Keep on imitating me2, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ’s death on the cross. They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.
Phil 3:17-21
For those of you who are long term Gem readers, you will know the background of where I got this section from. If you are coming to this cold you will need to look at Gem 1960 where I determined the divisions of the text, based on the summary markers in Greek (those marked with the four superscripted numbers) and the use of the reference to “friends”. But I am sure it will be clear to you that Paul is continuing with the things that were in his mind from the last passage. If you think about it, Paul still has in mind the idea of having the mind of Christ from Philippians 2:5. If you are interested in learning how to divide the sections of the Bible read the series of Gems I wrote before Gem 1960. Dividing the Bible into sections is a complicated process because Paul didn’t write this letter to the Philippians (nor any other letter) with sections, chapter breaks and chapter headings. If he came back now and saw what we had done to his letter he would be surprised.
Paul’s thoughts tumbled out and likely as not his amanuensis (scribe) captured the flow for him. You can see for yourself how the letter flows on. Having said all he has before this with all the themes we noted were wrapped together, Paul now turns back to the theme of living this life in such a way that will see you gain heaven (zoē) in the end. How do we do that? By following the people around us who exemplify what Paul is talking about. I remember what Reg Ackland told me when he first started discipling me almost 50 years ago. “Ian, I can teach you the theory and you are full of questions about the theory. But simply just follow me and I will show you what to do. Then we together follow Christ.” Wow, so simple, isn’t it? That is what discipleship is all about. It’s not about going to class to be taught the theory of it all. Rather it’s a matter of: “Here, walk with me and talk with me and I will show you how to do this.” That is exactly what Jesus did with his twelve disciples. That is what discipling is in essence. Follow me and I will teach you how to pray and how to live this life of following Jesus, having the mind of Christ in you.
We still have many of the same links to the previous long section but what we have in essence is a pause and a chance to take in all of the implications of the big picture that Paul has been talking about. I suggest with this Gem that you do the same.
- Stop.
- Pause.
- Reflect
- Take in what we have covered in the last section.
It has been a long one – Philippians 3:1-16. Don’t Trust the Righteousness that Comes from the Law; Trust the Kind Christ Gives. But you know now, how intricately Paul wove his themes and analogies into that section. Take a moment to take it all in. As I often say (write), go back and read the last section with all that you know now in mind. Allow yourself the time to gather all of your thoughts together and remember the things that we have covered while looking at the details of Philippians 3:1-16. Paul has told us some huge things with eternal consequences in mind. Reflect on the details of all we have covered.
Then do something else for me. Well, actually it is not something to do for me, it’s something to do for yourself. Look at the passage above and see what links it to what went before it. Then think to yourself about the implications of you telling someone else, “Here mate, watch me and keep imitating me. I will show you how to live this Christ-minded-Life.” That is in effect what Paul is saying.
We will begin in the next Gem to unpack the passage above with all its implications. But for the moment just do as I have suggested and reflect on what we have covered over the last 21 Gems since Gem 1961. That is a lot of reflection. I am not suggesting that you read back over those 21 Gems. Oh, do it if you want to. Many have told me over the years that they find it so good to read back over a significant section that I have covered and think more deeply on all the detail contained therein. It helps cement it in our minds. All I am saying at this point is just read back over the text of Paul’s letter in Philippians 3, verses 1 to 16 and remember again the depth of the things Paul has written for us while it is relatively fresh in your mind after reading the Gems I have written bringing out the nuances of the text. Then notice what Paul is doing with this new section. Many of the same things are still in his mind. He is still thinking about walking the walk, heading for the end and living the Christ-like life.
Can you say to someone else, ‘Keep on imitating me mate. Pay attention to the example I have set for you’?
Do you realise you are in training much like the disciples? If you are a disciple of Jesus then you a WIP, a work in progress. Accept it, make progress and work it out.
Ian Vail
The disciples belonged before they believed. Belong -> Believe -> Behave. That’s the order.
Ian Vail
Disciple means “learner,” not just follower. You can follow and never apply your heart to learning.
A R Bernard
Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matt 28:18-20