The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 130

I. CoNBIDER THE JEWS FALSEI,Y 80 OALLBD. (Ver. 2.) The custom of the Jews in their pride, was to regard themselves as children at God's table and all others as only "d?gs" below it_ (Matt. xv. ~6). Paul r?verses the figure, and has no hesitation in sayrng that the r1tuahsts of his day, that 1s, the Jews who were preaching salvation by e,eremonics, were only the" dogs" below the table, while believers in Jesus were the children at the feast. Moreover, as the dogs in the East are often captious scavengers, the Jews he here calls dogs were to be avoided by the Philippian converts just as 0110 would avoid dangerous dogs. That he is not too severe in this judgment he shows by asserting that they have been "evil-workers." What had the history of the Judaizers been but t-hat of" marplots "? They had done evil instead of good all through the infant Churches, turning the young converts away from the simplicity that was in Christ.. Not only so, but the circumcision which they practised and sought to enforce was only "conci,;ion" (1e=11.-o,.,f), i.e. mere m:utilation. For once a man assigns a false ,·aluc to a bloody rite like circumcision, and fancies he cnn contribute to his salvation by subjecting himself to the knife, he is merely mutilating the body and not benefiting the soul 'l'hese are not " the people of God," therefore, they are "Jews" only in name, who go about substituting ceremony-keer,ing for the faith as it is in Christ. II. Co1'"SIDKR WHO A.RE THE TRUE JEws. (Ver. 3.) Paul states very succinctly the characterutics of the trne people of God. Those are truly circumcised ('r,p,.-o,.,f) who have been so circumcised in heart as t.o worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesw;, and have no confidence in the fiesh. Let us t.ake these up in the reverse order. 1. The true people of God have !Ji- u p ~ in Uiejlesh. They have seen that no incision in the flesh can render them acceptable to the Supreme; that no physical breeding can secme a prize in the greai day of jnd,,,ament; that nothing that they are or c-an be er cio can tcia acceptance before God. Self has ceased t.o be the µoond , f coofide:ioe.. 2. The true people of God rrjuiDe ia <JArm Jesua-rejw;e in him aa ,i.eir Lord. (Ten.. I. 3..) Self having ceased to be a groond of confidence or source c•: _i.:,y, Jesus has became die iroe Soan:e. Pardon and acceptance are seen to be sc:-.:-::..-ec. in i:im., allli in his kllo..-ship there is an onfailing fountain of delights. Ont o: me i:J::..'.sibie COIIles a joy unspeakable and foll of glory. We rejoice in him as all ,"\Ur Sai:ntion anci. all our Desire. 3. The true people of God UKTT'Ship Uie Faiher in 5prii. T.nii; cimerenliates them from the formalists, whose delight and hope are in ceremonies. The Father, as an infinite spirit, can, we come t.o see, be approached acceptahly only by oor spirit&. The bodily genufiexioos, which go t.o make up the formaliJ.ies, cannot be accounU'd worship. Unless the spirit moves reverentially within, all the fomiality is vain. The spirit, moreover, as we have just seen, realizes that it cannot be accepted by the Supreme on e.ccount of any supposed personal merit, but solely on accoont of the merit of the Lord Jesus. 'l'he worship which pleases the Father is the joyful worship which has its source in his Son. 'l'he outcome of felt ,,b!i!!&tion unto Jesus, it becomes fragrant in the nostrils of the Most High. Thus the spiritual Jews are made manifest. They gather spiritually minded around the feet of the great J<'ather and adore him.-R. :M. E. • Vere. 4-7.-Pride of bilrth and breeding. Having touched on the subject of self- confi<lence, Paul can quote his own experience on the point. ~or ~ny years ~e thought he mia-ht plume himself even more than other men on hlB pedigree and his personal power~ He had lived in the haze of self-satisfaction, and could quote a genealogy and personal record second to none. It becomes amusing in a Pharisee of the first century, and yet we have people who are just as ridiculous in their pride of birth and of breeding in the nineteenth century, It is surely worth a moment's analysis. L No IU.TI'EB now WELL BOBN OB BBED .A JUN MAY BE, IT CONIITITUTEB NOT BIB HEBIT BUT ws OBLIGATION. Paul was a thorough-bred Jew, aad fancied this fact should save him. But whatever good we receive through inheritance is not our merit; it simply increases our obligation. It is a confu8ion of thought, therefore, to suppose that tLe Supreme will save any man because of the accident of his birth or his breed- ing. We Bhall be called to accoUDt for these advantages, and they should minister to humility and fear rather than to pride. 11. EXY.UTlONS TO SECURE .A BEJ:'UTATlO!f, INSTEAD OF TO l]l,onurv Gop, lNOJl!U1B8 OJI, lll, 1-21.] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 129