Christians should look different. That’s the essence of Paul’s message to the Christians in the city of Philippi in Philippians 3:17–21. Paul has told them about the model they follow (v. 17), about the mortals they avoid (vv. 18–19), and now he’s going to tell them about the manner they live (vv. 20–21). In previous weeks we’ve learned that an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ embraces God’s word (2 Tim 3:16–17), Now we are learning that an authentic disciple embodies God’s kingdom (Phil 3:17–21).
Paul writes, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil 3:20–21, NASB).[1]
Let’s look at the expression, “For our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20a).Paul says we are in the world, yet not of the world. It’s like saying you’re in the boat, but not touching the water.[2] This word for “citizenship” is the Greek word, politeuma.[3] It’s only used one time in the New Testament and can be translated as “commonwealth,” “government,” or “state.”[4] This noun is similar to the word used as a verb in Philippians 1:27a, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ” (NLT, emphasis mine).
The idea of citizenship is a metaphor that the Philippians[5] would have understood.[6] Many residents of Philippi were patriotic veterans of the army.[7]
After having been destroyed by wars it was rebuilt by Emperor Octavian who established it as a military outpost, populated the city with veterans of his wars, made it a Roman colony, and gave it what was called, ius italicum, which was one of the highest privileges attainable by provincial municipality.[8] The people living in Philippi were Roman citizens living in a foreign land 800 miles away from Rome.[9]
Thus far we’ve looked at the expression Paul uses about citizenship. Next let’s look at the expectations his followers have. Paul writes, “from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20b). This eager expectation is a common theme in other parts of the New Testament. Several writers tell us about the second coming of Christ and how we are to eagerly await him (Rom 8:23; 1 Thess 1:9–10; 4:16–18; 2 Pet 3:11). We’re taught to wait patiently yet expectantly.[10]
Now that we’ve read Paul’s expression and expectation, we next see his explanation, “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil 3:21).
Paul explains our situation,“the body of our humble state.” That phrase could literally be translated as “body of our humiliation.” That phrase refers to how our bodies are subjected to disease, decay, and death due to sin. But this will be changed at the resurrection of believers (Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 6:14; 15:50-53).
Paul explains our transformation, “who will transform . . . into conformity with the body of His glory.” All believers will have to undergo a change in order to inherit God’s eternal kingdom. Those alive at Christ’s second coming as well as those who have died will experience this transformation. The late Greek scholar A.T. Robertson has written, “The body of our state of humiliation will be made suitable to associate with the body of Christ’s glory.”[11] As Pastor Mark Hitchcock says, “We’ll get an airlift and a facelift.”[12] We will have a body like Jesus Christ’s resurrected body.
Philippians 3:20–21 teaches us that as Christians we distinguish our lifestyle from the lifestyle of the world. Did you notice the contrast between those who are worldly in Philippians 3:18–19 with those who are heavenly in Philippians 3:20–21?
This is one of the most important articles I’ve written in our series on discipleship. If there is one thing that hurts the church it’s this: when Christians don’t live like Christians. Paul’s message tells us that if we are followers of Christ then we should act like Christ acted. And Christ acted very different than the culture of his day. We too, are called to act different than the world we live in today.
So let’s review.[13] Paul has given us descriptions of the worldly person in Philippians 3:18–19. These people are enemies of the cross, they are on a path to destruction, their appetite is their god, their glory is their shame, and they set their minds on worldly things.
Conversely, Paul has also given us directions for the heavenly person in Philippians 3:20–21. In these verses we learn several things.
First, heavenly people are embracers of the cross. We accept the gift of salvation of what Christ did for us, and we live in a way that honors his sacrifice.
Second, heavenly people are on a path to salvation. We walk with the Holy Spirit growing in Christlikeness all the time. We live in a sacrificial way in order to honor his sacrifice.
Third, heavenly people have God as our appetite. We desire what God desires. We desire what honors him. What pleases him pleases us.
Fourth, heavenly people mourn over our shame. When we do shameful things we feel the shame that rightly comes into our lives not just because of what sin does to us, but because of what sin does to others and to God.
Fifth, heavenly people set our minds on heavenly things. We don’t live for today, but we look for Christ coming. He’ll return and change us.
These are just a small sample of the things the New Testament teaches us to do as citizens of heaven on earth. Being a member of the kingdom requires that we live like a member of the kingdom.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion:
- Was there a time in your life when you lived as an enemy of the cross?
- What was it that changed you?
- Which of these “heavenly people” descriptions does not describe you? How can you change that?
- Which of these “heavenly people” descriptions does describe you? How did you achieve this?
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Christopher L. Scott is a pastor and author of the book, Walking Straight When Life Goes Sideways: Essential Christian Truths for Enduring Life’s Trials (Wipf and Stock). He provides hundreds of free articles, videos, and Bible study resources at his website ChristopherLynnScott.com.
[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
[2] John 17:14-16; 1 Cor 7:29-34; 1 Peter 2:11.
[3] The word used in this manner “is not so much a reference to their citizenship, nor even their status as a ‘colony’; it should be understood in terms of their metropolis or capital city, which lists its members among its citizens. It is a community of foreign nationals (foreigners to paganism) with a threefold meaning: (a) local (the politēs has ties to a place, a city)—our politeuma is in heaven; (b) political—like every analagous civitas, conferring liberty and equality on all its members, full rights; (c) constitutional and legal—exclusive dependency on the supreme authority of the Kyrios, Jesus,” Ceslas Spicq and James D. Ernest, Theological Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994), 131.
[4] A word-study resource I regularly use states that in the “strict sense of the word, a politeuma is an organization of citizens from the same place, with the same rights (isonomoi) in the midst of a foreign state,” Spicq and Ernest, Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, 130.
[5] The city of Philippi was old and historic when Paul was addressing them. The city had been built by Philip of Macedon in 358-357 BC. It was one of the main stations along the main overland route that connected Rome and the East.
[6] The Philippians were “proud of their city, proud of their ties with Rome, and proud to observe Roman customs and obey Roman laws, proud to be Roman citizens,” Hawthorne, “Philippians, Letter to the” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993),707.
[7] A.A. Rupprecht, “Legal System, Roman” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, 548.
[8] Hawthorne, “Philippians, Letter to the” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, 707.
[9] With that historical background in mind, I think we can read the same phrase in a fresh way, “For our citizenship is in heaven.” One commentary says that this word, “citizenship” describes “one’s behavior as a citizen of a nation. Paul is encouraging us to have the spiritual mind, and he does this by pointing out the characteristics of the Christian whose citizenship is in heaven. Just as Philippi was a colony of Rome on foreign soil, so the church is a ‘colony of heaven’ on earth,” Warren Wiersbe, Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 92.
[10] The Greek word used here, apekdechomai, is also used in Romans 8:23. While different words are used, the idea is the same in 2 Peter 3:11, 12; 1 Thess 1:9–10; 4:16–18.
[11] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Philippians 3:21. Also see 1 Corinthians 15:54.
[12] Mark Hitchcock, “Walk This Way” (Philippians 3:17-21), Faith Bible Church, Edmond, OK, November 19, 2017. https://faithbibleok.subspla.sh/g66f5x5. Accessed Jan 13, 2024.
[13] The following section is adapted from Charles Swindoll, Insights on Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, vol. 9 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2017), 78.