Emmaus Saturday Morning Men’s Bible Study Ý
Copyright 2004 by William Meisheid

Philippians: Chapter 3:12-21                      Saturday, March 13, 2004

Today’s theme: Keeping on, keeping on.

Scriptural background: 2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.”

Quotes to think about

"The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave, determined spirit." - Mark Twain (1835-1910), [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] American author, humorist

Hair by hair you will pull out the horse’s tail. “Sertorius, in order to teach his soldiers that perseverance and wit are better than brute force, had two horses brought before them, and set two men to pull out their tails. One of the men was a burly Hercules, who tugged and tugged, but all to no purpose; the other was a sharp, wizened-faced tailor, who plucked one hair at a time, amidst roars of laughter, and soon left the tail quite bare.” Told by Plutarch, Priest of the Delphic Oracle and early historian famous for his “Lives”.

Review

1.  Why do you think circumcision was such a problem in the early Church?

2.  When Paul talks about confidence in the flesh, what is he talking about?

Chapter 3:12-21

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

1.  What is significant about “Jesus took hold of me”/

¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2.  What do you think Paul means by forgetting what is behind?

3.  What is the prize? Read Romans 8:16-17

¹⁵All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶Only let us live up to what we have already attained. ¹⁷Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

4.  What is the mature view we should take?

¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

5.  What does he mean by “their god is their stomach”?

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who, 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.

6.  Why was it important, especially coming from Paul, to emphasize their heavenly citizenship?

7.  What does Paul say we have to look forward to?

Assignment

Read Chapter 4 verses 1-9 and think about what it means to rejoice in the Lord. Can you rejoice, even when everything is going against you?

Continue to think about the prayer you are working based on Paul’s example.