Kingdom dynamics

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?

1. 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.

1. 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.