For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
Phil 3:18
The Macro Questions to keep in mind:
- Why does Paul now turn to the enemies of Christ?
- What does he mean by ‘the enemies of Christ’?
- Why does Paul suddenly turn from high and lofty thoughts to the enemies of Christ?
- Why then switch suddenly to the positivity of Chapter 4Â after a brief interlude on two feuding women in the church in Philippi?
- Tell me again Ian, how this letter written over 2 millennia ago by a Jew in Palestine is relevant to me in 21st Century NZ?
- What does ‘Enemies of Christ’ mean?
- What does ‘Enemies of the cross of Christ mean?
Most of us think Paul means #1. I understand that. I know many people who are enemies of Christ. Just the mention of His name can turn some people into fiends. Like my lady companion on the flight from L.A. (See Gem 1708) As Paul says in 2 Cor 2:15-16, to some we are the fragrance of life; to others we are the stench of death. There is a world of difference between these two constructions – “enemies of Christ” and “enemies of the cross of Christ”. The word enemies is used in the New Testament in the NLT 53 times. Twenty four are referring to the enemies of Christ, 10 times the enmity is toward Christians, or the followers of Jesus. Christians can easily be hated and at enmity with the world around us because we dare to follow Christ’s example and have the mind of Christ. Twice the use of “enemies” relates to other specific people, Herod and Pilate (Luke 23:12) and the two end times witnesses (Rev 11:5, 12). There are two that aren’t actually enmity toward Christ, one is ‘enemies of the Gospel’ (Rom 11:28) and the other is this reference in Phil 3 – ‘enemies of the cross of Christ’. The latter is the only reference in the Bible to “enemies of the cross of Christ”, thus it’s very unique. What does it mean?
Like my fellow passenger on the plane there are many people who react vehemently, even vitriolically when the name of God, Jesus, Bible or Christian are mentioned. It really makes no sense if you stop and think about it. Surely, we can believe what we want to and think as we want. But it is truly surprising that the mere mention of the name of Christ polarises people. I remember when I first stopped believing in Evolution as a way to view the world I was attacked verbally. My not-believing-in-macro-evolution was suddenly a threat to them and they came back at me with “religious” fervour. Why? How does my believing in something different from you elicit that response?
Even though all that is true and Jesus told us it would happen, that his followers would be hated for bearing His Name, Paul is not meaning that with these words. He has written in Philippians 3:18 that these enemies are enemies because of the cross of Christ. What did he mean by that construction? Well let’s look at what lies behind those words. What is it about the Cross of Christ that is so offensive as to cause such reaction?
For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.
1 Cor 1:18
but we preach the Messiah crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles,
1 Cor 1:23
So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus the Messiah. But we have this treasure in clay jars to show that it’s extraordinary power comes from God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:3-7
The overarching issue in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians concerns the preaching and the attitude of the super apostles or the false apostles. These two terms are synonymous. These were the preachers who criticized Paul because he didn’t speak eloquently enough and because he didn’t have the marks or the branding of the super apostles – rich, famous and the right life style. Sound familiar? Oh yes there are super false apostles around today! Paul preached the Cross of Christ, just like Jesus. “Take up your cross and follow me!.” Notice the words which follow the passage quoted above. In the following verses Paul listed his credentials to be put in his letter of recommendation to the churches (2 Cor 3:1-2, 3:5, 4:2, 5:12):-
- pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed.
- perplexed, but not driven to despair.
- hunted down, but never abandoned by God.
- knocked down, but not destroyed.
- suffering, to share in the death of Jesus.
It might surprise you to know there are a number of lists like this in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians where he listed these counter qualifications to apostleship. He tells those who would follow a different kind of Gospel what a true disciple and therefore a true apostle looks like. The Cross of Christ is offensive! How could God send the Messiah to die? Paul has already told us (mentioned above) it’s ‘a stumbling block to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles’. Note the reaction in Acts 17:30-32 when Paul preached in Athens in the Agora and summarised for the members of the High Religious Council, the protectors of religious life in Athens, the Areopagus. He talked about a God who would die. He cited the fact of the resurrection. At the heart of Christianity is an incredible tale of a God who died for the ones He created but who came back to life again in order to pay their debt and make them right with Him and eligible for the ultimate LIFE that He intended for them. ZoÄ“ Life – the LIFE of the Age to Come. Those of you who are Christian know the full story. It is such an incredible story and yes, it stretches the boundaries of credibility and faith. But that doesn’t make it any less true. Why then are Christians persecuted around the world? The answer is simple really. Because this story throws light on all other stories and religions, because both can’t be true. You can’t have your truth and I, my truth. They can’t both be true. It is either true or it is not. So why persecute Christians? Because what they claim to be true is offensive because it casts doubt on any opposing truth? Well you can simply pity them for believing a falsity. Either the Cross and the Resurrection is the foundation of God’s way of salvation and obtaining the Life of the Age to Come or it is not.
Read the 15th Chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Oh I know that sounds strange. Why would a letter have a chapter? Well, it didn’t originally. When Paul first wrote it just ran on and on. Later (in 1550) it was divided and numbered so we could find the pieces we were looking for. Read the whole of 1 Corinthians 15. This is a part of a letter from Paul, who was Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the Christians and put them to death for believing such nonsense. This same Paul had an encounter with the resurrected Christ which changed him totally. At the beginning of this part of the letter (1 Cor 15:1-11) Paul outlines the facts, the Truth of what happened. Either it did or it didn’t happen as Paul stated. I choose to believe they are the facts. Why should that make you want to kill me? It makes no sense; it’s nonsense. You can believe with me that these things are true or you can believe I am deluded. But either way I will continue to believe until the end of my race on earth. I will press on to finish my race to KNOW Christ personally and appropriate the resurrection from the dead. I believe the factual account with all my heart and am willing to die for it. In fact with Paul, I too desire to depart and be with Christ but will stay on for your sake (Phil 1:23-24) as long as my Heavenly Father who is the Author and Perfector of Life gives me breath.
And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.
1 Cor 15:19-21
In the next Gem I will set Paul’s concept of the enemies of the Cross of Christ in its wider context.
The “CROSS is offensive” because it offends our pride. We want to think we’re good enough to enter heaven without it.
Rick Warren
Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.
John R.W. Stott
The Cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.
Max Lucado
All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning.
Iowa Chambers
In Ancient Greek marathons a torch was handed to each runner at the starting line. To win, they had to cross the finishing line with their torch still burning.
Bob Gass
Will you cross the finish line of your race on earth embracing the Cross or rejecting it?
Ian Vail