Beware

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who we worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, - Philippians 3.1-3

There are a lot of things that Paul could warn us about. He could warn us about opposition. He could warn us about persecution. He could warn us about governments. He could warn us about conflict. He could warn us about any number of things.

But here he chooses to warn us against something we might not normally think about being a problem.

Beware of dogs

Beware of evil workers

Beware of the flesh cutters

Early in the church, as we know, there was a big problem. The saved Jews wanted the saved Gentiles to get circumcised. Some even thought it should be a requirement for salvation. Others just thought it was something Christians had to do. Since they were circumcised they thought everyone should have to be.

So they tried to push their agenda. It is these people that Paul warns about here. He uses some very harsh names. He calls them ‘dogs’ which was a common insult for Gentiles. He calls them evil workers. He refuses even to refer to them by ‘the circumcision’ which is a name they would like. He calls them the ‘concision,’ which means the 'mutilators' or 'flesh cutters'.

Paul had little time for those who tried to rob God’s grace by the works of the flesh. There are still those who do that today. Those who maybe don’t tell us that we have to ‘do’ to be saved, but tell us that Christians still must ‘believe and do.’

Those kinds of folks are still around, they may not be flesh cutters any more, but many still have the idea that ‘do this don’t do that’ makes one spiritual.

But real worship is not this. Real worship puts no confidence in the flesh. Real worship accepts and lives a God honouring life by the grace of God – not to fill out the tick list of does and don’ts.