There are many things in life we are taught that we should avoid. Don’t speed when driving a car. Don’t eat highly processed foods. Don’t spend more money than you make. Those are all good advice for life. Scripture teaches us that there are activities we should avoid, and that there are people we should avoid too. That’s the message Paul sends in Philippians 3:18–19.
In Philippians 3:17 Paul taught us (as Christians) that we need a model to follow. Now in Philippians 3:18–19 he gives us caution about mortals to avoid. We might say that Philippians 3:18–19 gives the reasons for the exhortation of Philippians 3:17. Paul tells us that there are people we need to avoid and that Christians always need to be cautious about what they read and hear.
Paul writes, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil 3:18, NASB).[1] Paul calls these people,“enemies of the cross of Christ,” and had previously warned the Philippians about these people, “I often told you.” When you read Paul’s letters and his activity in the book of Acts, you see that he often warned about false teachers.[2]
While there was a past warning given, now there is a present warning given, “now [I] tell you even weeping.”[3] The participle, “weeping,” is connected to the verb, “tell you.” This combination reveals to us the manner in which Paul spoke to the Philippians: sadness. Paul wept as he warned the Philippians because of the harm these people do.
In addition to a past and present warning, there also was a problem. Perhaps the believers in Philippi that Paul had discipled were drifting from the truth. Perhaps these false teachers were strong leaders that were beginning to throw their weight around.
These “enemies of the cross”[4]probably were not members of the church because Paul would not have included these people in his glowing thanksgiving of Philippians 1:4–8.[5]
Based on this information, I believe these likely were people that professed to be Christians since they are connected to Christ’s saving death, but did not possess Christ as Lord in their lives. The things they proclaimed about Christ showed that they did not possess Christ in their lives. In addition to that, Philippians 3:19 reveals the behavior of these people has made them enemies of the cross. These people demonstrate by the way they behave what they believe.
Paul writes more about these people, “whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Phil 3:19). This verse reveals four short curt expressions of the character and destiny of Paul’s enemies.
We first learn about their goal, “whose end is destruction.” They are headed for eternal damnation because they have rejected the cross of Christ.
We next learn about their god, “whose god is their appetite.” This is the deep self-centeredness in which their desires come first. These enemies of the cross only think of their physical desires. In some way perhaps they have failed to put their old life to death. Maybe they claim to embrace the cross of Christ while also enjoying the sins of their life prior to Christ.
Then we learn about the glory they desire, “whose glory is in their shame.”They prided themselves in the things they should have been ashamed of. The combination of words here describes a shameful conduct that has excess, especially sexually.[6]
Lastly we learn about their guide, “who set their minds on earthly things.”They have set their minds on the things of this life. As they “set their minds”to earthly things it depicts their mental attitude, their basic aims, and their inward disposition to earthly things. In other words, they focus on the earthly sphere of sin (Rom 8:5-6).
Philippians 3:18–19 teaches us that we need to discern what we read and hear. This, essentially, is what Paul is doing here in this letter. He’s discerning how these“enemies of the cross” conduct themselves.
This is hard because enemies of the cross sometimes look like us. They might use some of the same language such as “salvation” or “faith” or “repentance.” Yet as we learn more, we learn they don’t mean the same things that we mean.
For example, Mormons will talk about “Scripture” or the “Trinity.” Mormons will use words like “grace” and “faith.” But the more you talk with Mormons about those terms the more you realize those terms have vastly different meaning by Mormons than how we as Christians use them. We need discernment because they used the same terms we use, but they don’t mean the same thing.
When we hear sermons in church, read Christian books, or listen to messages on podcasts we should always be discerning and be aware of false teaching that might lead us astray. There’s a quote I’ve had in my files for a while that seems fitting for this topic, “Every car with a Christian bumper sticker is not necessarily occupied by Christians. Every neck wearing a cross is not necessarily a redeemed neck.”[7] Because of that Christians need to discern what they read and hear. We do this by filtering what we hear and read through the Scriptures God has given us and the theology the church has preserved for us.
Paul encouraged his audience to do that, and may we too heed that same advice as we interact with the people around us.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
- What have you learned from identifying and avoiding enemies of the cross?
- Are there people in your life that might fit the description of “enemies of the cross?”
- How can you (or should you) try to avoid them?
- Have you ever been an “enemy” of the cross and how did you change?
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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] Paul often warned about the dangers of false teachers (Phil 3:1). He possibly did this while he was there in Philippi ministering, through letters we don’t have, or through Epaphroditus’ unofficial comments not in print. This was similar to what he did for the believers in the city of Ephesus (Acts 20:19, 28-30, 31).
[3] In Acts 20:31 there he says he was weeping too.
[4] As we read about these people it’s important that we remember that Paul and his readers knew who these people were, but us reading 2,000 years later don’t know. One commentator, JJ Gunther, listed eighteen different scholarly suggestions about who these people might be. Peter O’Brien, Philippians (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans, 1991), 27.
[5] These enemies of the cross might be the same group Paul has labeled as having wrong motives in preaching (Phil 1:15-17), Paul’s opponents headed for destruction (Phil 1:27–28), those Paul calls dogs of evil work (Phil 3:2), or the people Paul calls libertines or antinomians (Phil 3:18–19).
[6] Peter O’Brien, Philippians (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans, 1991), 456–457.
[7] John MacArthur, “Traits of a True Believer, part 1” (John 13:31–38), https://www.gty.org/sermons/43-70/traits-of-a-true-believer-part-1.