Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

out for these false teachers and carnal believers. Those believers who are polarized in either
legalism or antinomianism are enemies of the cross. Legalists are subtracting from the finished
work on the cross by forcing believers to live under laws that were fulfilled by Christ Jesus.
Antinomians are living lives that are in complete rebellion to the Lord.
Both legalistic and antinomian believers are operating from Satan’s cosmic system and are
therefore enemies of Christ. They are still believers, but they are far from Him in their daily life.
They are literally everywhere in the United States, in pulpits and congregations across the
country. If you are a growing believer, you are going to come across reversionistic believers. If
you befriend them, they will eventually “get under your skin” and try to get you to ignore
doctrine and pursue some other “fun” or lofty pursuit. They are born-again believers, but they
are carnal and reversionistic; they hate God’s protocol plan for Church Age believers and they
are bored with Bible doctrine. They worship themselves, another human figure, or some form of
panacea that is unimportant as far as the spiritual life is concerned. These reversionistic pastors,
teachers and other carnal believers are part of a “spiritual aggressor squad” that has as its
primary objective, to attack your obedience to the Word of God.
How do these individuals operate? Jesus Christ is alright, as long as His message doesn’t get in
the way of their lifestyle. The legalistic contingency doesn’t care if you read the Bible as long as
you adhere to their handful of rules and regulations that they have set up for controlling your
outward behavior and altering your personality. Legalists are usually power-mongers,
individuals who are completely absorbed in approbation lust. The antinomian contingency
doesn’t care if you go to Bible study as long as it doesn’t get in the way of their party-time
atmosphere; most antinomian believers rate social life as a higher priority than fellowship in the
Word with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Because these reversionists are so dangerous, Paul
weeps (Pictorial Present tense) for those Philippian believers (with a lump in his throat) that he
knows will succumb to their charms and arguments.
REVELANT OPINIONS
One who would direct his life in accordance with the Word of God must have his life controlled by
the Word of God, or he will never conform to the standards laid down in the Scriptures. That is
exactly the problem the apostle is facing. It is a principle readily observed that false doctrine always
begets false practice ... Whether it is the law of Moses or a set of manmade rules devised by
Christians to control conduct, it is the same basic fallacy: it denies the efficacy of the cross. This is a
doctrinal error that sets aside that which God has made supreme and preeminent and substitutes that
which pleases men. In addition to this doctrinal error that makes them enemies of the cross of Christ,
there is a practical error. These men are not only doctrinally but practically enemies of the cross of
Christ, for they take man’s standards and the world’s standards and make those the standards for
Christian conduct. Paul says this is a devilish doctrine and those who follow this doctrine and
manifest it in false practices are enemies of the cross of Christ. In practice they are living to please
themselves; their standard of conduct is not the standard of the Word of God or the standard revealed
in the godliness of Jesus Christ. The standard which they have adopted for their own conduct is what