In today’s passage, Paul is warning the Philippian Church against being led astray by some Jewish Christians that were using their identity as Jews to make it hard for non-Jews to be Christians. The key mark of identity for Jews was circumcision. Paul uses very strong words to describe them, “Watch out for those dogs, those mutilators of the flesh”, to indicate the seriousness of their error of putting confidence in the human achievements. These can destroy like a devouring dog. Let’s reflect on this.
First, matters contextual. Yesterday I highlighted the importance of taking note of context. In this passage you may ask, why would Paul use such strong terms to describe the Jews? Historical context reminds us that Philippi was a Roman colony. Most residents were non-Jewish, those whom the Jews called ‘gentiles’. Jews thought the gentiles were beneath them. On the other hand, the gentiles thought the Jews uncouth because of their ritual practices. Literary context also shows us that Paul was sending Timothy to Philippi. In Acts 16 we learnt that Timothy was only half Jewish. There was a possibility that some proper Jewish Christians would question his credibility as a messenger to speak to the church. Paul may have found it necessary to lend credibility to Timothy.
Secondly, matters devotional. Do you know the story of Samson in the book of Judges 13-15? It has to be one of the most tragic leadership stories in the Old Testament. God chose and anointed Samson to be a leader for his people even before he was born. Anointed in the Old Testament context simply means employment by God. God says there is a job to be done and you are the person to do it, whether to become a prophet or a king or leader. Now, Samson was employed and empowered by God to lead Israel in battles against their enemies, the Philistines. But Samson’s strength worked against him because it became a source of pride, indulgence, and irresponsibility.
I make Samson’s case to point us to the lesson that we can learn from today’s passage. Your achievements can be a threat to your walk with Christ. Paul's achievements as a Jew blinded him from knowing Christ untill that day that God confronted him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). A spiritual director once said to me, “Your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness”. The more I look at people with exceptional gifts, the more I see the truth in this wise priest’s counsel. For most faithful believers, it is not the big three sources of temptation (sex, money, power) that threaten our walk with Christ and our ministry. It is the credentials, the successes, the past victories in which we put our confidence. They become a source of pride and drive our hopes for the future. We have to be constantly vigilant of the motives of our hearts, aware of the scripture in Jeremiah 17: 9, “The heart is deceitful above things and beyond cure, who can understand it?”
As one wise Christian teacher put it, “in matters of the Christian walk, never to rest on you laurels”. If you think you are standing firm, watch out…
True to his character, Paul turns our eyes away from ourselves, to focus on Christ in the verses that follow. That is the subject of tomorrow’s reflection. In the meantime, would you reflect on what I have told you my spiritual director priest told me:
What is your greatest strength? How is that also your weakness and how will you guard your heart againist this weakness?
Please post your comments and reflections on the passage. You do not need an ID to do so.
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