For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

3:19   Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

I admit it. I’m a bit overweight. I could use loosing about 15 lbs. I have struggled a bit with my weight to be honest with you. Oh I can drop it as I have occasionally, but currently I have been enjoying the snacks a bit much!

So is my belly my god? Is that where Paul is headed with this verse? Let’s consider where this verse takes us.

Paul starts with destruction. This is the inevitable completion (or end) of the enemies of the gospel. I wrote on the term Paul uses in this passage (apōleia, destruction) in a post a while back here, and on the general topic (apollymi, perishing) here. With this said, the general idea of this word is not “eternal conscious suffering”, as I had assumed my entire Christian life. It carries the meaning of loss, uselessness, misery, nonexistence, and ruination.

So, these enemies do not have a future! That may be fair to state. Is that because they eat a few too many chips and salsa? Yes and no.

I read Paul here as saying that their belly is their god in the sense that they comply with their sensual natures, with no regard to the commands of God for their lives. It is as if they have taken the grace of God and turned it into license, allowing any and all their desires to rule in their lives. The idea of sacrifice for the sake of the Master is not in their thoughts.

The succeeding result of allowing their desires to rule is that they have to convince themselves that the actions that should bring shame, they glory in this.

How accurate for the society we live in today! But those outside of the church are only following what they know, as opposed to those in the church who have learned of a better way, a way of sacrifice, of rejecting their base desires for the sake of others.

Paul finishes this verse, referring to the mind of the enemies. Now where did the mind come up in Paul’s thoughts before. Oh yes – back in Chapter 2, where he tells believers to “mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”, in the context of exercising a mind of humility and unity. Note that the enemies have their mind set on earthly things. Nothing mysterious about this. The term speaks of things on the earth. Like physical, material, actual items resident on the earth.

So, are you eating too much? Are you loving this life a bit too much, taking every pleasure that is available, seeking satisfaction in the here and now?

Are you focused on things of this earth? Are you worried about your accumulations, your financial securities?

How about your status in front of your peers, your reputation in your career or amongst your friends?

As Paul has challenged other believers, this may be a good time to reconsider his challenge to the Corinthians when he wrote…

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!

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