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but `fellow citizens'. One's conversation or manner of life is nowhere in
view in these passages. Philippians 3:20 supplements Ephesians by saying
`Our citizenship is in heaven'.
We learn from Acts 16:12 that Philippi was the chief city of that part
of Macedonia, and a colony. A Roman colony was a state or city that had most
if not all the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship, with one obvious
difference, these Romans were not actually in Rome itself. The Philippians
therefore would fully appreciate the apostle's suggestion, that they too were
citizens of heaven, only for the time being they were not actually in heaven
itself.
In Philippians those who were running with the prize of the high
calling in view, were warned against those whose god was their belly, who
minded earthly things, who were the enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil.
3:17 -19). The Colossians, with the same reward and prize in view (as we
have seen by the word that is used in Col. 2:18) are warned, not so much
against the gross sins mentioned in Philippians 3, but the more insidious
invasion of philosophy, the traditions of men, the rudiments of the world.
Where the Philippians were to avoid those whose god was their belly, the
Colossians were warned about a foolish undispensational abstinence. `Let no
man therefore judge you in meat or in drink ... if ye be dead with Christ
from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye
subject to ordinances, Touch not, taste not, handle not'. Self may be served
whether by grossness or abstemiousness `Not in any honour to the satisfying
of the flesh'. The remedy and the only true satisfaction is as Colossians 3
continues, `Set your affection on things above', or as Philippians 3
concludes, `From whence also we look for the Saviour'.
According to Ephesians 1:4 the believer has been chosen that he shall
be holy and without blemish, he is to be presented `holy and without blemish'
(Eph. 5:27) to which is added `Not having spot, or wrinkle or any such
thing'. A further addition to this most wonderful condition is found in
Colossians 1:22.
`In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable (without blemish) and unreproveable in His sight'.
The word `blameless' or `without blemish' looks to the character of
both offering and priest; it has a Temple context. The word translated
`unreproveable' anengkletos `not called in question' is a law court term as
can be seen by referring to Acts 19:38,40; 23:28,29 and most blessedly in
Romans 8:33 `Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?'; Ephesians
gives us the temple acceptance, Colossians adds the law court term, free from
any possibility of being called in question even at the bar of God!
The central feature of the Unity of the Spirit is `One Lord'. While
the Lordship of Christ is stressed in the companion epistle to the
Colossians, it is to Philippians that we turn to discover Who this `one Lord'
really is:
`That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father' (Phil. 2:10,11).