Philippians 3:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

NIV: For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

NASB: For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,

CSB: For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

NLT: 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.

KJV: For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

NKJV: For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

After making an appeal for his readers to follow his good example, and the example of other Christians, Paul's reference to those who chose a darker path is highly emotional. Paul is confident in the truth, and willing to preach it, no matter what. At the same time, he feels compassion for those who reject the gospel, or who wallow in sin. In 2 Corinthians 2:4, Paul wrote, "For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears." Paul often expressed deep emotion, sometimes including weeping, as a response to charged situations.

In this context, Paul's tears are for the unsaved. He refers to them as those who "walk as enemies of the cross of Christ." These words prove that Paul was not a man who coldly and arrogantly defended his opinions. He had sincere, loving concern for the souls of these lost people. His goal was their salvation. The fact that they did not know Christ caused him much grief. His tears were probably not only for the souls that were lost, but also the fact that Christianity counted so many enemies. Even today, believers are called to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), and care for sinners (James 5:20), in the hope that God will turn their hearts towards Jesus.

Philippians 3:12—4:1 explains the proper attitude Christians ought to have on the process of ''sanctification.'' This is the gradual, lifelong path of becoming more and more like Jesus. Our place in eternity is secure from the moment we trust in Christ, but it takes time to see our actions and attitudes change to be like His. Paul notes that he is not perfect, but encourages Christians to mimic his singular focus on pursuing Jesus. Paul also weeps for those who reject the gospel, a choice that will result in their destruction.

Paul details his impressive Jewish resume. None of his critics or challengers could boast the pedigree carried by Paul. He mentions this only to emphasize how little such things mean, next to faith in Christ. Paul's language here is sharp and to the point. He then explains how a Christian's focus ought to be purely on Christ, just as a runner concentrates on their goal in order to run effectively. Rather than looking to the past, or to ourselves, we ought to look forward, to an eternity with the Lord.

In chapters 1 and 2, Paul explained how Christians should respond to hardships. Since Christ was willing to obey God, even to the point of death, we should do the same. Complaining and worry have no place in the life of a saved believer. Chapter 3 makes a bold contrast. Paul's credentials, according to Jewish tradition, were impeccable. And yet, for him, none of those accomplishments are worth anything next to fellowship with Christ. For this reason, Christ is to be the sole focus of the believer. This sets up Paul's final greetings and instructions in chapter 4.

Philippians is Paul's discussion of living the Christian life. In this letter to the church of Philippi, Paul highlights themes such as joy and glory. He also puts great emphasis on how a Christian's thinking—their attitude—affects the way they live out their faith. Paul is very thankful for the support of the Philippian church, but is also concerned about the influence of various false teachers. This letter is less theological than most of his other writings, and more practical.