Does Paul address a current threat?

Explanation:

In Philippians 3:2, Paul commands three times the Philippians to look out. He calls them to look out for the dogs, the evildoers, and those who mutilate the flesh. The dogs, evildoers, and those who mutilate the flesh all likely point to the same group, which is the Judaizers.⁴ The Judaizers are a group of Jewish Christians who insist that upholding the Mosaic law is an important salvific element of the gospel. Here, three times Paul warns the Philippians to watch out for them.

Given that Paul repeats the command to watch out for the Judaizers three times, it is likely that the Judaizers are an imminent threat to the church at Philippi.⁵

Counterargument:

It is important to notice the grammatical construction of Philippians 3:2. For when Paul writes look out, the terms which follow, namely, dogs, evildoers, and mutilators, all act as direct objects for the verb. When we come across to look out with a direct object, this normally means something like take note of, not beware of.⁶ In other words, Paul is calling the Philippians to take note of the Judaizers who damage the gospel with their false thinking. The Judaizers have their theology wrong, and the Philippians should take note of their poor example and not follow in it.

Response to counterargument:

Unfortunately, we need an argument that shows why, when look out is followed by a direct object, we ought to take it to mean take note of rather than beware of. In fact, we have another example where we find the imperative form of to see, combined with an accusative, the verb could rightly be translated beware.⁷ Specifically, in Mark 13:9 we read, Be on your guard, or more succinctly, Beware, where the personal pronoun is in the accusative case. Since there is no argument to establish that when the imperative form of to see is combined with a direct object we ought to take the verb to mean take note of, and because we have an example that counters this, this counterargument has little force.

Explanation:

We know from Paul’s other letters that the Judaizers were a threat to the early Christian church and Paul’s preaching. Paul preached that salvation is not by works but through faith in Jesus Christ. The Judaizers combined elements of the Mosaic law with Christian teachings, arguing that salvation is by circumcision and obedience to the law. We know from Galatians, and possibly Corinthians, that Paul had to warn his congregants against the Judaizers. For example, in Galatians 2:11–21 we read about Paul’s confrontation with Peter, who began to slide into the false theology of the Judaizers. Paul then explains the difference between justification by works and justification by faith. He makes a similar reference to the Judaizers in 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 where he calls out the false and deceitful workers who are like Satan, disguised as an angel of light.⁸ Thus, we know Paul has a history confronting the Judaizers. Likely, Paul has word that these same proselytes plan to make inroads in Philippi, so he adamantly warns against their teaching.⁹

Counterargument:

While it might be that the Judaizers were known to disrupt the churches where Paul preached, all this shows is that the Judaizers were a problem for Paul, not that they were a problem for the Philippians.¹⁰ As was mentioned, the Judaizers have been a problem for Paul for some time, so it’s no wonder he props them up as an experiential example to help him convey the message of the gospel.¹¹ It’s important for the Philippians to learn that justification is by faith, not works of the law, so Paul expresses this teaching through his theological battles with the Judaizers.

Response to counterargument:

This counterargument might work if Paul offered a less emphatic warning, but when it comes to Philippians 3:2, his concern for the Philippians is clear. He offers three consecutive imperatives, calling the Philippians to beware, and he uses provocative language, calling the Judaizers dogs, evildoers, and mutilators. The starkness of his warning suggests these comments are much more than a device that allows him to speak about the gospel, but that he is genuinely concerned for the well-being of the Philippians and wants them to be on their guard. Added to this, Paul says in Philippians 3:1 that he is repeating teachings he already gave them, which implies that the Judaizers posed an imminent threat to the Philippians.

The only weakness of this view is that if the Judaizers were such a threat to the Philippians, one might expect Paul to mention them again after he explains the emptiness of their theology. The fact is, Paul only alludes to them in Philippians 3:2 and then makes no further mention.

Explanation:

Paul calls on the Philippians to beware the dogs, evildoers, and mutilators, referring to the Judaizers. So why does Paul command the Philippians to beware? Most likely, Paul uses the poor theology of the Judaizers as a device that allows him to explain the contents of the gospel. In other words, the Judaizers are not an imminent threat to the Philippians, but because of Paul’s experience with their poor theology, Paul uses them as way to warn against improper Christian thinking.¹² We can deduce this because although they help him explain the contents of the gospel, as soon as he mentions them, they quickly fall out of view.¹³ In other words, although Paul uses strong language to warn the Philippians against the Judaizers, he quickly moves on to make a theological case, without mentioning them again.

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that it relies on the faulty assumption that if Paul is serious about the threat of the Judaizers, he would mention them multiple times throughout the letter. This is a faulty assumption because there is no reason Paul cannot warn the Philippians against the Judaizers by only mentioning them once. Added to this, it is important to recognize that Paul actually mentions the Judaizers three times in a row in Philippians 3:2, so there is no lack of emphasis on his part. Finally, when we reach Philippians 3:18, Paul reminds the Philippians that as he told them before, some live as enemies of the cross of Christ. By saying this, Paul implies that the Judaizers, mentioned in Philippians 3:2, are enemies of the cross of Christ. Thus, he does seem to mention the Judaizers multiple times in this letter, even if implicitly.

Explanation:

When Paul says that the Philippians ought to beware the Judaizers, it’s important to notice that this verse is sandwiched between Paul’s true intent, which is that the Philippians live out the gospel.¹⁴ That is to say, in Philippians 1:27–2:18, Paul explains how the Philippians are to live out the gospel by uniting as one mind, and serving one another.¹⁵ Next he adds some remarks about Timothy and Epaphroditus, before warning the Philippians against the Judaizers. Then he continues explaining how to live out the gospel, which includes the fact that the true worshippers of Christ worship God in spirit and put no confidence in the flesh. Given that Paul’s overall train of thought in Philippians 1:27–2:18 and then Philippians 3:3–16 has to do with living the Christian life, Paul likely mentions the Judaizers only to keep this theme running.

Counterargument:

Paul deals with several related themes throughout Philippians 1:27–3:16, so we should not conclude that his only intention is to explain how to live out the Christian life. He explains how the Philippians are to serve one another, thanks them for the service, warns them against the Judaizers, reminds them that they are justified by faith, not works, and so on. Of course, the letter is a pastoral letter to one of the churches, so it is no wonder that there is an underlying theme about living the Christian life, but the fact is that Paul introduces many related themes, including warning against the Judaizers. Added to this, Philippians 3:3–16 is directly related to refuting the doctrines of the Judaizers, as Paul argues that, even on the Judaizers’ own terms, his pedigree is substantial. Still, what he once considered gain he now considers loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7).

The weakness of this view is that Paul presents Philippians 3:2 as an actual, stark warning against a real threat. Since the Judaizers were a real threat, we should take it that in Philippians 3:2, Paul expresses a legitimate warning to a clear and present danger.