“Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.” Philippians 3:2 ESV
Reflection: are we to accept everyone who walks into our church?
The topic of inclusion and acceptance is clearly very complicated. But it also seems so misapplied and even weaponized in some instances, especially when it comes to the church; to a group of believers who actively fellowship together, support each other in a Christian walk. We can understand that a company should operate merit-based, not allow hiring and compensation practices to be based on anything but the capabilities and contribution of their employees. Because the focus, the common purpose of the company is the health of their business. The company is not there for any other purpose than for their business, which of course includes their products, customers and employees.
But clearly a group of people who have decided to come together based on a common purpose around a set of beliefs and faith, must be ruled by their common beliefs and faith; very different than running a business (of course, unless the church operates as a business, which is a whole other discussion). If a new person with different beliefs, is allowed to join and partake in the fellowship of the other believers, we can easily see that it can create a conflict within the body. Either the new person adopts the same beliefs as the body and they all remain united, or the body starts adopting the beliefs of the new person which can cause a big conflict and even division. Because their common purpose is their beliefs, their faith. And, many churches have seen their core beliefs erode and change over the past decades, losing members, being split and becoming completely ineffective.
In our focus verse today, Paul gives a strong warning to the believers, the church in Philippi. And he mentions three unique, different types of people to look out for. The first group he refers to as “dogs”, which seems derogatory. Offensive, perhaps. But if we look at the original Greek here, the word means “someone of an impure mind”. Impurity, an issue then and an issue now. We see that all over in churches today, where there can be little difference at times between a body of believers and any secular club of the world. The second group Paul mentions is “evildoers”, which also can be translated to be those who are “destructive, wicked”. There again, we see some people in churches who seem to intentionally create division and conflict over anything, destroying relationships and well functioning Christian groups.
And the third group Paul mentions are “those who mutilate the flesh”. Who is he referring to here? In those days, they struggled with those who still claimed “righteousness by the law”, which included physical circumcision as a key element. An external “proof” of separation from the gentiles. Paul continues “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”Philippians 3:3-6 ESV.
And Paul has to make a very strong point here, comparing himself with this last group he is telling the Philippians to look out for, those who are claiming righteousness by “external means”. He says that if anyone could claim this, it would be him, as he gives his spotless pedigree. But then he concludes “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11 ESV
Our righteousness is only through faith in Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Nothing else. Notice the value Paul puts on “knowing Christ Jesus”. It is everything to him; all else is loss.
So what is the message here for us today? First, the value of knowing Jesus Christ is everything. We must protect that above all else. And we can also do that by looking out for those who are promoting impurity, those who are causing division, those who promote a focus on “religion” by rituals, rules, symbols, etc, among the body of believers. This is such an important topic for so many churches today. Many are afraid of standing on what the Bible is teaching, afraid of offending someone. But Paul gave us a very clear warning here, who to look out for so that we can address it within the body. The body, the bride of Christ, is to be pure.