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following his Lord. Immediately "the death, even the death of a cross" is reached, then
come the words, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him", and He Who stooped to
the bond-servant's place, walked and lived and died as a man, Who suffered the most
awful and shameful of deaths, He is to receive universal homage and adoration. The
sequel, rather, the very reason for the introduction of this marvellous theme at all, follows
in verse 12, "So that, my beloved. . . . work out your own salvation". The salvation is
already certain. The "working out" of it is the question that is now before them.
In chapter 3:, where the next reference is found, Paul shows how he in some degree
follow in the steps of Christ. He enumerates his gains and losses, and tells us that he
reached out for a prize. He calls upon the Philippians to consider his example and his
walk:--
"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, they
are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end destruction, whose god the belly, whose
glory in their shame, who mind earthly things."
These are terrible words, spoken apparently of some who at least had made some
profession of faith. The apostle would have no need to draw attention to his walk as
contrasted with the world, or the unbeliever. The close relation between the words of the
original for "destruction" and "loss" suggests the teaching that these believers, whose
affection for earthly things made them enemies of the cross, would "suffer loss", which
would be in exact contrast tot he apostle who, having fellowship with the sufferings and
shame of his Lord, was running for the prize. Close parallels to this are found in
I Cor. 3: and Heb. 10:, 11:, where "perdition" (Heb. 10: 39) is used in connection with
those who "draw back", and where a similar line of teaching is intended. The severe
words, "whose end destruction", should be considered with other warnings uttered to
believers, e.g., "He that soweth with a view to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap
corruption" (Gal. 6: 8); see contextual reference to the cross (6: 12-14) and "crucify"
(5: 24), all in connection with the believer's relation to the flesh. Phil. 3: indeed leads
us to see that what the circumcision meant in type, the cross means in reality.
"We are the circumcision, which worship God in spirit, and boast in Christ Jesus, and
have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3: 3).
This could not be said of those referred to in verse 19. When it is remembered that
circumcision was introduced after the great unconditional covenant was made with
Abraham, that it was essential for every one coming up out of the wilderness to be
circumcised before entering the land of promise, its typical teaching is still further
perceived. That the spiritual circumcision of the believer is connected with the cross of
Christ Col. 2: will show.
"In whom also ye are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in putting
off the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ. . . . the uncircumcision of your
flesh. . . . blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, having put off the
principalities and the powers, He made a public exhibition of them, triumphing over them
in it."