Sermon Series: Philippians, Part 18
The Ledger of Life
Philippians 3:4-14, Part 1 (3:4-8d)
[Audio
file on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/Philippians34-14]
4 Though I might also have confidence in the
flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of
the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal,
persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law,
blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss
for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any
means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as
though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after,
if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Introduction:
We must bear in mind especially the
three verses that preceded this paragraph, and most of all, the carmen Christi in 2:6-11.
Transition:
The positive examples that preceded
concerning Timothy and Epaphroditus are now contrasted with the negative
example Paul makes of himself. For it is here, in these verses, that we read of
Paul following the example of Jesus Christ in making himself of no reputation.
Outline:
I. The Carnal Confidence Challenge (3:4)
II. The Apostle Paul’s Curriculum
Vitae (3:5-6)
III. The Eternal Balance Sheet (3:7-8d)
IV. The Two Main Motivations (3:8e-10)
V. The Ongoing Singular Task (3:11-14)
I. The Carnal Confidence Challenge (3:4)
4 Though I might also have confidence in the
flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I more:
1. The Wrong Basis for Confidence
2. The Thrown Gauntlet for Competition
1. The Wrong Basis for Confidence
Though
I might also have confidence in the flesh.
Notice the phrase “in the flesh” which is repeated twice in this
verse.
What is meant by “the flesh” in this context?
What do you usually think of when this term is used?
Is that what is intended here?
What Paul means by the phrase in this context is defined by his
focus in verses 5-6.
Flesh
here carries the signification of “humanly speaking,” or “what is possible for
the natural man.”
2. The Thrown Gauntlet for Competition
If
any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I
more:
Any takers?
In a league of his own!
Raising the bar as high as it can be humanly raised!
Keeping up with the Joneses next door? Keeping up with Paul in the
Word of God!
II. The Apostle Paul’s Curriculum
Vitae (3:5-6)
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an
Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning
zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law,
blameless.
Paul’s Sevenfold C.V.
1. His Lineage (3:5a-d)
2. His Life (3:5e-6)
1. His Lineage (3:5a-d)
1. His Lineage (3:5a-d)
1) Circumcised the eighth day
Descendants of Ishmael were circumcised, but at age 13.
Gentile converts to Judaism, known as proselytes, were circumcised
as adults.
2) of the stock of Israel
3) of the tribe of Benjamin
4) an
Hebrew of the Hebrews
2. His Life (3:5e-6)
This is another one of those examples of one a verse division was
ill-advised.
5) as touching the law, a Pharisee
6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church
7) touching the righteousness which is in the
law, blameless
Living up to his lineage!
2 Cor. 11:22 — Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so
am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Rom. 11:1 — I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.
For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Acts 22:3 — I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a
city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and
taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was
zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
Acts 23:6 — But when Paul perceived that the 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: of the hope and resurrection
of the dead I am called in question.
Acts 26:5 — Which knew me from the beginning, if they would
testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
When the Gospel comes to the door of modern day Romanists,
Anglicans, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Presbyterians what is communicated as
the basis for their confidence?
What about the “blue bloods,” the DAR, those who came over on the
Mayflower?
Where is our “pedigree”?
Let’s see your papers!
III. The Eternal Balance Sheet (3:7-8d)
7 But what things were gain to me, those I
counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung,
1. This is a Lose-Win Proposition
2. This is a Shocking Estimation
1. This is a Lose-Win Proposition
Winning and losing: gain —
loss — loss — win
doubtless —
cp. 1 Cor. 9:2; 2 Cor. 12:1
Lk. 14:33 — So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not
all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
2. This is a Shocking Estimation
count
loss — count dung
“rubbish” (NKJV, NASB, ESV), “filth” (HCSB, NIV), “garbage” (NLT),
“refuse” (YLT)[1]
How high can you pile it?
Harry Truman and “manure”:[2] “Harry
Truman made a speech at the Washington Garden Club. He praised the ladies for
the good "manure" that used to fertilize the flowers. One of them
asked Harry's wife, Bess if she could make him stop using such a vulgar word as
"manure", especially since he was the President of the United States.
She replied, "Heavens no. It took me 25 years to get him to say
'manure.'"”
— Jack Le Moine, “Truman’s Manure” (5 MAR 2011), on What’s Happening at History Moments at http://historymoment.blogspot.com/2011/03/truman-manure.html
[accessed 22 APR 2017].
Other examples on the Scriptures of distastefully graphic imagery:
Is. 64:6 — But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away.
Gal. 5:12 — I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
2 Pet. 2:22 — But it is happened unto them according to the true
proverb, The dog is turned to his own
vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Acts 14:19 — (at Lystra) “And there came thither certain Jews from
Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew
him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.”
Note: The significance of this is that they did not bury him. They
would not have thrown him just anywhere, but on the rubbish heap, for the dogs
to eat.
Why? For what? For the “credit” side of the “balance sheet,” the
“ledger of life”!
for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord
All else suffers this estimation by comparison!
Jer. 9:23-24 — 23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise
man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not
the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory
in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which
exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in
these things I delight, saith the LORD.
[Sermon preached 23 APR 2017 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at
Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]
Complete
Outline:
I. The Carnal Confidence Challenge (3:4)
1. The Wrong Basis for Confidence
2. The Thrown Gauntlet for
Competition
II. The Apostle Paul’s Curriculum
Vitae (3:5-6)
1. His Lineage
2. His Life
III. The Eternal Balance Sheet (3:7-8d)
1. This is a Lose-Win Proposition
2. This is a Shocking Estimation
End Notes:
[1]
For uses of this word in a wide variety of extra-biblical sources see
especially Gary T. Manning Jr., “Did
the Apostle Paul Use Profanity?” (1 OCT
2015), on the Good Book blog at http://www.thegoodbookblog.com/2015/oct/01/did-the-apostle-paul-use-profanity/
[accessed 24 APR 2017].
[2] BIEMILLER:
“[snip] Also, another thing I ran into in that campaign that struck me as
stupidity on the part of the Republicans. They were circulating a story about
Harry Truman that they thought was going to make him look bad and it
boomeranged. The story goes that Harry and Bess and their daughter go to visit
[61] one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the United States, just one bed,
after another and each one is better than the last one. Harry finally turns to
the owner and says, "Gee, tell me, what kind of manure do you use to get
roses like this?" Whereupon, as the story goes, the daughter pipes up and
says, "Father, you shouldn't say manure, you should say fertilizer."
And Bess says, "You keep your big nose out of this, it's taken me 20 years
to get him to say manure." Now, why anybody thought that story would
backfire on Harry, I don't know. I think, again, it made him into just a plain,
ordinary, down to earth human being. There's hardly a guy in this country that
doesn't occasionally say "[expletive deleted]" or something like
that.
FUCHS: That's interesting, because I've heard the
story [62] of course, but I've never heard it in this context. It was part of
the campaign?
BIEMILLER: The Republicans were using it in the
campaign. Yes, the story pops up in various forms, but that was the way they
were using it, at least in Wisconsin that's the way they were using it. The
Republicans were telling the story thinking they were going to get people mad
at Harry Truman. I loved it when I first ran into it. I said, "Boy, tell
it some more. Let them tell it to everybody, particularly farmers."”
— “Oral History Interview with Andrew J. Biemiller,
Washington, D.C., July 29, 1977, by James R. Fuchs,” pp. 60-62; on Harry S. Truman Library & Museum at https://www.trumanlibrary.org/oralhist/biemiller.htm
[accessed 22 APR 2017].
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