We have been speaking in Phil. 3 of a testimony by Paul. He is answering a question raised by the Philippian Church but he has used himself, his false confidence, his passion to know Christ, to answer the question. But now he says, Therefore let us (v15) and Brethren, join in following my example (v17). What Paul has said of himself is to be normal for all believers; thus his testimony issues a challenge.
As is typical of Paul the challenge comes in two aspects: a challenge in the way we think (v15-16) followed by a challenge to the way we walk (v17-21). With respect to the former, Paul is not just calling us to an intellectual exercise. There is a word we have seen already in Philippians (it is used eleven times in eight verses including 2:5) that appears three times in v15-16: have this mind, if you think otherwise, be of the same mind. It is interesting because Thayer (lexicon) says the term comes from a root that refers to the midriff or diaphragm, the parts about the heart. It thus sees the mind as the faculty of perception. Thus Paul is addressing what I call the mindset; it is how we see things about us. In Phil. 4:10 the word is used twice and translated care in the NKJV. The Philippians really cared about Paul; this was their mindset. Here he is saying we must care about what he cares about: the upward call of God since none of us has yet arrived at (same word Paul used in v11) the goal of Jesus’ resurrected life.
With respect to our walk we first need to choose the right example to follow (v17-19). Example is critical to mindset. Paul says follow my example, using us for a pattern. Avoid the example of the hogs (remember this is where we started in Phil. 3: dogs and hogs). The hogs are those who worship their belly, meaning they do what they feel like doing. Their mindset revolves around earthly things and we should be very clear: they are enemies of the cross of Christ. It’s the philosophy of the Greek world and very much the American world: do what feels good. In those worlds it is the only way people perceive they can be happy. Thus many walk this way (v18).
But we are not Greeks or even Americans in terms of mindset. We are strangers in this world. Our whole mindset must come from our citizenship: we are not at home here but are at home in heaven. Remember how important this is to the Philippians: as a colony of Rome they had a special standing with the emperor: he was their Savior (yes, the emperor used this very term). But Paul urges them (and us) to think of ourselves as having another Savior. We are not just fooling ourselves; it is a fact! We do not worship our belly (do what we feel like doing); we depend on Christ. We do not set our minds on earthly things; we set our minds above where Christ is, the One who will someday come for us. Christ will subdue all things to Himself, a subjection that will come about when this body we have now will be transformed into a body like His. What a powerful encouragement this is to stand fast in the Lord.
What is your mindset? Are you consumed by earthly things? Or is your citizenship in heaven? Who is your Savior?
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