Philippians 3:1-4 Beware of the Dogs

When I was a kid one of my favorite Bible verses was Philippians 3:2, which in the King James Version starts like this:

"Beware of dogs . . ."

I always got a kick out of the fact that the Bible said to "Beware of dogs," like there was a Rottweiler or something behind the fence, and the Bible was warning us about it.

Only later would I find out what Paul meant by that phrase in verse two. Here it is in the English Standard Version:

"Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh."

What is he talking about? Were there packs of wild dogs roving the Macedonian countryside that the Philippians needed to be careful about? And who were these evildoers who 'mutilate the flesh'? Cannibals? Witch doctors? What does Paul mean by this warning? That's what we learn in this Bible study. What Paul is warning the Philippians about is a danger far more grave than literal dogs or witch doctors. Understanding this warning is key to understanding this entire passage. Once we get a grip on who these people were that Paul was warning the Philippians about, we can understand everything else Paul tells them in this wonderful chapter.

These Bible studies in Philippians are informal, small group studies. Sometimes there are comments and sometimes there are questions. So don't think of these as sermons. They are more like discussions. I do think they are very informative, however, and good theology always leads to greater devotion. To listen just click on the link below.

Click here: Philippians 3:1-4