Paul proceeded to deal with a significant group of antagonists that the Philippians faced.
3:2 Jesus and other prophets used the term "dogs"to refer to opponents of God's truth (Matt. 7:6; cf. Deut. 23:18; 1 Sam. 17:43; 24:14; Prov. 26:11; Isa. 56:10-11). The Jews habitually referred to Gentiles contemptuously as dogs (cf. Matt. 15:21-28). In ancient times many dogs were unclean, wild, vicious animals that threatened the safety of everyone.
"Paul now hurls this term of contempt back on the heads of its authors' . . ., for to Paul the Jews were the real pariahs that defile the holy community, the Christian church, with their erroneous teaching."101
"This metaphor is full of bite,' . . . Paul thus reverses the epithet; by trying to make Gentiles clean' through circumcision, the Judaizers are unclean dogs.'"102
The phrase "evil workers"(NABS) stresses the evil character of their labors. However "false circumcision"(NASB) or "mutilators of the flesh"(NIV, cf. Gal. 5:12) gives us the most insight into exactly whom Paul had in mind.
These were evidently the Judaizers that plagued Paul and his converts throughout his ministry.103They taught that people could only enter the church through the vestibule of Judaism, and that once inside they needed to submit to the Mosaic Law.104They emphasized circumcision because it was the rite that brought a person into Judaism, which they viewed as a prerequisite to justification (cf. Acts 15:1). False circumcision refers to circumcision for the wrong reasons, namely circumcision contrary to the revelation of God in Scripture.
3:3 The Philippians and Paul, and all true believers, belong to a different camp, that of the true circumcision. Paul was referring to the circumcision of the heart that happens when a person trusts in Jesus Christ. The alternative is trusting in self and in rite-keeping for salvation (Rom. 2:25-29; Col. 2:11, 13; cf. Lev. 26:41; Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Ezek. 44:7).105
Paul used three terms to describe the false teachers (v. 2). He used three others to characterize the true circumcision. We worship (Gr. latreuein) God in the Spirit. The alternative is going through certain physical rituals (cf. John 4:23-24). Probably Paul meant that the Holy Spirit initiates worship with the result that love and service result (cf. John 14:17).106Those who rely on rites and ceremonies to make themselves acceptable to God do not have the Spirit of God. They are not believers in the gospel.
Second, we glory in Christ Jesus. That is, we look to Him as the one who makes us acceptable to God rather than looking to works (cf. Jer. 9:23-24; 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17). We focus on Him and find our satisfaction in Him because He is our Savior.
Third, we put no confidence in the flesh to make us acceptable to God. The New Testament writers used the term "flesh"(Gr. sarx) in a literal and in a metaphorical sense. Literally it refers to our bodies (Luke 24:39). Figuratively it refers to human nature (John 1:14) and to sinful human nature (cf. Rom. 7:5; 8:9, 19). Here Paul probably meant our lower unredeemed nature that is not inherently bad but the target of sin's attack and the occasion of our becoming sin's victim.107We do not have confidence that anything we do to our bodies will make us acceptable to God but realize that trusting in Jesus Christ is what is necessary. Yet primarily we have no confidence in what we are by nature to make us acceptable to God. We understand that we cannot save ourselves. We acknowledge that God must save us.
3:4a Paul proceeded to explain to the Philippians why he had spoken so harshly against the Jews (vv. 4-11). The apostle rejected confidence in the flesh because it cannot provide the righteousness that God requires (v. 9). He possessed what the Judaizers claimed was essential, namely circumcision, but he did not trust in it for salvation.
