Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 31

Paul Reminds the Philippian Church to trust in Christ; not the Flesh

Philippians 3:1-3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. KJV

Paul was always one to preach and teach the things that God the Holy Spirit gave to him that would ground the saints in faith and most importantly in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul begins to wrap up his letter, but wants to make sure or remind the saints in Philippi to fully be established in Christ and no one or nothing else by saying, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” (Philippians 3:1) (KJV). Paul knows that it is only “in Christ” (as we sojourn on this earth) that we can truly have constant, continuous, and certain joy, despite all of the negative outward conditions. The English word rejoice he uses here is translated by the Greek word chairo which is a primary verb meaning to be full of cheer, that is, calmly happy or well off. It was Paul’s desire to see all of Christ followers always rejoicing in Him as he will repeat again to them in Chapter 4 because of these words written by the Prophet Nehemiah when he said to the children of Israel, “Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’” (Nehemiah 8:10) (NKJV).

Paul felt no form of inadequacy in teaching them the same things over and over, but instead he found it to be needful for them to always be reminded of the truth of the Gospel and the truth of Christ Jesus our Lord and the manner of walk they/we should adhere while still in these tents, just as the Apostle Peter wrote to the ‘pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 1:1-2) (NKJV) when he did not apologize for reminding them of the truth ‘in Christ’ and how they were to grow fruitfully in the faith saying, “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my death.” (2 Peter 1:12-15) (NKJV).

The English word grievous Paul uses in this first verse is not perhaps the best choice of word translation because the Greek word is okneros which means to be slow or to hesitate or to delay; to be tardy or slothful. In other words, Paul is declaring to these Philippian believers and to we believers today that it was his desire to speedily, quickly, and immediately remind them always of the truth of what it meant to be a Christian or a follower of Jesus Christ in order to keep them grounded in the truth and keep them safe and secure from the false teachers that so stubbornly persisted to cause trouble for the true followers of Christ by their teaching the Jewish Law of Moses along with the outward act of circumcision as still being necessary for salvation as he rebuked fiercely the Galatian believers with these words, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!” (Galatians 5:7-12) (NKJV).

Paul now calls out those usurpers without the authority from Christ Jesus who try to hold the saint’s hostage in their false teaching of circumcision and the Law of Moses as still being necessary for salvation with some very strong and harsh language to describe them to these Philippian believers and to we believers today writing, “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” (Philippians 3:2) (NKJV). The Jews for centuries referred to all Gentiles as dogs because they were not the Covenant people of Jehovah. Now the Apostle Paul turns this old Jewish saying against these Jews who continue to be blinded of the truth of the Gospel of Christ as fulfilling all the old Jewish Ceremonial Laws and ushering in the rule of grace over the rule of ritual rites and laws as Paul teaches so adequately in Galatians Chapter 3. Paul calls them evil workers for they are doing the work of Satan when they teach that salvation is by Christ plus anything else. Salvation is in Christ alone, through Christ alone, and by Christ alone, nothing added to Christ death, burial, and resurrection from the dead satisfies the Justice of God the Father; not water baptism, nor Church membership, nor taking communion, nor confession to a Priest, nor any good works such as feeding the poor or living by the golden rule, nor any human action done will save a sinful soul, but only the Blood of Jesus Christ just as Paul detailed to those in Antioch with these words recorded for us by Dr. Luke, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man (Jesus Christ) is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: ‘Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’” (Acts 13:38-41) (NKJV).

Paul calls them the concision, meaning the mutilators not only of the outward flesh, but more importantly mutilators of the Gospel of Grace and of the Word of God (Acts 15:1) by their teaching the above false requirements for salvation as Isaiah spoke of the unreliable leaders or shepherds of the children of Israel in his day when he wrote this, “His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yes, they are greedy dogs Which never have enough. And they are shepherds Who cannot understand; They all look to their own way, Every one for his own gain, From his own territory.” (Isaiah 56:10-11) (NKJV) and even our Lord Jesus Himself warned the first disciples to be weary of false teaching when He said this, “Then He charged them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?’ They said to Him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’ So He said to them, ‘How is it you do not understand?’ (Mark 8:15-21) (NKJV).

The English word beware Paul uses before each one of these three descriptions of the Judaizing teachers is translated by the Greek word blepo a primary verb meaning to look at (literally or figuratively): - behold, perceive, or to take heed. Paul declares that now God’s Covenant people need no outward mark in the flesh, but have been marked internally/spiritually by the Holy Spirit and he writes, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3) (NKJV). Those of us who have embraced the truth of the Gospel of Christ have now been circumcised in heart by the Holy Spirit of God and worship God by His Spirit being empowered to give the One True God praise and honor knowing that there is nothing good, noble, or worthy in ourselves as the Prophet Jeremiah declared when he said this, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24) (NKJV). The true circumcision are they who are real with God the Father worshipping Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24) revealing everything about ourselves the good, bad, and ugly as the Father already knows it all anyway, but He is jealous for realness, intimacy, and candor, that is, the quality of being honest and straightforward in our attitude and in our speech with Him through prayer Amen!

“Dogs, for their malice against the faithful professors of the Gospel of Christ, barking at them and biting them. They cried up good works in opposition to the faith of Christ; but Paul calls them evil workers: they boasted themselves to be of the circumcision; but he calls them the concision: they rent and tore the Church of Christ, and cut it to pieces; or contended for an abolished rite, a mere insignificant cutting of the flesh.” Matthew Henry

“The Christian faith does not distinguish itself from man-made religions or other practices of spirituality by outward markings in our flesh or even the wearing of jewelry on our person, but it is the redeemed, renewed, and regenerated heart or inner man/ inner woman by God the Holy Spirit that makes a sinner into a saint and it has absolutely nothing to do with what the person does, wears, or says that makes them acceptable to God as Paul wrote speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Colossian believers with these words, ‘In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.’ (Colossians 2:11-14) (NKJV).” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…