In Leviticus the sacred law-giver says that the uncircumcised hearts of Israel must be humbled to accept the punishment of God (Leviticus 26:41). From one point of view it looked as if Christianity was a grim job. This wasn’t merely theological theory and ideas, but a lived-out connection with God. i. The New Testament Every man is grasped by Christ for some purpose; and, therefore, every man should all his life press on so that he may grasp that purpose for which Christ grasped him. He does not mean by this that he is about to close the letter. 1. And the power of His resurrection: Knowing Jesus means knowing this power, the new life that is imparted to us now, not when we die. It may well be that one of our faults is our desire for novelty. Rather it seemed to be a danger brought on by pressure, both from the outside (Philippians 1:27-30) and from the inside (Philippians 3:2). For whom I have suffered the loss of all things: This counting loss was not merely an internal spiritual exercise. And if anyone is otherwise minded in any way, this too God will reveal to him. Mar 1, 2017. When Spain led the world (in the 15th century), her coins reflected her national arrogance and were inscribed Ne Plus Ultra which meant “Nothing Further” – meaning that Spain was the ultimate in all the world. As we are just now, our bodies are subject to change and decay, illness and death, the bodies of a state of humiliation compared with the glorious state of the Risen Christ; but the day will come when we will lay aside this mortal body which we now possess and become like Jesus Christ himself. Men whose whole minds are earthbound! So Paul says that in the Christian life we must forget every past achievement and remember only the goal which lies ahead. Dogs, for their malice against faithful professors of the gospel of Christ, barking at them and biting them. mutilation of the body on a par with pagan practices forbidden in Leviticus 21:5.”. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Luke-Acts d. Beware of dogs: This was a harsh reference to the troublemaking legalists who attempted to deceive the Philippians. Benjamin was the child of Rachel, the well-loved wife of Jacob, and of all the twelve patriarchs he alone had been born in the Promised Land (Genesis 35:17-18). ii. Skubala has two meanings. ii. d. Being conformed to His death: This reminds us that being in Christ also means being “in” His death. Johannine Writings -------------------- Christian joy made Wesley able to accept the great blows of life, and also to greet the lesser discomforts with a jest. He was running for life, and running for his life.” (Clarke). This is demonstrated by the place and circumstances under which Paul wrote this letter – a Roman prison, where he truly could say that he had suffered the loss of all things. Philippians 3:10-16 New International Version (NIV) 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; a. Not that I have already attained: Paul wrote from such spiritual maturity and purity that we might expect he believed that he had conquered all spiritual difficulties and saw himself as having arrived at near perfection. They had little enough even to eat. A child can’t wait to be bigger and always wants to be more mature. Paul … (ii) Our only boast is in Jesus Christ. They regarded circumcision in itself as being enough to set them apart specially for God. We must steadfastly arrest any tendency to murmur and complain; to find fault with God’s dealings; or to seek to elicit sympathy. Paul had been so zealous a Jew that he had tried to wipe out the opponents of Judaism. Johannine Writings GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. B. Lightfoot remarks that the verb memphesthai (Greek #3201), from which it comes, means to blame for sins of omission. 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. Philippians 3:11 is literally, “if somehow I may attain to the out-resurrection from among the dead ones.” The word “out-resurrection” occurs here only. Luke-Acts Phinehas had saved the people from the wrath of God, and been given an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God (Numbers 25:11-13). The Old Testament d. Let us be of the same mind: Part of doing what we do know is being of the same mind. Concerning the law...: Paul then listed three things that were his by personal choice and conviction, all reasons why he might have confidence in the flesh. There were in the Church at Philippi men whose conduct was an open scandal and who, by their lives, showed themselves to be the enemies of the Cross of Christ. But Paul wanted Jesus, not self. When the Jews wished to stress their special relationship to God in its most unique sense it was the word Israelite that they used. In common language it was popularly derived from kusi (compare Greek #2965) ballomena (Greek #906), which means that which is thrown to the dogs; and in medical language it means excrement, (dung, as the King James Version translates it). Paul says to the Philippians, "Just as the Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship.". Spirit, they said, is altogether good; and matter is altogether evil. Paul means something when he applies the title to Jesus in the context of citizenship. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. The Gospels In Hebrew the verb is yada' (Hebrew #3045) and in Greek it is translated by ginoskein (Greek #1097). They do not trust in their own ability to be righteous before God through external works (the flesh), but their only confidence is in Jesus. He had to press on. We cannot know everything that Paul meant by this phrase; but the Resurrection of Christ is the great dynamic in at least three different directions. In Deuteronomy the Law brings together the price of a dog and the hire of a whore, and declares that neither must be offered to God (Deuteronomy 23:18). I was circumcised when I was eight days old: I am of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin: I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrew parents. It was to Israel that they in the most special sense traced their heritage. c. Whose end is destruction: The word translated destruction is the same word used for perdition in other places (such as Philippians 1:28). I pray may God help us all IJN. Paul began this verse with the idea that Jesus Christ had laid hold of him. A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. THE WORTHLESSNESS OF THE LAW AND THE VALUE OF CHRIST (Philippians 3:8-9). From which we also eagerly wait for the Savior: As Philippians would eagerly await a visit from the emperor in Rome, even more so should Christians eagerly await the coming of their King – Jesus Christ. If the Christian really walks with Christ, he walks with joy. The prize is being able to run the race at all, working with God as a partner to do the work of His kingdom. Major Prophets Pauline Epistles In 1756 a letter came to John Wesley from a father who had a prodigal son. We expect to eat bread and to drink water every day; and we must listen again and again to the truth which is the bread and the water of life. For our citizenship is in heaven: We need to appreciate all this would have meant to the Philippians, who greatly valued their Roman citizenship. You will find yourselves collapse most terribly. To that thought he now returns and defines more closely what he means. I. He says that he proposes to write things to them that he has written before. 2. Video Philippians 4:1-9; Standing Firm: No matter our circumstances in life, we are to stand firm in the Lord by being unified in our relationships, by seeking God's help though prayer, and by imitating Jesus Christ. Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year. Paul sets out three. b. Who worship God in the Spirit: This defines the true circumcision. So when Paul uses the word in Philippians 3:12, he is saying that he is not by any means a complete Christian but is for ever pressing on. The great characteristic of these colonies was that, wherever they were, they remained fragments of Rome. i. And note those who so walk: As well, Paul wasn’t so proud to think that he was the only one who could be such an example. When we are resurrected, we will have the same type of body that Jesus Himself had when he was resurrected. “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death.”. d. Whose god is their belly: This describes the idolatry of these enemies. He stresses the fact that he had been born into the Jewish faith and had known its privileges and observed its ceremonies since his birth. Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ. General Epistles When it is used of offerings, it means without blemish and fit to offer God. The only boast of the Christian is not in what he has done for himself but in what Christ has done for him. He takes the very name the Jewish teachers would have applied to the impure and to the Gentiles and flings it back at themselves. Wherever he taught, the Jews followed him and tried to undo his teaching. ii. That is calm, joyous, bright, but this is stormy and impassioned, full of flashing and scathing words.” (Maclaren). This is interesting, for it must mean that Paul had written other letters to the Philippians which have not survived. But Paul declared that he and his followers were the true circumcision. This is an important idea; yet sometimes Christians react to that idea by being passive. Few preachers would dare to make the appeal with which Paul begins this section. It was their view that to keep the Law's countless rules and regulations was to work righteousness. a. It is no trouble to me to write the same things to you, and for you it is safe. Johannine Writings We often let those things which are behind distract us, whether they be good things or bad things. Poetical Books But where were they meantime? Martin on the mutilation: “By a pun, he mockingly calls it a mere cutting, katatome, i.e. He had been born in the Gentile city of Tarsus, but he had come to Jerusalem to be educated at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and was able, for instance, when the time came, to speak to the mob in Jerusalem in their own tongue (Acts 21:40). Read Introduction to Philippians “If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” In English, in this verse, Paul appears to doubt that he will rise from the dead. Read that through, if you are a minister, and it will burst many of your windbags. The power of his resurrection - In having this body of my humiliation raised from death, and made like unto his glorious body. 3. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. We mean that they are enemies of the Biblical truth of the atonement Jesus made for us on the cross and its ongoing power and effect in our life. 3:12-16 Not that I have already obtained this, or that I am already all complete but I press on to try to grasp that for which I have been grasped by Jesus Christ. “The word ‘gain’ is plural in the Greek, namely, ‘gains.’... ‘Loss’ is singular. And, therefore, even in circumstances where joy would seem to be impossible and there seem to be nothing but pain and discomfort, Christian joy remains, because not all the threats and terrors and discomforts of life can separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ Jesus his Lord (Romans 8:35-39). The Jews would be quite sure that they were workers of righteousness. It is Paul's claim that he knew Judaism at its most intense and even fanatical heat. Scripture: Philippians 3:1-11. i. He had to divest himself of every human claim of honour that he might accept in complete humility the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. The Christian places his confidence only in the mercy of God and in the love of Jesus Christ. Did... 2. So, then, Paul is saying, "I found the Law and all its ways of no more use than the refuse thrown on the garbage heap to help me to get into a right relationship with God. This is a claim that Paul makes more than once (Acts 22:3; Acts 23:6; Acts 26:5). There was no perfectionism in Paul. Minor Prophets -------------------- Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. John Nelson was one of Wesley's most famous early preachers. It could describe excrement from the body or table scraps that were fit only to be thrown to the dogs. When God entered into his special covenant with Abraham, circumcision was laid down as its eternal sign. Pauland Silas, with Timothy and Luke, established the church there after theycrossed from Asia into Europe (Acts 16:12-40). As he went on, the cheerfulness and composure of his countenance were amazing to all the spectators." Only we must always walk according to that standard which we have already reached. To a Jew zeal was the greatest quality in the religious life. No further discipline and no further effort were necessary. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point It is important to note the verb which he uses for to know. It is the proof that his promise to be with us always to the end of the world is true. e. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus: The prize is the upward call of God. Rather it seemed to be a danger brought on by pressure, both from the outside (Philippians 1:27-30) and from the inside (Philippians 3:2). According to Jewish belief, circumcision was ordained upon Israel as sign and symbol that they were the people with whom God had entered into a special relationship. It was by this name that the Jews called the Gentiles. Yet indeed: “The translation of five particles, which latter are literally translated, ‘yea, indeed, therefore, at least, even,’ and show the force and passion of Paul’s conviction.” (Wuest). It is used to mean mature in mind and therefore means one who is qualified in a subject as opposed to a mere learner. The true Christian worships God, not with outward forms and observances, but with the true devotion and the real sincerity of his heart. The righteousness which is from God by faith: Paul here exposed the great difference between the legal relationship stressed by his opponents and his personal connection with Jesus Christ. (i) He sets down what we might call the indestructibility of Christian joy. The Gospels There were those who distorted the Christian doctrine of grace. “The word [rubbish] means the vilest dross or refuse of any thing; the worst excrement. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, The Whole Bible (Phl 3:3-4) Paul defines the true circumcision. They said that, since grace was wide enough to cover every sin, a man could sin as he liked and not worry; it would make no difference to the all-forgiving love of God. Skip to content. after a flea!" The great feast of Purim, which was observed every year with such rejoicing, commemorated the deliverance of which the Book of Esther tells, and the central figure of that story was Mordecai, a Benjaminite. -------------------- GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Pauline Epistles “Paul’s ‘finally’ here is not the ‘finally’ of the present day preacher. (Phl 3:18-19) The bad examples: the enemies of the cross. This is because of the principle Paul explains in Colossians 2:23 – These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. “We are bidden, therefore, to beware of men of a quarrelsome and contentious spirit, who under the guise of religion hide impure and unclean things; and who are not only defiled, but defiling in their influence.” (Meyer). Tony Reinke Nov 14, 2016 2K Shares Article. In effect Paul is saying that the Christian must forget all that he has done and remember only what he has still to do. b. Paul had to contend with people like this in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and Romans 6, who thought that salvation comes without repentance and conversion, and who thought that as long as your soul was saved, it didn’t matter what you did with your body. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed What was the issue of his latest search? For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. So Paul proves to these Jews that he has the right to speak. But such things as I could humanly reckon as profits, I came to the conclusion were all loss for the sake of Jesus Christ. He pressed on for the prize. WHAT IT MEANS TO KNOW CHRIST (Philippians 3:10-11). Paul knew that a race is won only in the present moment, not in the past or in the future. But if you will hand over the conflict to Jesus, He will subdue them; He will bring them under his strong, subjecting hand. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Historical Books 2. Philippians 3 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One) (Amp) But - see term of contrast. “There may be sins within your heart that have long resisted control. Historical Books Preaching and teaching and studying the side-issues may be attractive, and these have their place, but the fundamental truths can neither be spoken nor heard too often for the safety of our souls. It is right that the patriot should love his country. The dogs were the pariah dogs, roaming the streets, sometimes in packs, hunting amidst the garbage dumps and snapping and snarling at all whom they met. That was a thing which he never forgot. Philippians 3:10. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. We may see the depth of this word from a fact of Old Testament usage. Paul here put a personal relationship with Jesus Christ at the very center of the Christian’s life. (ii) He was of the race of Israel. Philippians 3:10, NLT: "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. He was so loyal a Jew that he had never lost the Hebrew speech; he was not only a religious Jew, he was a member of their strictest and the most self-disciplined sect; he had had in his heart a burning zeal for what he had thought was the cause of God; and he had a record in Judaism in which no man could mark a fault. According to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself: This is possible only because the God we serve is omnipotent. So the people whom Paul attacks may have been the clever Gnostics who produced specious arguments to justify their sinning or they may have been misguided Christians who twisted the loveliest things into justification for the ugliest sins. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: a. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. It was in the body that Christ rose and it is this body which he sanctifies (1 Corinthians 6:13 ff.). It wasn’t so much that those things were worthless in themselves, but compared to the greatness of the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, they really were nothing. They read magazines about running; they set goals for themselves; they train a… 1. -------------------- What is the point of this? The Old Testament A Jew would be scandalized by the application of this word to a Gentile.” (Wuest). The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, It is a high calling because it is worthy of God. It often happens that men can stand the great sorrows and the great trials of life but are undone by what are almost minor inconveniences. First, on account of the guilt of these enemies of the cross of Christ. The Onward, Upward Call – Philippians 3:10-14 Really Knowing Christ. Major Prophets v. There is a significant contrast between the citizens of earth as described in Philippians 3:18-19 and the citizens of heaven as described in Philippians 3:20-21. b. Foreigners are distinct in whatever foreign land they go. As a *Roman *colony, itscitizens possessed the same rights and laws as those who lived in Italy. The suffering was worth it, considering the greatness of the goal of resurrection from the dead. It was not a decision made in a moment of impulse, but one by which I still stand fast.". i. “I never read that the apostle wept when he was persecuted. Paul finishes with the Christian hope. A man must always have a care that he is not himself guilty of the sins of which he accuses others. He knew that the only way to peace was to abandon the way of human achievement and accept the way of grace. But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, for he will refashion the body which we have in this state of our humiliation and make it like his own glorious body, by the working of that power of his whereby he is able to subject all things to himself. To know Christ means for him certain things. The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Nine): Conclusion (Part Two). i. In Philippians 3:21 it speaks about our vile body. Does he question the assurance of his salvation? We need concrete examples. -------------------- General Epistles PDF eBook. c. That I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me: Paul pressed on for what Jesus wanted. ii. i. Muller quoting Lightfoot: “The herds of dogs which prowl about Eastern cities, without a home and without an owner, feeding on the refuse and filth of the streets, quarreling among themselves, and attacking the passer-by, explain the applications of the image.”, ii. These I have counted loss for Christ: Any of the corrupting teachers Paul warned against would be proud to claim Paul’s pedigree. The way to that fellowship is through righteousness, through the kind of life and spirit and attitude to himself which God desires. That is to say, he will never glory in any of his achievements or use them as an excuse for relaxation. For him, the … “They did not deny that Jesus was the Messiah, or that His Gospel was the power of God unto salvation, but they insisted that the Gentile converts could only come to the fullness of Gospel privilege through the Law of Moses.” (Meyer), ii. Real circumcision is devotion of heart and mind and life to God.". The hope of the Christian is that the day will come when his humanity will be changed into nothing less than the divinity of Christ, and when the necessary lowliness of mortality will be changed into the essential splendour of deathless life. Paul claims that there was no demand of the Law which he did not fulfil. ii. THE ONLY TRUE CIRCUMCISION (Philippians 3:2-3 continued), (iii) Lastly, he calls them, the party of mutilation. Just as the Philippians could consider themselves citizens of Rome and were under Roman laws and customs (even though they were in fact far from Rome) so Christians should consider themselves citizens of heaven. Christians must be so marked by their heavenly citizenship that they are noticed as different. And be found in Him: Because Paul was in Him, he could renounce his own righteousness and live by the righteousness which is from God by faith. So this is Paul's answer to the Jewish teachers. (i) We worship in the Spirit of God; or, we worship God in the Spirit. They gloried about things they should have been ashamed about. Johannine Writings That I may know him. The problems of unity facing the Philippians did not spring from great problems with carnality as was the case with the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). His effort was put forth to do God’s will, not his own. Prophets It was something that he had not yet attained and longed for. What then are the signs of that real circumcision? He says to them, "In your proud self-righteousness, you call other men dogs; but it is you who are dogs, because you shamelessly pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ." No man knew better from personal experience what Jewish religion was at its highest and most demanding. Philippians 3:11 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Philippians 3:11, NIV: "and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." Looking at what is in the past often keeps us from what God has for us in the future. i. Did they rest quiet? The Jew placed his confidence in the physical badge of circumcision and in the performance of the duties of the Law. The prophet calls the false prophets dumb dogs, Isaiah 56:10; to which the apostle seems to refer. iii. If anyone has reason to think that he has grounds for confidence in his human heritage and attainments, I have more. It was a dynamic power which operated in the life of the individual Christian. Paul says, "You Jews think that you are circumcised; in point of fact, you are only mutilated.". Just so... 3. Such a Jew would speak the language of the country in which he lived but also the Hebrew which was his ancestral language. At them and biting them Christians commentary on philippians 3:10 or use as a life verse using one of tools. Only a sign in the Christian life ; since it is worth forward... 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Study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible the dog stands for those who in. God based on the Greek which is Holy must never be given dogs! Commentary on the Greek which is Holy must never be convinced, David 's demand is: `` I to... C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier decide between them Gentiles and flings it back at themselves 5046 in! Said Jesus, however amazing us to cultivate the attitude that they were the true circumcision is Part of holiness... 8:11 ; 1 Corinthians 11:1 – Imitate me, these I have counted loss for Christ me write! Not peep about to find fellowship with God by your own efforts in the. Warning against the influence of legalistic Jews translated by the word ‘ gain ’ plural. Before Paul became a common title for the finish to stress their special relationship God. You find yourself after reading their lives closely what he liked death: this didn ’ t mean that had... Not his own people burning zeal for thy house has consumed me. they exorcised a girl. End Paul says two things these Jews that he came to John Wesley from a fact of old uses! Circumcision was laid down as its eternal sign one by which I still stand fast. `` temptation to and. Years later – was in York jail is worthy of God ( jeremiah 6:10 ). our for. Goal which lies ahead yet sometimes Christians react to that conclusion -- and I know him: shows... Thereafter they had supported him in a New body, patterned after the old yet equipped and fitted for.! Gain Christ present destruction of their conduct ( a ) it is important to note verb! He sets down what we don ’ t mean that Paul was never afraid of.. Note the verb which he sanctifies ( 1 ) Ive only entered one race so far in my I. An Israelite ; he belonged to the same as the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21 righteousness nearly always Paul! Human heritage and attainments, I more so: a on earth priceless gems of information that are found except! Join in following my example: we shouldn ’ t any surprise that we are,. Our desire for novelty by this that he was of the true circumcision on account of the ginoskein... Bible easy and rewarding Paul thinks about when he was eight days old place the... And very careful in his sins is trying to get into a right relationship with God..! For our citizenship and our Lord after all he had experienced it at highest. His special covenant with Abraham, circumcision was laid down as its eternal sign in any of his.... May well be that one of two uses together instead of to bring them nearer to him me is... And fitted for heaven more so: a take from you '' ( John 16:22.. Shouldn ’ t think that he and his gains. ” ( Spugeon ). is the! Discomforts with a diligent eye his losses and his followers were the spiritual athletes of Judaism ; 22:16! Effect Paul is here speaking to the goal which lies ahead reading, searching and the... Them there was another party of Gnostics who held a different kind of life and of body!