Philippians 3:11; The IF of the Resurrection ~ 20240609 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
06/09 Philippians 3:11; The IF of the Resurrection; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240609_philippians-3_11.mp3
Paul gives us his flawless resume in Philippians 3:4-6, but he concludes that whatever righteousness he had attained by means of law-keeping, he considered loss, a liability, offensive filth, compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. He counted it valueless compared with being found in Christ, not having his own righteousness derived from the law, but a righteousness that is based on faith, believing, receiving the promises of God given to us in Christ.
He goes on in verse 10 to express the incomparable worth of knowing Christ in terms of his life-giving resurrection power, supernatural power that allows us to experience suffering as fellowship with Jesus, and allows us to view this life as an opportunity in humility to lay down one’s life in service for the good of others; to view this conformity to Christ’s self-sacrificial death as great gain.
Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. … 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Resurrection Out From Among The Dead ἐξανάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν
Paul points to future bodily resurrection of believers in verse 11. He uses an unique word for resurrection; he prefixes the word ‘out of’ to the usual word for resurrection; it is a being raised out of, and he adds a clarifying phrase ‘out of’ or ‘out from among the dead’. His language fits well with teaching elsewhere that specifies that ‘the dead in Christ will rise first’ (1Thess.4:16); that ‘Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!’ (Rev.20:6); this is in contrast to ‘The rest of the dead’ who ‘did not come to life until the thousand years were ended’ which is also called ‘the second death’ (Rev.20:5-6, 14).
For Paul, knowing Christ begins with experiencing the transforming power of his resurrection in the new birth, and then moves into a fellowship in his sufferings, being conformed to his death, and this results in bodily physical resurrection out from among the dead.
If Somehow [εἴ πως]
What is startling about what Paul says here is the measure of uncertainty he introduces into his hope of future resurrection. He uses the word ‘if’. ‘If somehow’ (NASB) or ‘if by any means’ (KJV) I might attain to the resurrection from the dead. What does Paul mean by ‘if somehow’?
Paul uses phrase ‘if somehow’ in Romans 1:10 in his prayers, asking ‘if somehow’ in the will of God he might visit Rome.
He uses it again in Romans 11:14, where he magnifies his apostolic ministry to Gentiles in order to make Israel jealous, ‘if somehow’ to save some of them.
This phrase is used in Acts 27:12,
Acts 27:12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
Even though ‘the voyage was now dangerous’ because of the time of year, and in spite of Paul’s warning that the voyage would end with much loss, the majority chose to set sail, ‘if somehow’ they could attain to a more suitable harbor. We know how this ended, and the ‘if somehow’ was certainly not a sure bet. It is interesting that this passage uses not only the ‘if somehow’ phrase, but also the word ‘loss’ (27:10) that Paul used in Phil.3:7-8, and the same words ’reach’ or ‘attain to’ as the desired goal of ‘if somehow’ (27:12; Phil.3:11).
Paul’s hope, his goal, his desire is to reach, to attain to the resurrection of the dead. But why does he frame this in a way that implies that there is at least the possibility that it won’t happen?
Disqualified; Vain Believing
It will be helpful to see that this is not the only place that he raises the possibility of failure on his part. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul says that he lays down his own rights, voluntarily becomes a servant to others, for the good of others.
1 Corinthians 9:23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Paul recognizes the danger of disqualification, so he disciplines himself so that he will not be disqualified but will obtain the blessings of the gospel that he preaches. There is a real danger of disqualification, and Paul is intentional about avoiding that danger, and invites us also to run so that we may obtain the prize.
Later in 1 Corinthians 15, where he reminds us of the gospel, the good news of Christ crucified for our sins and raised in victory, he says:
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.
The gospel is a message to be proclaimed. It is a message to be received. But it is to be received in a way that it effects lasting change. It is a message that we plant our feet in, a message that saves us – it changes us. It is a message we hold fast to. There is such a thing as believing in a vain, empty, worthless way, a mere mental assent to the facts of the gospel, without embracing Jesus as your greatest treasure, in a way that it doesn’t change you. This is a warning. There is a real danger. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom.1:16) … unless you believed in vain.
In 2 Corinthians 13, Paul exhorts us to
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
You see the self-distrust here, the honest acknowledgment of the possibility that we are phony, outside of Christ. The need for straight-forward self-assessment and self-examination. The danger of self-deception is real. So test yourselves.
Jesus and Endurance
This teaching is not original to Paul. It is rooted in Jesus’ own teaching. In Matthew 13 (Mk.4; Lk.8) Jesus taught about different responses to the word. One hears the word and does not understand it.
Matthew 13:20 ... one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Matthew 13:22 ...one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
These are three different ways to heart the word in a worthless way that proves unfruitful. Hearing without understanding and the word is snatched away. Hearing and receiving with joy, but walking away when things get hard. Hearing but allowing the cares of the world and desire for prosperity choke out the word. There is only one who hears the word and understands it and bears fruit. Jesus said ‘the one who endures to the end will be saved’ (Mt.10:22).
Is Endurance Up To Us?
What does this mean? Does it mean that our salvation is ultimately up to us, based on our performance, contingent on our own ability to keep the faith? If this is what Paul means, it would flatly contradict what is taught clearly in the rest of Scripture, and even in this passage.
The whole point of this passage is that Paul was pleased with his own performance; but he came to count his performance as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He counted his own righteousness from the law as rubbish, and instead pursued a righteousness that comes through faith in the finished work of another. The one thing he pursued was knowing Christ and being found in him. His embrace of suffering and sacrifice was to enjoy fellowship with Jesus, not to earn points. His longing for the resurrection was a longing for the final step in knowing Christ, no longer through a glass darkly, but face to face (1Cor.13:12). Paul had come to understand that all the points he earned that he once considered gains were liabilities that he had to let go of and flush, because they were in the way of knowing Jesus.
In Philippians 1, Paul said
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Where is the works in this verse? It is God’s work from beginning to end. He began the good work, he will bring it to completion. We are a work in progress, but it is not our work; ultimately it is God’s work.
Paul does talk about our obedience and our work in Philippians 2
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Obey. Work out your own salvation. This sounds like it is up to us. But he grounds our work on a prior work of God.
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
We can only work because God is at work in us. We work only because God works in us the will to work. We work, but God initiates and sustains that work. We work, but it is because he began the work in us and will bring it to completion.
This fits what he says here; knowing Jesus is the one thing of surpassing worth. Knowing Jesus means knowing the power of his resurrection. That is first. We were dead, unable to do anything. We must experience his death-defeating life-giving resurrection power. Only by his transforming power can we know him in the fellowship of his sufferings, only by his resurrection power can our lives begin to take the shape of his self-sacrificial death for others.
Based on the whole thrust of the passage, the ‘If’ cannot put us back under a system of earning our resurrection by some effort on our part.
Romans 8
Romans 8 holds some similarities with this passage in Philippians;
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Notice the ‘if’s’? If you live according to the flesh, you will die. If you live by the Spirit, if you do battle not in your own strength, but in the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, you will live. These are real contingencies, real ‘if’s’. But he goes on:
Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Notice the contingencies combined with confidence? ‘You have received the Spirit of adoption.’ ‘We are children of God’. ‘We share in the inheritance.’ And then comes the ‘if’; if indeed we suffer with him in order that we also are glorified together with him. The resurrection glory is contingent on suffering with Christ. Jesus confidently asserted to his followers ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you’ (Jn.15:20); ‘In the world you will have tribulation’ (Jn.16:33).
Romans 8 puts contingencies together with confidence, and Romans 8 is also where we find the unbreakable chain of God’s bringing to completion what he begins in us; ‘29 those whom he foreknew he also predestined ... 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.’ (Rom.8:29-30).
Salvation is the work of God beginning to end. From foreknowledge to predestination to calling to justification to glorification, it is all God’s work. And it is as good as done because God started it. And yet there are real contingencies. If we live according to the flesh, we give evidence that we have not been predestined, called, justified. We give evidence that we are not children of God and have not received the Spirit of God.
In Hebrews 6, after a sobering warning of the danger of falling away, the author says
Hebrews 6:9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.
There are real warnings, real danger, real conditions, but this is coupled with real confidence, not in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.
The coming verses will help clarify how this all fits together.
Humble ‘IF’
Paul acknowledges with awe his own undeserving ‘if’. He doesn’t presume on grace. He is no longer leaning on his own ability. This is a humble ‘if’. He has learned to be suspicious of himself. This ‘if’ does not doubt God’s promises; it only doubts self.
If somehow. What does this ‘if’ require? More work on his part? No, it requires resurrection power at work in him. It requires him to begin to see differently, to have his blind eyes opened to count differently, to count Christ of surpassing worth. That is a work of the Spirit of God. It requires him to count his own righteousness as rubbish, and receive a righteousness not his own, a gift to be received through faith. It will require God’s persevering grace to keep him through every suffering, to keep his eyes on the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
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2024.06.09 Sermon Notes
Philippians 3:11; The ‘IF’ of the Resurrection
Resurrection out from among the dead
1 Thessalonians 4:15-16; Revelation 20:4-6
If somehow
Romans 1:10; 11:14; Acts 27:12
Disqualified vain believing
1 Corinthians 9:23-27; 15:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:5-6
Jesus; three ways to believe in vain
Matthew 13:19-23
‘the one who endures to the end will be saved’
Matthew 10:22
-Paul came to count all his gains as rubbish
Philippians 3:7-11
-He who began a good work will complete it
Philippians 1:6
-Work because God works in you to will and work
Philippians 2:12-13
-Resurrection power is required for sacrificial living
Philippians 3:10-11
Contingencies and Confidence
Romans 8:13-17, 29-30; Hebrews 6:9
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org