Philippians 3:15-21 — Staying on Track

BIG IDEA:

FOLLOWING THE RIGHT EXAMPLES (THE WAY OF THE CROSS RATHER THAN THE WAY OF INDULGENCE) WILL KEEP US ON TRACK IN THE RACE TO GLORY TO JOIN OUR SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

INTRODUCTION:

Robert Gromacki: In this section, the apostle challenged the believers to experience the joy of maturity.

Gordon Fee: The best explanation of the “why” of all this, therefore, is the one we have suggested right along, that in the face of opposition and some internal dissension, some of them have lost their vision for and focus on their crucified and risen Lord, including his coming again. Even in a Roman prison Paul has not lost his vision; here he urges them to follow his example and to see their participation in Christ’s sufferings as Christ’s way of “conforming them to his death,” so that they, with Paul, may joyously gain the prize of his eternal presence.

Dennis Johnson: In this text, Paul teaches that the people whom we imitate are indicators of our true citizenship, of the political entity that defines our identity and our status, our privileges and our duties. The term citizenship, which appears in verse 20, is related to the verb that Paul used earlier, in Philippians 1:27, to summon his Christian friends to behavior befitting their privileged status as citizens.  Paul now makes explicit that believers are citizens not merely of Caesar’s city, Rome, but of heaven itself, where Jesus the true Savior and Lord now reigns. Throughout our present text, therefore, the theme of citizenship provides the backdrop for the contrast that Paul draws between his own positive example and the polluting pattern seen in the lifestyle of others (Phil. 3:17–19). The apostle’s point is that the models who mold your desires and behavior are telltale signs of the town you call “home.” When we hear a Southern drawl or a Scottish brogue, we know in an instant where the speaker was raised. Her accent and inflection echo the voices that surrounded her as she grew up. So also, Paul implies, your values and choices will reflect the accents of your spiritual “hometown.”

In these verses Paul speaks of two competing destinations, of contrasting paths that people “walk” to reach them, and of two rival groups of guides that show the way. On the one hand, Paul and those who shared his Christ-centered commitment are role models to be followed by heaven’s citizens as they walk their earthly pilgrimage (Phil. 3:17) toward the glorious coming of our Savior from heaven at the end of history (3:20–21). On the other, Paul describes people whose “walk” exhibits enmity toward Christ’s cross and preoccupation with earthbound interests, and whose “end is destruction” (3:18–19). Paul directs our eyes first in one direction, toward mentors worth mimicking (Phil. 3:17), and then in the opposite direction, toward the dangerous examples whose trajectory leads downward into the pit of hell (3:18–19). Finally, he points our gaze upward and forward to the heavenly metropolis that is our true home, and to the Savior-Lord who will come from there, to impart his own glory to all who belong to his celestial city (3:20–21).

R. Kent Hughes: Paul’s message to us is this: the way we live, our walk, our appetites, the things in which we revel, the set of our inner disposition all tell whether we are Christian or post-Christian. We should note that Paul, who had much to say about the nature of authentic faith in other places (cf. Ephesians 2:8–10; Romans 3:21, 22, 28; 10:5–13), did not say a word about faith here. Here lifestyle revealed the authenticity of professed belief. Taking this warning to heart is essential if we are to stand firm.

David Garland: Verses 12–16 form a chiastic pattern:

A   ἔλαβον (elabon, 3:12a)

B   τετελείωμαι (teteleiōmai, 3:12b)

C   διώκω (diōkō, 3:12c)

D   κατελήμφθην (katelēmphthēn, 3:12d)

D’  κατειληφέναι (kateilēphenai, 3:13a)

C’  διώκω (diōkō, 3:14a)

B’  τέλειοι (teleioi, 3:15a)

A’  ἐφθάσαμεν (ephthasamen, 3:16)

I.  (:15-16) BUILD ON THE PAST WHILE PRESSING ONWARD

Gordon Fee: Although very compressed and some of its grammar ambiguous, what Paul says is in three parts:

(1)  A direct application: Therefore,as many of us as are teleioi, this let us “think” (phronōmen).

(2)  A qualification: And if you “think” (phroneite) anything differently, this also God will reveal to you.

(3)  A rejoinder (to the qualification):

In any case, unto whatever we have attained [already, is implied], [let us] conform to the same.

A.  Common Pursuit –

Be Like-Minded in Your Perspective of Pressing Onward

“Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything

you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;”

G. Walter Hansen: In Paul’s self-portrait, his eyes are always focused on Christ: he reevaluates his life before Christ in the light of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (3:4-9); he concentrates in the present on being like Christ (3:10); and he looks into the future with eager anticipation of winning the prize, the reward of being with Christ (3:11-14). His Christ-centered vision determines the way that he views his past, his present, and his future. Now Paul directs the Philippian church to take such a view of things. When they adopt his Christ-centered perspective on life, they will join together in following his example and align themselves with all who live as he does. . .

The mature attitude exhibited by Paul combines genuine humility, knowing that we have not already arrived at the goal, and wholehearted commitment, straining toward the goal. By including himself with his readers in his exhortation, “let us have this attitude,” Paul is calling for unity of mind in the community as he did in 2:2: be like-minded … of one mind. The attitude of those who press on toward the goal to win the prize (3:14) is not an individualistic, competitive attitude of runners who run alone to beat everyone else. This attitude draws people together as they focus in their community on knowing Christ and following Christ. Paul does not offer his self-portrait to put himself above or beyond others but to unite others with him in the common pursuit to know Christ. He is drawing together the friends of the cross before he refers to the enemies of the cross (3:18). . .

How God will reveal his direction to resolve minor points of difference Paul does not explain. He seems content to leave the means of God’s guidance undefined and open. His move from a law-centered life to life in Christ gives him freedom from detailed prescriptions for every conceivable situation. Paul is no longer bound by the tradition that produced the Mishnah with its applications of the law to all known circumstances. Although the unity of the church is one of Paul’s highest priorities, he knows that true unity will be achieved only by God’s revelation, not by his rhetorical power.

George Hunsinger: The word translated as “mature” (teleioi) involves guesswork to decide on a rendering (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6). Almost in the same breath Paul states that he is not yet “perfected” (teteleiōmai) (Phil. 3:12). He seems to be engaged in wordplay. Many have followed John Chrysostom in interpreting what Paul means—namely, that Christian perfection means acknowledging Christian imperfection, as if he were saying, “Let those who are mature recognize that they are not perfect.” If so, taking the “mature” view is a matter of humility. The phrase “let us take such a view of things” (touto phronōmen) (3:15) lines up rather nicely with the exhortation in Phil. 2:5 to “let this mind be in you” (touto phroneite). Both places find Paul commending a “mindset” of humility and perseverance in the midst of affliction for the sake of love. The mindset found in Christ Jesus is reflected in the mindset of Paul.

Charles Swindoll: Paul graciously acknowledges that everybody grows up in Christ at different paces. In the spiritual marathon, some will be nearing the finish line at full speed . . . others will be farther behind . . . some will be trudging along at a snail’s pace . . . and a few will be dragged along by others! Paul knew that not everybody was yet in the same condition for running the race at top speed. But he was confident that God would continue to work in them toward the upward call in Christ Jesus.

B.  Consistent Practice –

Be Careful to Continue to Build on the Foundation of Past Maturity

“however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

We know what has been profitable in guiding us to our present level of maturity.  It doesn’t make sense to switch horses in the middle of the race.  Dance with who brought you.

D. A. Carson: We are not to leave old truths and prior steps of holiness behind, but as new truths and applications of old truths open up before our eyes, they should shape our knowledge and our living so powerfully that others see the improvement… So look around carefully, and emulate those who are continuing to grow spiritually, not those who are stagnating. Beware of those who project an image of smug self-satisfaction.  Imitate those who keep on imitating Christ.

Gerald Hawthorne: The conduct of Christians must be consistent with the level of truth they have already reached (cf. NEB). And that conduct should conform to the pattern of life they are to follow as those “in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5).

Grant Osborne: Note that Paul is not reprimanding the Philippians for failing to progress sufficiently, nor is he showing displeasure with their level of maturity. He accepted them as they were, called on them to appraise themselves realistically, and challenged them to move on from there and continue growing in Christ. The Philippians didn’t have to reach a certain maturity level before the Spirit would guide them and Christ pour his strength into them. They did, however, need a desire to know Christ better and to yield to the Spirit more thoroughly. God wanted them to be faithful and committed, in accordance with the level of Christian maturity they had attained. Paul had taught them the gospel and its demands; now they had to make it the standard by which they lived and begin to grow in the depth by which they lived it.

This path of discipleship is not a passive approach—as though, after a season of preliminary growth, we can be satisfied with the level we have reached and just coast our way to heaven. Rather, Paul is challenging Christians to have an active, ongoing, and aggressive demand for more of Christ. We carefully take stock of our present status and level of maturity (v. 16), and then we put all of our effort into pressing on from there and progressing toward the goal and prize awaiting us (vv. 12–14).

Frank Thielman: Paul has only one request of them in the meantime (v. 16): The believers in Philippi should not turn back from the progress they have already made in living lives worthy of the gospel. The verb the NIV translates “live up to” is a rare word in Paul (stoicheo), used only three other times in his letters. In these other occurrences, the word refers to living the life of faith (Rom. 4:12), a life characterized by the Spirit’s fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22–25), and a life that God himself has re-created (Gal. 6:15–16). God has begun a good work in the Philippians, and many of these qualities are evident among them (1:6, 9–11), but Paul does not want the slight deviations from the truth that may be present among them to destroy the progress they have already made. That would mean that his apostolic labor on their behalf had been in vain and that he would stand before Christ on the final day, at least with respect to the Philippians, empty-handed (2:16).

II.  (:17-19) IMITATE ONLY THE RIGHT EXAMPLES

A.  Right Example = Sacrificial Pattern of Life

Demonstrated by the Apostle Paul (and His faithful co-workers)

“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk

according to the pattern you have in us.”

Quite a confident statement on Paul’s behalf.  He must have lived with a clear conscience before his Lord.

G. Walter Hansen: Although his example is admittedly imperfect, it is, nevertheless, tangible and accessible to the church he founded. So he takes the role of a mentor.

Gerald Hawthorne: This one verse, then, stands as a warning by example against two wrong emphases originating from Paul’s Jewish opponents (cf. Phil 3:2). It is a warning against the belief that one can be perfect now (3:12–16) and against the belief that external rituals can be a necessary means of grace (3:18–19). Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, not having yet attained perfection, is thereby driven on to still greater moral endeavors. He calls the Philippians to follow his example, quit claiming perfection, and get busy living the Christian life. Paul, a Jew par excellence (3:5–6), having seen the all-sufficiency of Christ, is thereby forced to surrender confidence in the effectiveness of the observance of food laws or rites of circumcision (3:19) to establish a right relationship between himself and God. The Philippians should follow his example and abandon thinking only of things that belong to this world. They should forsake putting confidence solely in human accomplishments (ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες, “putting confidence in ourselves” [3:3]). This verse stands as a transition point between these two errors of perfection and of trust in Judaism’s boundary markers. It forms the conclusion to the one and the introduction to the other. . .

Confident that his own manner of life—characterized by self-renunciation, humility, and service to others—and his own presuppositions—namely, that God is, that Christ is the only way to approach God, and that the Holy Spirit provides the power to live acceptably before God—are so thoroughly right and true, he is unafraid to present himself, in whom these characteristics and beliefs are embodied, as a model for others to follow. Like an experienced craftsman who shows an apprentice how to do a difficult job (Grayston) or a scout who knows the way and leads a caravan through perilous terrain, he is in no way ashamed to say “Follow me!” nor is he arrogant in doing so.

Steven Lawson: Any growth in godliness is enhanced when we are influenced by the right spiritual mentors. So Paul encourages his readers to “join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (v 17). He addresses them as “brethren” to help them hear this correction. He seeks to endear himself to them so that they will receive his instruction. They must have brothers and sisters in Christ who are modeling Christianity and are worthy of their emulation. Paul is not being arrogant when he tells them to follow his example, but rather, he is being practical.

B.  Wrong Example = Indulgent Pattern of Life

Demonstrated by the “enemies of the cross of Christ”

1. Their Description

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even

weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ”

David Garland: Since Christ’s path to the cross was characterized by humility and obedience, the enemies of the cross are those who stubbornly refuse to humble themselves and accept low status, to live out the foolish wisdom of the cross and suffer for Christ. Their earthly orientation puts their belly, their own concerns (see 2:1–4, 19–21), above all others.

G. Walter Hansen: When Paul speaks of these people who are walking contrary to the way of the cross of Christ in their pursuit of their own self-interests, he speaks with tears. Literally, Paul writes, “but now I speak even weeping.” Paul reserves such an outpouring of emotion for those who have professed belief in Christ. Although he refers to these people in the third person as outsiders, they are still close to his heart. Paul’s pastoral concern for those whose mind is set on earthly things causes him intense emotional pain. Though his words are harsh, his heart is broken. He mourns over the enemies of the cross.

George Hunsinger: Who are these “many” (polloi)? It seems that they are not members of the Pauline community, though they claim to be Christians. Their posing as Christians is what makes Paul weep.  Nor are they likely to have been his Jewish Christian opponents, for that group would not be living an indulgent lifestyle. The problem with the offending group seems to be its lifestyle, not its teaching.  They are not strict adherents of the law, but seem more like antinomians or libertines who “degraded the true doctrine of Christian liberty,” perhaps not unlike some at Corinth (1 Cor. 5–6). They are a peril to themselves and an obstacle to the progress of the gospel. They do not accept suffering, should it come, as integral to the Christian life. They want a theology of glory without a theology of the cross. “They make use of Christ’s name, but do not follow his example”; instead they live “a life of self-indulgence.”

Alternate View:

Gordon Zerbe: Who, then, might these many enemies be? First, they do not appear to be part of the Philippian assembly. Paul’s reference to the generic many are walking and reminder of having mentioned this pattern on earlier occasions precludes this (Fee). Second, they are not presented as teachers (as are the opponents in Galatians and 2 Corinthians). Paul highlights, as elsewhere in Philippians, the critical matter of conduct (1:27–2:16; 3:17; 4:9), not of doctrine. Third, they are not depicted as personal rivals to Paul (cf. 1:15–17). Fourth, they can hardly be identified exclusively as lax or lapsed believers on the grounds that Paul would not shed tears for outsiders (contra O’Brien). To the contrary, just as Paul weeps for the uncommitted among his own people of Israel (Rom 9:1–5), it appears that here Paul is shedding tears for the majority in the non-Jewish, Greco-Roman world, insofar as the goal of universal inclusion and reconciliation in Messiah (e.g., Rom 11:25–32) seems so remote.

The reference is thus primarily to those many who remain antagonistic to Messiah and his regime. Indeed, the palpable counter-Roman rhetoric in the next verses suggests that Paul is depicting the practice of citizenship of general Roman society. Their imperatives of earthly glory (including social, economic, political advancement; cf. Phil 2:3), conspicuous consumption, and moral license combine to make it antithetical to Messiah’s pathway to the cross. While the humiliated faithful will be exalted (3:20–21), the presently exalted will presumably be humbled (3:18–19). The resumption of the themes of 1:27–30 and 2:14–16 further suggest that in 3:18–21 the same threat and set of adversaries is in view. The first known commentator on Philippians assumed that the enemies of the cross referred to Roman persecutors (Polycarp, To the Philippians 12.3; 2nd quarter of 2nd c.) [Opponents in Philippians, p. 300].

2. Their Destiny

“whose end is destruction“

John MacArthur: Having rejected the one and only truth of salvation—the cross of Christ—all false teachers face the same fate. Their end (the Greek word telos refers here to their ultimate destiny) will be eternal destruction (torment, punishment) in hell (Matt. 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:9). The Judaizers deserved this fate because they added human works to the cross of Christ. To believe the truth about Him but also to believe that human works are necessary for salvation is to be damned forever. The Gentile heretics deserved their fate because they stripped the cross of Christ of its power to transform lives. The result is a dead faith, unable to save (James 2:14–26).

3. Their Dependency

“whose god is their appetite“

They are addicted to the lusts of the flesh.

David Garland: In Paul’s words to the Philippians “belly” becomes a picturesque reference to “the flesh,” to a self-centered, self-indulgent existence controlled by illicit desires. Their own glory holds them spellbound, betrays the gospel, and destroys Christian community.

John MacArthur: Appetite translates koilia, which refers anatomically to the abdomen, particularly the stomach. Here it is used metaphorically to refer to all unrestrained sensual, fleshly, bodily desires (cf. 1 Cor. 6:13). The false teachers were condemned because they did not worship God but bowed down to their sensual impulses. It could be a reference to the Judaizers’ emphasis on keeping the Jewish dietary laws. Or if the false teachers in view were Gentiles, it could refer to their unrestrained pursuit of sensual pleasures. Jude described such people as “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

4. Their Dishonor

“whose glory is in their shame“

Max Anders: For the Greek such shame would be meaningless rituals for all their gods, rituals often involving sexual practices and prostitution. For the Jew such shame would be in their attention to the “shameful” body parts, namely their preoccupation with circumcision as a requirement for perfection with God. All such pride is misplaced, for it centers on human achievement. For Paul all glory is in Christ and what he has done (3:3). Thus Jew and Greek faced a destiny of destruction. Instead of winning the prize and participating in resurrection, they would face eternal hell.

Grant Osborne: “Glory” is another term for boasting. Paul has spoken three times (1:26; 2:16; 3:3) about boasting in Christ, and now he describes its antithesis: boasting in self-indulgent pleasures, defined here as “their shame.” First John 1:8, 10 confronts the faulty thinking of hedonists who claimed to be without sin despite their sensual lifestyle. They believed that their salvation was centered in their gnosis, or knowledge, meaning that they could live however they wished and their lifestyle would no longer be considered sin. Paul is addressing a similar situation in Philippians 3:18–19; these individuals pretended to be right with God, while their actions were completely shameful. Their life was filled with shame, and at the last judgment that shame would be manifested in their indictment from God, immersing them in shame.

5. Their Delight

“who set their minds on earthly things“

G. Walter Hansen: But in his description of the enemies of the cross, Paul employs this verb to depict a self-centered, divisive attitude. People with this orientation of life are obsessed with getting earthly things for their own personal gratification. In contrast to pursuing the heavenward call of God in Christ Jesus (3:14), they are concentrating on their earthly possessions and pleasures. These people had probably been members of the Christian community in Philippi, but now they “have turned full circle; having abandoned the way of the cross, they have their mind once again set on earthly things.”

Gerald Hawthorne: Recent discussion of these verses is summarized in O’Brien, 450–58. He finds the key thought to be that of “boasting” (common in 2 Corinthians), and this suggests that the issue between Paul and his opponents was eschatological more than simply moral. They boasted that their powerful presence in the church was based on their “realized eschatology” (the claim that they were “perfect”), and so they were not subject to moral restraints. The attraction of this view is that it links directly to Phil 3:20–21.

Tony Merida: Remember the proverb: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov 13:20 ESV). Don’t become a fool by observing and following the ways of foolish people. Find examples of those who are walking the way of the cross and finding a superior joy in knowing Christ more and more. Whom you follow matters. Follow those who are following Jesus passionately.

III.  (:20-21)  FOCUS ON FUTURE GLORY

A.  Future Glory Seen in Our Heavenly Citizenship

“For our citizenship is in heaven“

Manford George Gutzke: For the believer heaven is his homeland.  Although he lives in this world, he does not belong here.  Scripture tells him he is here as a stranger and a pilgrim.  He is journeying through this world to his eternal home.

G. Walter Hansen: Paul’s eschatological vision establishes the basis for his ethical imperatives. The future shines a bright light on the present to guide our moral choices. From Paul’s eschatological perspective, we are already citizens of the heavenly order of reality. Our citizenship in heaven is not based upon wishful thinking or an imagination of future possibilities, but on the righteousness that comes from God. The righteousness that comes from God means that by God’s judicial decision we belong to the heavenly community.

John MacArthur: It is consistent for believers to have a heavenly focus, because our citizenship is in heaven. Politeuma (citizenship) appears only here in the New Testament, though Paul used the related verb in 1:27. It refers to the place where one has official status, the commonwealth where one’s name is recorded on the register of citizens. Though believers live in this world, they are citizens of heaven. They are members of Christ’s kingdom, which is not of this world (John 18:36). Their names are recorded in heaven (Luke 10:20; cf. Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 13:8; 21:27); their Savior is there (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16); their fellow saints are there (Heb. 12:23); their inheritance is there (1 Peter 1:4); their reward is there (Matt. 5:12); and their treasure is there (Matt. 6:20).

Dennis Johnson: Citizenship was a significant reality in first-century Philippi.  Though located in Macedonia, far from Rome (the capital of the empire), Philippi enjoyed the honor of being a Roman colony (Ac 16:12).  Philippi’s citizens (though not all its residents, which included slaves and freedmen) were citizens of Rome; they were exempt from imperial taxation and had the right to due process in imperial courts.  Though living on earth, Christians have citizenship in a more glorious city: heaven itself.  Unlike the ruin awaiting the cross’s enemies, heaven’s unmitigated joy is the destination of the believer’s pilgrimage.  Rome extolled its corrupt and ephemeral emperors as savior and lord.  But we await the true Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who now rules in heaven and will return in glory at history’s consummation!  Then he will transform our lowly bodies, now subject to pain and decay, conforming them to his resurrected body, which is immortal, imperishable, and full of glory (1Co 15:51-57).  Such a destiny sustains our hope and fuels our resolve to strive for the prize that God promises.

B.  Future Glory Seen in Our Coming Savior

“from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ“

G. Walter Hansen: The close connection between Roman colonial language and Paul’s terminology comes into even sharper focus in the next phrase: we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus was acclaimed to be the “savior of the world” because he restored order and peace not only in Italy but also throughout the provinces and regions under his sovereign rule. Paul’s use of the term Savior in his letter to Christians in Roman Philippi “sharply opposes Jesus Christ as Lord to the imperial savior.” By applying the imperial title Savior to Jesus Christ, “Paul explicitly (and we must assume deliberately) speaks of Jesus in language which echoes, and hence deeply subverts, language in common use among Roman imperial subjects to describe Caesar.”  Paul redirects the focus of his readers from the savior in Rome, Caesar Augustus, to the Savior in heaven, Jesus Christ the Lord. In contrast to the enemies of the cross who set their minds on earthly powers (3:18-19), the Christians in Philippi are called to focus their trust and hope in the Lord and Savior above all earthly powers. The enemies of the cross followed the natural inclination of residents in Philippi to look to the emperor in Rome to exert his sovereign power to solve their problems, satisfy their appetites, rescue them from trouble, and protect them from danger. But the Christian who followed the example of Paul (3:17) looked to Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior.  Such a change of allegiance would inevitably cause them to participate in the sufferings of Christ (3:10).  Their sufferings will cause them to eagerly await their Savior from heaven who has the power that enables him to bring everything under his control (3:20-21). Their hope for the future is not fixed on Caesar, the savior and lord of the Roman Empire, but on Jesus Christ, the heavenly Lord and Savior.

Steven Lawson: We must never forget that each of us who name Jesus as King is a citizen of a higher kingdom. This world is not our home. But as we live out our days here on earth, we must maintain our greater allegiance to our Sovereign Lord, who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. We must never cave in to the surrounding pressures to squeeze us into the mold of this rebellious world. Instead, we must set our minds on things above, not upon things below. We are heading for the finish line. We are headed for home. That is where we belong, and we must run hard until our King returns, or until he calls us home.

John MacArthur: Believers are not to wait for Christ’s return with attitudes of passive resignation or bored disinterest. Instead, they are to eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are not waiting for an event but a Person. Apekdechomai (eagerly wait) is often used to speak of waiting for Christ’s second coming (e.g., Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Heb. 9:28). It describes not only eagerness, but also patience.

C.  Future Glory Seen in Our Resurrection Body

“who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body

of his glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

John Walvoord: Our body needs to be changed by an act of God.  This puts attaining perfection beyond the power of any Christian as long as he has his present body.  Paul does not dwell here upon the sinfulness of the body, its mortality, or decay, but sums it all up as a body of humiliation suited for this life but not for glory.

G. Walter Hansen: In contrast to the present body of humiliation, the body of the future will be like his glorious body. The line of continuity in our present and future forms of existence is existence in a body. Paul’s hope is not to be rescued from his body, but to have his body transformed; he does not contemplate a future out of the body or bodiless human existence. The future of Christians will be as somatic as was the bodily resurrection of Christ.

Gordon Zerbe: What Paul in effect claims is that what it means to have honor or dishonor (humiliation, shame) will be completely inverted on the day of Messiah, when the present age gives way to the age to come. In other words, he invites his listeners to disengage from preoccupations with honor in the present order (cf. 3:3, 19). We can presume that some of his listeners are already in positions of honor and are wary of losing it for Messiah, hesitant to walk the downward path of divestment. Others are simply preoccupied with the benefits of glories that coincide with advancement through the coveted Roman citizenship as they strive for that. Still others might already be in the position of having lost all things of honor for the sake of Messiah (cf. 3:3–11). Paul has specifically chosen words to embrace the vulnerability and suffering of the Philippians in their current circumstance.

Richard Melick: One final point occurs in v. 21. Paul focused on the physical body which would be transformed so that it became like Christ’s body. Two factors are significant. First, the body is destined for eternity. It should be treated accordingly, and people should not make earthly existence in the body their ultimate concern. The tragedy of the false teachers was, in part, that they did just that. They focused on some aspect of the body that would not last beyond this life.  Second, Paul’s hope involved a physical transformation. His theology included the fact that redemption culminated in a change of the body itself. The spirit was already in a resurrection with Christ; the body awaited that change.  This statement reiterates the hope expressed in v. 10. The power of the resurrection would be complete when Jesus exerted his power toward the bodies of believers. Paul characterized the body now as one of humiliation (tapein se s). In so doing, he addressed the limitations Christians have on earth. The body is not suited to heaven unless a transformation takes place. In that sense, it symbolizes a Christian’s state of humiliation. Someday, however, it will be a body of glory, fully suited to the needs of heaven and displaying the glory of Christ himself. This was a significant hope, fully pastoral in motivation. It should have caused the believers to press on until that great day.

R. Kent Hughes: This section heaps encouragement upon encouragement. The Philippians were citizens of the commonwealth of Heaven in the continuing present. This was not a future denouement but ongoing, eternal reality. What an empowering perspective in the midst of the officious Roman unctuousness of the mini-Rome of Philippi. And as citizens of Heaven they didn’t await a pale Roman savior, a petty little-caesar, but rather the Savior with a name that is above every other name—Yahweh, Jesus, Messiah—to whom every knee will bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth. And this Savior will someday give them bodies like his own glorious body as he subjects everything in the universe to himself. So stand firm.