YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → Philippians 3 | The Upward Way | Bible Study with A. Z. Adams

Philippians 3 | The Upward Way | Bible Study with A. Z. Adams — Transcript

by Heritage Press · 2,495 words · 355 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00So in the previous chapter we discussed
0:02how we're supposed to let this mind be
0:06in us which was in Christ Jesus
0:09which in short humbled itself to be used
0:13by God in the expressions that Paul uh
0:18identifies. Let this mind be in you
0:20which was in Christ Jesus humbled
0:22himself by becoming obedient taking on
0:25the form of a servant. For this reason,
0:28God highly exalted him. And he says, "So
0:30then, my beloved, just as you've been
0:33obedient when I was present, now much
0:35more work out your own salvation with
0:38fear and trembling. For it is God who is
0:40at work in you." And the whole point is,
0:42if you humble yourself to have this
0:44servant attitude of Christ, then God can
0:47work in you as he worked in Christ. And
0:50that's the point. He says that you've
0:53got to face your trials without
0:55grumbling or complaining so that you can
0:56be blameless and pure children of God.
0:59In chapter 3, he starts with the word
1:03finally. Philippians 3:1, finally, my
1:07brethren, rejoice in the Lord. And this
1:09has been a command 16 times in this
1:12small book. He tells us to rejoice. And
1:15the whole point is do not let your joy
1:17be circumstantial. Let it be based on
1:21the truth. Let it be based on your
1:23relationship with God and not the trial
1:25that you're facing. Finally, my
1:27brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write
1:30the same thing again is no trouble to me
1:33and it is a safeguard for you. So, he's
1:36acknowledging, I've already told you
1:37this, but I'm writing it and I'm trying
1:39to protect you with this command to
1:42rejoice in the Lord. Beware of the dogs.
1:47Beware of the evil workers. Beware of
1:50the false circumcision. For we are the
1:53true circumcision who worship in the
1:55spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus
1:59and put no confidence in the flesh.
2:02Although I myself might have confidence
2:04even in the flesh.
2:07So he says, I want you to have joy in
2:09your trial and I want you to beware of
2:11the dogs. He's talking about people who
2:14have reduced themsel to the kind of
2:17level of bickering and fighting of dogs.
2:21Beware of evil workers. Beware of false
2:23circumcision. Now, what he's calling
2:25false circumcision is fleshly
2:27circumcision. He wants people to be
2:30truly circumcised in their hearts. He
2:33says, don't put any confidence in the
2:34flesh. What that means is don't base
2:37anything on your pedigree of your an
2:40ethnic this or an ethnic that. Don't
2:42base anything on your circumcision that
2:44you were cut in the flesh. That doesn't
2:46count for anything. He says, "If anyone
2:49has a mind to put confidence in the
2:51flesh, I far more circumcised the eighth
2:54day of the nation of Israel, of the
2:56tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews,
2:59as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal,
3:03persecutor of the church, as to the
3:05righteousness which is in the law, found
3:07blameless." That's what Paul said about
3:09himself. If you want to be fleshly and
3:12start puffing out your chest about how
3:14much more special you are, he's saying,
3:16"I've got it. But whatever things were
3:18gained to me, all these things that he's
3:21just named,
3:23those things I have counted as loss for
3:26the sake of Christ." What he once
3:29thought was, "Man, I've got this better
3:31on everybody else." Now he realizes
3:32actually it was a deficit. It was a
3:35blockage to knowing Christ.
3:38More than that, I count all things to be
3:41loss in view of the surpassing value of
3:44knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I
3:48have suffered the loss of all things,
3:50and I count them but rubbish, so that I
3:53may gain Christ and may be found in him,
3:58not having a righteousness of my own,
4:01derived from the law, but that which is
4:03through faith in Christ, the
4:05righteousness which comes from God on
4:07the basis is of faith that I may know
4:10him and the power of his resurrection
4:12and the fellowship of his sufferings
4:15being conformed to his death in order
4:17that I may attain to the resurrection
4:19from the dead.
4:22So he says what I used to think was a
4:24big advantage I now realize was a big
4:26obstacle. And he says in fact I count
4:29everything a loss. I'm willing to trade
4:32all my whole life, all my pride, all my
4:35accomplishments
4:37that I may gain.
4:39So loss for gain. And what is he going
4:42to gain? Christ. And that I may be
4:45found. Paul might be discovered
4:49in him.
4:51Not to have this accomplishment or that,
4:53but to be found in him. Where's Paul?
4:55Anybody seen Paul? Paul is in Jesus.
4:59Paul is hidden and his life is in Christ
5:02found in him not having a righteousness
5:05of my own derived from the law. So the
5:09law righteousness is a selfish
5:11possession. It's what I can boast in. I
5:14was circumcised on the eighth day. I'm
5:16of the tribe of Benjamin. I'm an
5:19Israelite according to the flesh. That's
5:21something I can boast in. That's not
5:23being found in Christ. That's not
5:25gaining Christ. So you can have all
5:28those things or you can have Christ
5:31that I may know him. So the two things
5:34that we gain are Christ being found in
5:38him knowing him and the power of his
5:42resurrection. That's what it means to
5:44know him, to have the to know the power
5:47of his resurrection and the fellowship
5:49of his sufferings because you can't have
5:51one without the other. Being conformed
5:54to his death. So Paul is okay with being
5:58conformed to Christ's death in order
6:01that I may attain to the resurrection of
6:03the dead. Verse 12, not that I have
6:07already obtained it, the resurrection of
6:10the dead, or have already become
6:13perfect,
6:15but I press on so that I may lay hold of
6:19that for which also I was laid hold of
6:23by Christ Jesus.
6:25I want to lay hold of that for which I
6:29was laid hold of. God got a hold of Paul
6:34so that Paul could get a hold of the
6:36resurrection. He wants to lay hold of
6:38that resurrection which is the purpose
6:41for which Jesus grabbed him.
6:46Brethren, I do not regard myself as
6:49having laid hold of it yet. and the it
6:53is the resurrection. What Paul is
6:55basically saying is I'm not pretending
6:58that my human mortal fleshly body is
7:02redeemed. I don't I don't think I've
7:04already attained to divine health. I
7:08don't think I've already attained to a
7:10life without pain or trouble. Don't get
7:13me wrong, that's what he hasn't
7:14attained. That is specifically what he
7:17hasn't attained.
7:19But one thing I do, forgetting what lies
7:22behind.
7:24Forgetting what lies behind. I've got to
7:26let go of Egypt from which I've come out
7:29of. This makes me think of the Hebrews
7:32chapter probably written by Paul where
7:34he says, "If they had been mindful of
7:36the country from which they came, they
7:39would have had opportunity to return.
7:41But as it was, God is not ashamed to be
7:44called their God because they are having
7:47their eyes fixed on a better a heavenly
7:50country. So he says, "Forgetting what
7:53lies behind and reaching forward to what
7:57lies ahead, the resurrection,
8:00I press on toward the goal for the prize
8:05of the upward call of God in Christ
8:08Jesus."
8:09So what's behind is the flesh and what's
8:12ahead is the resurrection. And what gets
8:16you there is an attitude that presses
8:18forward. That doesn't become complacent.
8:21That doesn't say it's all in the bag,
8:23but presses forward. I press on toward
8:27the goal for the prize of the upward
8:30call of God in Christ Jesus.
8:33Let us therefore as many as are perfect
8:39have this attitude. Now that can sound
8:43confusing because the perfect that he's
8:45using here is mature. As many of us as
8:49are mature
8:52have this attitude. What attitude? that
8:55we haven't been perfected, that we
8:57haven't been resurrected, that we're not
9:00living what we're aiming toward, but
9:02we've got it inside and it's driving us
9:05toward the goal of the upward call of
9:07God in Christ Jesus. And if in anything
9:11you have a different attitude, God will
9:14reveal that also to you. However, let us
9:17keep living by that same standard to
9:20which we have attained. So he says, "I'm
9:23not going to try to change your mind.
9:24You got a different attitude. God's
9:26going to change that. He's going to show
9:28you in time that you're wrong, but let's
9:31not backslide. Let's not go back and act
9:34like circumcision is the big thing
9:35because we can do it in our flesh and
9:37it's so much harder to keep the right
9:39attitude and walk by the spirit. Let's
9:41let's keep the right attitude of at
9:43least living up to what God's already
9:45given us. Brethren, join in following my
9:50example.
9:53This is the right attitude. Don't try to
9:56do this a different way. Don't try a
9:59shortcut of putting it all in the bag
10:01through the flesh. Let's live in the
10:04awareness that we haven't been
10:05perfected. Let's live in the awareness
10:07that we haven't grasped it, but we're
10:10going to lay hold of that for which we
10:12were laid hold of. Brethren, join in
10:15following my example and observe those
10:17who walk according to the pattern you
10:20have in us.
10:22The word he uses here for pattern is
10:25tupas
10:26and it means diecast. It means mold that
10:30is so consistent you can pour material
10:32in it over and over and over and you get
10:35the exact same result. He says, 'I want
10:38you to follow my example, and I want you
10:39to follow those who live by the same
10:41pattern, and this pattern is so faithful
10:45that if you pour your life into it,
10:46you're going to get the same results we
10:48have. This is not Paul suggesting that
10:51we reinvent the wheel and reimagine what
10:54church is every single generation or
10:56every single uh new try. This is Paul
10:59saying, accept the pattern that you
11:02have. The pattern of what is he saying?
11:05you should accept the pattern because
11:06I've been perfected. No, he just told us
11:08he hasn't been perfected. The pattern of
11:10humility, the pattern of pilgrimage, the
11:14pattern of putting no confidence in the
11:16flesh, but always pressing toward the
11:18goal of the upward call. The upward
11:21means the resurrection call. That which
11:25is going to take us up to heaven. That's
11:26the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
11:30Follow my example and observe those who
11:32have the same diecast pattern. Verse 18.
11:35For many walk, of whom I often told you
11:39and now tell you even weeping that they
11:41are enemies of the cross,
11:45whose end is destruction,
11:49whose God is their appetite and whose
11:53glory is in their shame, who set their
11:57minds on earthly things.
12:01He says, 'I want you to look at me and I
12:04want you to look at those who have
12:05accepted my pattern, but there are many
12:08others who have a different way.
12:11And he says, the the reason I don't want
12:12you to follow him is because they're
12:14headed toward destruction.
12:17It's not all roads lead up the mountain.
12:20It's a wide road that leads to
12:22destruction. Many there be that go in
12:25there at and a narrow way that leads to
12:27life. And the wide road puts confidence
12:31in the flesh. And it may be the flesh of
12:33circumcision, yamakas, and strings on
12:36your clothes. Or it may be the flesh of
12:39ethnicity.
12:41Or it may be the flesh of sinners
12:43prayers. It may be the flesh of
12:45traditions. It may be the flesh of
12:48complacent doctrines
12:50that do not put you in Christ, that do
12:54not make you know him, that do not bring
12:56you into relationship with the spirit.
12:58But anything that can be done without
13:00the power of the spirit is a doctrine of
13:02the flesh and it leads to destruction.
13:06For many walk of whom I often told you
13:09and now tell you even weeping that they
13:12are enemies of the cross of Christ
13:15whose end is destruction
13:18whose god is their appetite.
13:22They may take pride in what they can
13:24accomplish in their flesh, but at the
13:26end of the day, they're still controlled
13:27by their fleshly desires. Their God is
13:30what their flesh wants,
13:33and whose glory is in their shame, who
13:36set their minds on earthly things.
13:42A religion that can be done without the
13:44power of the spirit is a false religion.
13:47It's dogs of the concision.
13:53for our citizenship is in heaven.
13:57Right there he tells us that these
13:59people want to belong to a band. They
14:02want to they want to fit into the crowd.
14:05They want to be accepted by the camp.
14:08And the region of Philippi had become a
14:13a domain of Rome. And they were taking
14:16great pride in the fact that once they
14:18became a colony of Rome, they now had
14:20Roman citizenship.
14:23Do you understand? So this is kind of a
14:25double whammy here. Paul is pointing to
14:27the Jews who want an earthly citizenship
14:29and he's pointing to the Romans who want
14:32an earthly citizenship. But he's
14:34pointing to all people who can't follow
14:36Jesus outside the camp and bear his
14:38reproach, who want to belong to the
14:41crowd.
14:44For our citizenship is in heaven,
14:48from which also we eagerly wait for a
14:51savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will
14:54transform the body of our humble state
14:57into conformity with the body of his
15:00glory by the exertion of the power that
15:05he has even to subject all things to
15:08himself. So he says you you're either
15:11going to put your faith in a God who has
15:13power and in the power of the spirit or
15:16you're going to put your faith in the
15:18flesh. Those are your only two options.
15:21And one aims for a citizenship and an
15:24acceptance in heaven. And the other
15:27seeks an acceptance here on earth. This
15:30defines the crowd of those who let this
15:32mind be in them which was in Jesus. In
15:35those people, God works in them. or
15:38those who let this mind be in them which
15:40is in the flesh and want the acceptance
15:43and want the crowd approval of the world
15:46whether that be Rome or of the synagogue
15:48of the Jews. Right there we have a
15:50provision for the flesh and a pattern of
15:53pilgrimage that wants to be approved and
15:56accepted by God to be found in him to
16:00know him and is willing to trade all the
16:02approval of man, all the crowd, all the
16:06communities of the flesh so that we can
16:08be found in him and be changed by and
16:11trusting in his power.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of Philippians 3 | The Upward Way | Bible Study with A. Z. Adams by Heritage Press, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 2,495 words across 355 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.