An Appetite for God

By Cal Cook

As I read this week’s passage from Philippians it’s amazing to me how much is actually packed into these few verses! Just six verses, about 170 words (depending on your translation) and several important concepts are mentioned. The first concept actually needs to be clarified because unfortunately the translation in my opinion (ignorant as it is) indicates something that is not there.

Philippians 3:17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

The emphasis is mine of course for its where the trouble lies. The KJV translates it as ‘be followers together of me’. Now I am no Greek scholar, yet I believe I have a bit of an understanding of scripture and the commands of our Lord…and I know how to look things up that I don’t understand. This translation certainly brings into question many of the things Jesus commands and maybe more importantly transfers the focus and attention to Paul rather than Christ!

The word translated here in the KJV as ‘followers together’ is only used here and occurs nowhere else in the N.T. symmimētēs is thought (according to Strong’s) to be a combination of two words ‘syn’ (with) and mimeomai (follow) in fact in both the Textus Receptus and the GNT Morph (Primary sources of Greek Scripture) the passage starts with this compound word and in both the next word is mou (me)… Follow with me. This I believe appropriately changes the focus and the one we are following from Paul to an implied Christ (Holy Spirit).

Even if I’m all wet on the translation (I must admit there are several other places Paul writes a similar thing using different words) the context around the verse in question explicitly says don’t look to the flesh.

Philippians 3:9 I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.

Paul says I consider it all as garbage compared to knowing Christ. He goes on to encourage the reader to press on toward the goal. He speaks of the power and righteousness of Christ available to us and then:

Philippians 3:12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

So here again is this idea of looking to Christ and wanting to be like Him, following after Him. So even if the translation in all of the versions I looked at is correct, what Paul is saying in context is join me in following Christ. Maybe your saying duh…why all that over a couple of words?

Maybe I am over sensitive on the issue. It seems as if lately I’ve heard too many leaders in the church say (or imply) “look at me and do what I do.” You’ll never hear me say that even if it is quoting Paul! The quote from Paul I use is this:

Romans 7:19; 24a I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway…Oh, what a miserable person I am!

We may be able to do some good things…but even Jesus told the man who called Him Good Teacher.

Luke 18:19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.

The focus is always off of the flesh, off of the earthly things…even for Christ! We have no righteousness of our own; all of our good deeds are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

That is the example we follow and pattern our lives after (Philippians 3:17). For being an enemy of the Cross is looking to earthly things, (vs. 18) and some in the church in Philippi…in every church are behaving in that manner!

Philippians 3:19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

It’s a fragile balance to be in the world but not of it (John 17:14-18). We don’t despise and hate the things in this world (people, creation), yet we refuse to let them become our god. You say, “That’s crazy talk my family and my house and job are not my god!” Yet, when our desire for them is greater than our desire for God in Heaven…that is exactly what they are! We love them, we say more than ourselves…maybe. But Jesus said the first and greatest commandment was to love God and the second was just like it; love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) They are not contradictory or exclusive of one another…yet there is a hierarchy.

God must come first! In fact our passage says we aren’t even citizens of this world, but citizens of heaven, and someday soon the Lord Jesus Christ will return! This weak flesh that desires the things of this world will be transformed into His Glorious image! No longer will we even have an appetite for the things that separate us from God…what a day that will be, come Lord Jesus!