Beware of the dogs

Philippians 2:19-3:3 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

But I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. ²⁰ For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. ²¹ For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. ²² But you know of his proven character, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. ²³ Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; ²⁴ and I trust in the Lord that I myself will also be coming shortly. ²⁵ But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need, ²⁶ because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly, so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. ²⁹ Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold people like him in high regard, ³⁰ because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to compensate for your absence in your service to me.

3 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.

² Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; ³ for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh,

Today’s text ends with the warning: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. Paul’s warning is affirmed in Revelation 22:12-15 which says: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. The dogs which are referred to are not canine, but rather designated as lessor than the children.

In Matthew 15:22-28 it says: A Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us!” But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” Yet He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at once.  Then and now, those who are outside of the faith can still reap the blessings of the overflow of the kingdom of heaven on earth. That’s what it means when Jesus taught us to pray: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. It is as if bits of heaven come and invade and impact the circumstances on earth. When the realities of heaven are manifested on earth we see miracles. When Jesus returns to establish His new kingdom of heaven on earth, it will not be so for those who are left outside, for the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. In Revelation 21:5-8 the Lord says: “Behold, I am making all things new. Write, for these words are faithful and true. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost. The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  

We’ve seen in recent meditations that if we truly love God and love others as Jesus said we should, then we need to be honest and speak the truth. We need to warn them so that they will not be left outside. We need to warn them to worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. Ephesians 4:15-16 says: Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.  We need to speak the truth so that those who we love may grow up and be built up in love and be among those who inherit life.

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, both in and through my life. Give us this day our daily bread. As the psalmist says: Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. You are all that I need. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one and help us to beware of the ones who are evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.