The
concept of heavenly citizenship III
Abreham
G.
In
part two of my article I argued that the idea of citizenship in Phil
3:20 has some kind of link to Philippi's status as a Roman city and
its Roman citizen residents. The city was administered as though it
was Rome and the people, at least those elevated to Roman
citizenship, lived as though they were in Rome. Paul's injunction for
the Christian community of Philippi was that they need to behave as
citizens of heaven. Then the question one might raise is “how do
people of heaven behave?”
What
is heaven? Is heaven a place where Christians go to when they die or
where Jesus is taking us when he comes back? Or is heaven a reality,
a paradigm, a realm that we are in touch with constantly? I cannot
answer these questions in this article1.
Because Paul did not say much about what heaven is like in this text.
What he made explicit was rather what people of heaven (citizens of
heaven) look like and how they behave. This becomes even clearer when
we read the way he talked about these life patterns. “Join together
in following
my example . . . keep your eyes on those who live
as we do . . . [f]or . . . many live
as enemies of the cross of Christ” (emphasis mine). Here Paul is
presenting heaven as a paradigm, a pattern of life which Christians
should follow or imitate. Therefore, heavenly citizenship means
avoiding one form of life pattern and adopting another. Which ones
are we to avoid and which ones should we adopt?
- Avoid
3:18-19
For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with
tears, many
live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their destiny
is destruction, their god
is their stomach, and their glory
is in their shame. Their mind
is set on earthly things (emphasis
mine).
Paul
did not specifically say that the Philippians should avoid these
people he tagged as “enemies of the cross.” By setting himself and those that were like him
as role models, he implied that there were others the Philippians
should not follow/imitate. Who
were these people? Their identity is a subject of speculation among
biblical scholars. And I do not dare to go that direction. I would
focus on the characters or life patterns that constitute enmity to
the cross of Christ.
Broadly
speaking, meaning in light of established New Testament teachings,
enmity to the cross means, a refusal to embrace the cross as God's
sole remedy for human sinfulness. This was what Paul encountered at
Corinth (1 Cor 1:18 ff). The cross of Christ, for the wisdom seeking
Greeks and the miracle craving Jews, was a cause for offense. They
could not comprehend the message/kerugma of the cross – a crucified
Messiah/Son of God – to be a revelation of God's saving wisdom and
power. How can it be? Jews would say “how can an imposter who was
executed for claiming to be the Son of God be a Messiah?” And the
Greeks would argue “a dying Son of God? That is absurd. The gods do
not die! Anyone who claims to be one and die must be a lunatic of
some sort.” Despite these actual and assumed allegations against
the gospel, we have not changed our kerugma. We are like a musician
who plays the same music year after year. We have been proclaiming
the kerugma of a crucified and a resurrected Messiah from the heydays
of the Roman Empire to the postmodern world. God's ways are not
always conventional. The sooner we come to terms with this reality,
the better.
Enmity
to the cross also means a refusal to conform to the image of the
suffering Christ (3:11)2.
The Philippians were suffering in the hands of their own countrymen.
Paul too was imprisoned by the Romans for the sake of the gospel.
Yet, he made a bold declaration that suffering for the sake of Christ
has been given (the Greek term is graced, just as salvation is
graced) to Christians (1:29)3.
Although, he did not mention the subject who made the giving/gracing,
we are certain about one thing – that no disciple of Christ should
shy away from it4.
Suffering for the sake of the gospel is a distant memory among
churches in the western hemisphere. It was not so in the first few
centuries of church history. It is not so even today for Christians
of the Majority World (developing countries).
Furthermore,
Verse 19 lists the characters that constitute enmity to the cross of
Christ. It is a life pattern crafted by an earthly mindset. It
deifies (godifies) sensuality and glamors in its shame. Finally it
ends in destruction. These descriptions sum up our popular culture.
Adopting heavenly life patterns requires first of all denouncing a
lifestyle that would constitute enmity to the cross of Christ. That
is called repentance.
- Adopt
3:20-21
But [for] our citizenship
is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21
who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his
control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like
his glorious body (emphasis
mine).
What
were the Philippian expected to adopt? And what is its implications
for us who live in the post modern times? Simply what was God's word
for them is God's word for us. Hence the implication is many.
According to verses 20-21 it meant eagerly awaiting the appearing of
Jesus Christ, the Supreme Lord and Savior of humanity, setting our
hope in the glory that we partake when he comes back – the
transformation of our bodies into the likeness of Christ's body of
glory. When we go a little further and examine the entire epistle, it
means; rejoicing in the Lord even in suffering (1:18, 19; 2:16),
using every opportunity for the gospel (1:12-13), counting death
(death of a martyr) as gain (1:21-23), looking out for the interests
of others ahead of ourselves (2:19-21), risking our lives for the
sake of the gospel (2:30), holding the knowledge of Christ in high
regard and consider all gains rubbish (3:8-9), and imitating and
transforming into the likeness of Christ in his suffering (3:10-11).
If we dare to go even further to the rest of Scripture, it means
joining the company of the faithful who throughout history lived
their lives in God's pattern.
Are
these what you expected heavenly citizenship to be? A list of life
patterns that look grim and not flashy? I hope I have not
disappointed you. If I do, please blame Paul, not me. Because I too
was jolted when I discovered what it means to be a heavenly citizen.
There is nothing exciting about suffering. How can I be asked to look
for the interests of others ahead of myself while I am buried in my
own problems. But I have a good news. Paul had made them look simple.
He said “watch and learn”. He sets himself and other like him
(contextually speaking Timothy and Epaphroditus) as role models. His
last
remark on verse 19 where he talks about the mind of the wrong models
sets an interpretive paradigm to the concept of heavenly citizenship
of verse 20.5
The genesis of heavenly life patterns lies in the mindset of its
messengers, those who proclaimed the downing of God's rule in the
person and work of Jesus Christ. I feel like Paul was saying, “as
much as I have the mind of Christ, get that mindset!” He behaved
the way he did because he had a different set of mind. He had a
unique “philosophy”, if I may use the term. He approached
everything and everyone (himself, others around him including the
praetorian guard, Caesar's household, the Jews, his co-workers, the
Philippians, his sufferings, the life that is and the life to come)
from a different perspective, a heavenly one. Such perspectives are
rare commodities. They cannot be shopped at a nearby grocery store.
They require us to pay careful attention and reflect on the lives of
these role models, past and present. If you find anyone who is
heavenlier, please note him or her. If you do, you will save Paul(s)
some tears.
To be continued . . .
1For
further inquiry please refer to “Surprised by Hope” by N. T.
Wright.
2Stephen
E. Fowl, Philippians.
The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2005
170-171
3The
verb “granted” in Greek is “echaristhe”. The noun “charis”
is equivalent to the English “grace”.
4“For
you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in
Him, but also to suffer for His sake” Phil 1:29 (NIV). The verb
'has been granted' in the Greek is one word echaristhe
and is in the passive voice, emphasizing the act rather than the
actor. O'Brien argues that the verb in the passive voice “signifies
that the gracious activity was God's” 159.
5Fee
363. See Phil 2:5; 3:15; and 4:8 for further proof of Paul's
emphasis on the thought paradigm of the Philippians. In all three
occasions he has set Christ and himself as examples.
