“Watch Out What You Hold To”

INTRODUCTION.

Philippians 3:1–11 NASB95

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

remaining steadfast in the faith and joy of the Gospel.

Mostly Roman people.

Little Jewish people.

probably no synagogue.

Prison Epistle.

MESSAGE.

I. BEWARE OF SELF. (The False Worshipers

Dog - metaphor

wild animal roamed in packs

unclean

used derogatory.

Jewish used it of Gentiles that did obey the dietary laws.

Paul is turning it around and using against the Judaizers.

Evil doers - metaphor

Jewish people used - The Gentiles that rejected God and the Torah.

Paul using it as the true evil doers was not the Gentiles but those who undermined the sanctity of the Gospel of Christ.

False circumcision / mutilation / KLJV concision

worthless self act. (writing about non-Jews circumcision for purpose of conversion. (What Christ has done is sufficient.)

Judaizers. - Telling people they had to live like the Jewish to be Christians.

Teaching that one must be circumcised to be a Christian.

II. BEWARE OF SELF.

III.

CONCLUSION.