And as we look at Christ we become more like Him. But what we also need is examples of those who press on, those who are not perfect but keep going. In fact Paul was a long way from perfect. God had even given him a thorn in the side to keep him from pride. And what we need is to see a humility from those around us in how they handle disappointment, or even temptation in their lives, how they seek forgiveness when they have been wronged and when they have sinned. Paul suffered the loss of everything and did that willingly. He wanted to know Christ and be perfected in practice even more and wanted other believers to love Christ more. We need to have those examples of those who strive to be more like Christ, and put effort into knowing Him and emulating Him.
He goes on and says, “and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Now understand what Paul is commanding these believers. The word “observe” means “to pay close attention to” or “to fix your gaze upon.” Remember it is not about seeing perfection in others but that desires to grow and serve and savor and sacrifice for the cause of Christ. Look at the word “those.” This would include Timothy and Epaphroditus, and others whom the Philippians had contact with who were living lives to the glory of Christ and were pursuing Christ. These individuals “walk.” The word is talking about how they live and function in the midst of this fallen and broken world where they are sinners who can and do hurt us, and are all around us, and there is still the battle with indwelling sin. For those whom God has put into our lives that are living for Christ there is a pattern in how they live and function. And the idea behind seeing that pattern of behavior is not just to say that is unique or beautiful or I am happy for them. No, it is in order that we would follow them. There are some that God puts in our lives in the church that live out the truths in this book. They are seeking to be humble and think of others as more important than themselves. They are seeking to make effort to know Christ to help others see Christ. They are counting as loss anything that would impede Christ. And we should be thankful God has put them in our lives, but also recognize that God has put themselves in our lives for a reason.
Now there are two responses that we can have to this passage: one is to say there are no examples, and what we are doing is not seeing and delighting in how God is using people and holding people to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. Remember Paul is still battling to overcome imperfection in His life. We need seek those examples and be thankful. The other is to see those examples yet we have never done anything about it. Remember, God in His goodness has put those people in our lives to actually help us grow. Don’t waste the resources that God has given you.
2. We need to flee from evil examples. V.18-19.
There were those in Philippi who were coming in that were giving another example. The Judaizers were giving the example to trust in yourself and who you are, and the person who is supreme in your life is you. And Paul wants us to know what their end is, and so often for believers our closest acquaintances are those who have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. And we do not realize two things. One is their destiny. We take sin so lightly in our lives, and never see our calling in those relations is redemptive. But the other thing is that they have an impact upon us. We will become like those we feel the most comfortable with, those who are our most intimate companions.
In pursuing the prize of being like Christ there are many examples that must be avoided. Look at what Paul says, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” Look at the open phrase, “For many walk.” The idea here “for” is that warning is joined to the last verse where Paul commanded us to pay careful attention to certain individuals. Close attention is needed to those who live for Christ because they are “many” examples of others who are clamouring for our attention. They want us to notice them and follow them. Now I want us not to take this light of how important this warning is. Paul says, “of who I often told you.” The idea here is that this warning was repeated over and over by the apostle Paul. This was a real threat to the Philippians relationship to Christ. Now who were these enemies? There are only two possibilities that are put forward. One is that these were former members of this church whom they knew well, but now they reject Christ but they still had contact with individuals in the church. The other possibility is that these were the Judaizers who were at the beginning of this chapter. They are called “dogs, evil workers, and false mutilators.” Now which group Paul is talking about I don’t know. My leaning would be the Judaizers, but either one fits the context.
Paul goes on and expresses his anguish, “and now tell you even weeping.” Those who have walked away from Christ should bring anguish in our hearts. Paul would have loved these individuals and would have deep pain that they never truly were converted. If these are Judaizers, Paul would have had deep sorrow because he wished all his fellow countrymen would come to Christ but here they are propagating a false gospel. With those who are teaching error or who have walked away our relations with them cannot be as if nothing is wrong. We have to realize where these people are going and preach Christ to them.
And this is Paul’s point at the end of this verse: “that they are the enemies of the cross.” Paul did not point out these individuals with joy but deep grief, and the reasons is that they were enemies of the cross. The idea behind “cross” is not the wooden instrument but the totality of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. There is the denial in one way or another. And the reasons why these people do not seem like enemies is because they most often are not in your face and adversarial to us. In 2Cor. 12 we see that Satan appears as an angel of light, but these individuals will not enter heaven through some back door but according to God’s word they are enemies of the cross. So why would we ever want to be like them?
Verse 19 shows their destiny and what drives these individuals, “whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and who glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” Paul has a fourfold description of these individuals. The first is “end is destruction.” These were the individuals who thought they were perfect, but were anything but. Since they reject Christ alone for salvation there end is a just end. There is a deliberate refusal to follow Christ and to suffer for Christ that led to a self-indulgent lifestyle.
And this is what he means, “whose god is their appetite.” Their “appetite” is literally their inward organ and was used metaphorically for inward desires and longings and feelings. The reason people refuse Christ is because they desire to reject Him. They are driven by something else rather than Jesus Christ. The pursuit of the things in this life and temporal comforts are the very things that lead to their destruction. So many will come up with clever arguments against Christ because if Christ is Christ then they cannot have what they truly want. They reject Christ because they delight in their sin or in their appetites.
The third description is “who glory is their shame.” The thing that they take the greatest glory in will end up being their greatest shame. Think of it in the context. The things that the Judaizers would glory in Paul counted as rubbish or the lowest kind of garbage. It is incredible what things people bank upon and count upon to get them to Christ, and what they take pride in. They certainly have their own thoughts about God, but in those thoughts they are right.
The fourth description is “who set their minds on earthly things.” The earthly focus of false teachers is evident. If you follow my teachings Christ will give you the comforts that you want. Our hope, as we will see is other worldly. It is not this world. It is not to have more time to ourselves, less problems, or more money, but our hope is to be with Christ and to be like Him. Paul has stated that goal in 10-11, and therefore the direction of his life in verses 13-14. So many believers are so enamoured with celebrities or sports figures. They are so enamoured with the rich and famous, and so many pear through the windows and say, “only if… then I would have happiness and satisfaction.” It is a false message, and we need to surround ourselves with people, counsellors, fellow believers who are living for Christ and making the most of their lives because they are living and hoping in Christ.
Who are you trying to emulate? Who do you want to be in 5 or ten years? Paul says observe closely those who are seeking Christ and follow them.
