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in the right spirit, God will reveal these things to such. However much we may have outstript others and to
whatever part of the course we may have arrived, let us go by the same rule, let us keep in mind what I have already
told you of my own course. You are to be `strivers together' for the faith, but not strivers with one another (Phil.
1:27; 2:3).
The apostle has, by his exhortation, thrown the believer back upon the example both of the Lord and of himself:
he now proceeds to enforce the need for observing this example both positively, `be followers together of me', and
negatively, `and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample' (Phil. 3:17). The words of verses 18 and
19 are a parenthesis, the whole passage being constructed as follows :
Examples
Positive. Be followers together of me ... us for an ensample.
A 17.
Negative. Mark them which walk.
B 17.
B 18,19. Negative. Their end - destruction.
A 20,21. Positive. Our citizenship is in heaven ... we shall be changed.
Five things are enumerated by the apostle when speaking of those whose example was to be avoided.
(1)
They were the enemies of the cross of Christ.
(2)
Their end was destruction.
(3)
Their god was their belly.
(4)
Their glory was in their shame.
(5)
They minded earthly things.
It is impossible to believe that a church of so high a spiritual standard as that of the Philippians could need a
solemn warning not to follow a worldly crowd, yet at first sight such a list as that given above does not seem of
possible application to a believer.
Let us examine them a little more closely, and let us start with the last named `who mind earthly things'. It will
be conceded after a moment's thought, that the unsaved man of the world has no option, he can mind nothing else.
Philippians 3:4-19 is a section complete in itself, and the word phroneo `mind' occurs in it as follows :
A 3:15-. As many as would be perfect (one thing, to hen verse 13) be thus minded.
B 3:-15. Otherwise (heteros) minded.
A 3:16. Whereto ... outstripped others ... mind the same thing (to auto).
B 3:19. Who mind earthly things (ta epigeia).
It will be seen that those who mind earthly things are in correspondence with those who think differently from
the apostle in his single eyed effort to attain the prize. `Earthly things' therefore need not mean things positively
sinful, but things that come in between the runner and his goal; `every weight' as Hebrews 12 suggests. `Earthly
things' are in the original ta epigeia (Phil. 3:19). `Things on the earth' are ta epi tes ges (Col. 3:2). `Earthly
things' are spoken of in John 3:12; James 3:15; 1 Corinthians 15:40; 2 Corinthians 5:1 and in Philippians 2:10 and
3:19. In each case, `earthly things' are set over against `heavenly', `from above' and `celestial'.
Those therefore who mind earthly things, are those who do not act in accordance with their heavenly citizenship
(Phil. 3:20) and whose example must be shunned by all who seek the prize of the high calling. The example of
Abraham, as set out in Hebrews 11:8-16, who desired a better country, `that is, an heavenly', can be added to that of
the apostle here. If the last of the list can describe those who are believers, let us return to the head of the list and
ponder again the dreadful words `the enemies of the cross of Christ'. James declares that friendship with the world
makes one the enemy of God (Jas. 4:4), and it will not be denied that such friendship is possible to a child of God.
One may become an enemy in the eyes of another by telling him unpalatable truth (Gal. 4:16), and enmity can be
exhibited and maintained by a middle wall of partition (Eph. 2:15). One may therefore by adopting some attitude
make oneself an enemy of the truth for which the cross of Christ stands. To many, the cross of Christ is seen only in
an evangelical light, the central testimony to unsaved sinners. To those who see no further than this aspect of the