Philippians 3: 2-7 and the Physical Bloodline In Dispensationalism
"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Philippians 3: 2-7
Read it carefully. He says if you want to trust in the flesh, he, Paul, who as a member of the bloodline and Pharisee, was Saul of Tarsus, who was circumcised, was of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjain, and was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. But he now counts all of this as dung. Paul says he counts his flesh as a member of the physical bloodline of the stock of Old Covenant Israel as dung.
Dung is Strong's number 4657, skubalon, "what is thrown to the dogs, i.e, refuse, dung."
He says these things - physically being of the chosen people bloodline - "I counted loss for Christ."
That which he had esteemed as a Pharisee, his bloodline, is a loss for Christ, meaning that which he esteemed - the bloodline - works against his being found in Christ (verse 9). But those of the boodline can up their esteeming of that which is of the flesh, and be born again in Christ. Then in verse 13 Paul says he forgets "....those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." He forgets his once being a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee of the bloodline - that which is physical.
When you read in Romans 9: 3, "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:" keep what Paul says in Philippians 3: 2 - in mind. Sometimes the Christian Zionists seem to make Paul conradict himself. But Paul is often subtle in what he says and you have to be careful not to misunderstand him.
"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh" in Christian Zionist theology might mean that Paul had so great a love for his brothers in the flesh and value of them, that he could reject Christ and be eternally separated from Christ, so that they might be saved.
"For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14. And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Galatians 1: 13-16
Paul is saying here that at one time before he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he, having a great zeal for the religion of the Jews, persecuted the ekklesia of God, the congregations of God. But Jesus Christ appeared to Saul and Saul was changed into Paul who was to preach the Gospel of Christ.
But to deny that he underwent that change from having a great zeal or the religion of the Jews to havng a great love of the truth from Christ, and knowing that truth, would not have led Jews to make the same change and be saved. Paul teaches in Romans 12: 2 "... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Transformed is from μεταμορφουσθε, metamorphoo, number 3339, "to transform... metamorphose. "
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3: 3
Paul's kinsmen of the flesh had to be led by the Holy Spirit to become transformed, to be metamorphosed, that is, to undergo a major change. Had Paul denied to the Jews that he had left their religion, and affirmed that he still believed in the bloodline, in the flesh, he would not have led them to change by the Holy Spirit.
Yet dispensationalism, Christian Zionism, Separation Theology or the Rapture Theory says or strongly implies that the physical bloodline still exists.
"Israel is an eternal nation, heir to an eternal land, with an eternal kingdom, on which David rules from an eternal throne so that in eternity, '...never the twain, Israel and church, shall meet." Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas, Dallas Seminary Press, 1975), Vol. 4. pp. 315-323..
In his book, Dispensationalism (1966), Charles Ryrie says "The
essence of Dispensationalism, then, is the distinction between Israel
and the church." (page 3, "Dispensationalism")
J. Dwight Pentecost is another dispensationalist theologian who in his
book Things To Come ( 1965) says "The church
and Israel are two distinct groups with whom God has a divine plan.
The church is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament. (page 193,
J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Zondervan, 1965).
Dispensationalism is a religious system in which Israel is defined from the start as being only Old Covenant Israel, and can be no other for the dispensarionalists. Israel is always Old Covenant Israel for this tradition of men. For dispensatioimalism Israel is made up of those of the physical bloodline. Some dispensationalists will deny this is true, but their theology has to be defined clearly - and by what its founders have said about it.
"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Philippians 3: 2-7
Read it carefully. He says if you want to trust in the flesh, he, Paul, who as a member of the bloodline and Pharisee, was Saul of Tarsus, who was circumcised, was of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjain, and was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. But he now counts all of this as dung. Paul says he counts his flesh as a member of the physical bloodline of the stock of Old Covenant Israel as dung.
Dung is Strong's number 4657, skubalon, "what is thrown to the dogs, i.e, refuse, dung."
He says these things - physically being of the chosen people bloodline - "I counted loss for Christ."
That which he had esteemed as a Pharisee, his bloodline, is a loss for Christ, meaning that which he esteemed - the bloodline - works against his being found in Christ (verse 9). But those of the boodline can up their esteeming of that which is of the flesh, and be born again in Christ. Then in verse 13 Paul says he forgets "....those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." He forgets his once being a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee of the bloodline - that which is physical.
When you read in Romans 9: 3, "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:" keep what Paul says in Philippians 3: 2 - in mind. Sometimes the Christian Zionists seem to make Paul conradict himself. But Paul is often subtle in what he says and you have to be careful not to misunderstand him.
"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh" in Christian Zionist theology might mean that Paul had so great a love for his brothers in the flesh and value of them, that he could reject Christ and be eternally separated from Christ, so that they might be saved.
"For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14. And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Galatians 1: 13-16
Paul is saying here that at one time before he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he, having a great zeal for the religion of the Jews, persecuted the ekklesia of God, the congregations of God. But Jesus Christ appeared to Saul and Saul was changed into Paul who was to preach the Gospel of Christ.
But to deny that he underwent that change from having a great zeal or the religion of the Jews to havng a great love of the truth from Christ, and knowing that truth, would not have led Jews to make the same change and be saved. Paul teaches in Romans 12: 2 "... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Transformed is from μεταμορφουσθε, metamorphoo, number 3339, "to transform... metamorphose. "
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3: 3
Paul's kinsmen of the flesh had to be led by the Holy Spirit to become transformed, to be metamorphosed, that is, to undergo a major change. Had Paul denied to the Jews that he had left their religion, and affirmed that he still believed in the bloodline, in the flesh, he would not have led them to change by the Holy Spirit.
Yet dispensationalism, Christian Zionism, Separation Theology or the Rapture Theory says or strongly implies that the physical bloodline still exists.
"Israel is an eternal nation, heir to an eternal land, with an eternal kingdom, on which David rules from an eternal throne so that in eternity, '...never the twain, Israel and church, shall meet." Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas, Dallas Seminary Press, 1975), Vol. 4. pp. 315-323..
In his book, Dispensationalism (1966), Charles Ryrie says "The
essence of Dispensationalism, then, is the distinction between Israel
and the church." (page 3, "Dispensationalism")
J. Dwight Pentecost is another dispensationalist theologian who in his
book Things To Come ( 1965) says "The church
and Israel are two distinct groups with whom God has a divine plan.
The church is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament. (page 193,
J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Zondervan, 1965).
Dispensationalism is a religious system in which Israel is defined from the start as being only Old Covenant Israel, and can be no other for the dispensarionalists. Israel is always Old Covenant Israel for this tradition of men. For dispensatioimalism Israel is made up of those of the physical bloodline. Some dispensationalists will deny this is true, but their theology has to be defined clearly - and by what its founders have said about it.
