Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 32

Paul tells the Philippian Church how he Rejected his Jewish Blood Line for the Blood of Jesus Christ

Philippians 3:4-7 Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. KJV

In many cultures all over the world from century to century, the family blood line is a sacred and very respected honor when one is born in such a family blood line. Here we find the battered, beaten, and bruised Apostle Paul detailing to these Philippian believers and we believers today that he was such a man among the Jewish people. Paul informed them how he would have much opportunity to boast or show off or display and project himself in such a proud manner because of his family heritage or his family blood line this is why he begins this part of his discourse as he begins to detail for the Philippians what manner of Jewish stock he was bred from with these words saying first, “Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:” (Philippians 3:4) (KJV). Paul was saying here if anyone could put their trust in their Jewish blood line for salvation by God it would be him. By flesh here Paul does not mean his human nature corrupted by virtue of mere birth (the one received from Adam), but here Paul is speaking of that Jewish blood line in which he was privileged to be born into. We learned in the last study/commentary that the Jews referred to all people outside of their race, that is, Gentiles as dogs, but also we must understand that even within the Jewish race there were a hierarchy of pure Jews verses those Jews who could not trace their blood line all the way back to the Patriarch Abram later God changed his name to Abraham.

However, Paul was born a pure Jew all the way back in his blood line (on both sides) were decedents leading directly back to Abraham, the one original Hebrew (Genesis 12:1-9) and he begins to lay out that fleshly heritage by saying, “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;” (Philippians 3:5) (KJV). Paul was born into a pure Jewish blood line and his family observed all the Jewish rites, rituals, and rules handed down to Abraham from God as it is written here of circumcision, “And God said to Abraham: ‘As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.” (Genesis 17:9-13) (NKJV). We find that our Lord Jesus Christ was also taken through this very same Jewish holy rite as documented for us by Dr. Luke with these words, “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD’), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’ (Luke 2:21-24) (NKJV).

The tribe of Benjamin was one of the highest esteemed among the Jews because of the great and love Jacob (later his named changed to Israel by God) had for his youngest son born to the love of Jacob’s life Rachel. When Paul says that he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews he simply means that both his parents were likewise born Hebrews. The Pharisees were considered the strictest of all the Jewish sects (Acts 26:5) and Paul was one of their highest ranking members as Paul spoke so of himself with these words when he was arrested in the Jewish Temple but allowed to speak, “‘Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.’ And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: ‘I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.’” (Acts 22:1-3) (NKJV) and later on in his defense he also said these words, “But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!’” (Acts 23:6) (NKJV). Note: Here is what Adam Clarke said of the Jewish sect the Pharisees, “One that not only received the law and the prophets as coming from God; but belonged to that sect which, of all others, was most scrupulously attached to it.” Paul declares that as a Pharisee he was on fire for the Jewish faith as he declares it this way, “Concerning zeal, persecuting the Church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:6) (KJV). The English word zeal is translated by the Greek word zelos which is derived from the primary verb zeo which means to be hot or to be fervent.

In other words, Paul was a militant zealot as a Pharisee persecuting the early Christians by putting them in jail and even killing many for what he thought at that time (in his ignorance) to be an insult to Judaism as he declared with these words again after he was arrested in the Jewish Temple, “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.” (Acts 22:4-5) (NKJV) and also as he said of himself concerning the persecution of Christians with these words, “‘Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.’” (Acts 26:9-11) (NKJV). Paul observed (in his ignorance) all of the Jewish external rites, rituals, and rules and could be considered blameless or faultless or without reproach among the Jews just as it was spoken of Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth who would miraculously become the parents of a son (John the Baptist), “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:5-6) (NKJV).

Paul was doing everything the Jewish laws required of him and of every good Jew in order to be justified before God, but yet he still realized deep within that he did not have that inner assurance of being right before God and right with God, this is why he now says, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” (Philippians 3:7) (KJV). Until Paul’s encounter with our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road he could never say with conviction, confidence, and certainty that all was well with his soul and God, but now he is willing to give up all of his Jewish pedigree for the certainty he has found in our Lord Jesus Christ as he recounts his conversion to king Agrippa with these words documented by Dr. Luke, “‘While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’” (Acts 26:12-18) (NKJV).

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…