Philippians 3:19 Disposed to the terrestrial

Whose consummation is destruction, whose god is their bowels and whose glory is in their shame, who to the terrestrial are disposed.

Four characteristics of “the enemies of the cross of Christ” are given here. Previously, Paul called these people “dogs,” “evil workers,” and “the maimcision” (3:2), and here the qualifications are far from flattering.

It is true that eventually every tongue will acknowledge Jesus as Lord (Phil. 2:10,11), but as enemies of the cross consummation is destruction. For a ‘evangel’ that is not an evangel has a divine anathema (Gal.1). The second characteristic of these enemies is that “their god is their bowels”. It is a sneer at the Judaizers who wanted to establish a religion among the nations in which the kitchen and kosher food are central (Col.2:16).

The third characteristic that Paul gives of these Judaizers is, “their glory is their shame.” This refers to promoting the circumcision of ‘goy’ men. It was an honor to circumcise the genitals of non-Jewish men. Paul disdainfully referred to this embarrassing practice as “the maimcision ” (3:2). And as a final characteristic he describes “the enemies of the cross of Christ” as “disposed to the terrestrial” (cf. Col. 2:20-3:2). In short, the resurrected Christ in heaven is misunderstood.

Delen: