Philippians 3:19

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

Philippians 3:19 Meaning and Commentary

Philippians 3:19

Whose end [is] destruction
Everlasting destruction, the destruction of both body and soul in hell, ( Matthew 10:28 ) ; and this is the end, the reward and issue of bad principles and practices; the broad roads of sin and error lead to destruction, ( Matthew 7:13 ) ; however pleasing such ways may be to men, the end of them is eternal death; destruction and misery are in all the ways of profaneness and heresy; not only immoralities, but heresies, such as strike at the efficacy of Christ's cross, his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, are damnable ones, and bring upon men swift destruction, ( 2 Peter 2:1 ) ; and how should it otherwise be, for there is no salvation but by the cross of Christ? and if men are enemies to that, and the efficacy of it, and the way of salvation by it, there is no more, nor any other sacrifice for sin, ( Hebrews 10:26 ) , but a fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, ( Hebrews 10:27 ) ; and this will be the case of all barren and unfruitful professors, who are like the earth, that brings forth briers and thorns, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned, ( Hebrews 6:8 ) ; for what will the hope of such an one, founded on his profession, though he may have got credit and reputation among men, avail, when God takes away his soul?

whose god [is their] belly;
the belly was the god of the Cyclops, they sacrificed to none but to themselves, and to the greatest of the gods, their own belly ^F1; as money is the covetous man's god, whom he loves, adores, and puts his confidence in, so the belly is the god of the sensualist, the epicure, and voluptuous person; he has more regard for the service of that, than for the service of God? and of this complexion were these professors; they were lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God, ( 2 Timothy 3:4 ) ; all their pretensions to religion, to Christ, and his Gospel, were only to serve themselves, their own bellies, and not the Lord Jesus Christ, and to do good to the souls of men: or their belly may be said to be their god, because they placed religion in the observance of meats and drinks, either allowed or forbidden in the law of Moses, which profited not those that were occupied therein, ( Hebrews 9:10 ) ; for the kingdom of God, the Gospel dispensation, internal religion, and the exercise of it, lies not in these things, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, ( Romans 14:17 ) :

and whose glory [is] in their shame;
in their evil practices committed in secret, of which it was a shame to speak; in their hidden things of dishonesty, crafty walking, and deceitful handling of the word of God, which were vile and scandalous, ( 2 Corinthians 4:2 ) ; in corrupting the Gospel, and the churches of Christ, with their false doctrine; in observing and urging the ceremonies of the law, which were dead, and ought to be buried; and particularly circumcision in the flesh, in that part of the body which causes shame, and in this was their glory, ( Galatians 6:13 ) . The idol Baal Peor, and which is no other than the Priapus of the Heathens, is called by this name, ( Hosea 9:10 ) ; so the prophets of Baal are in the Septuagint on ( 1 Kings 18:19 1 Kings 18:25 ) called the prophets, (thv aiscunhv) , "of that shame"; it may be the apostle may have a regard to the secret debaucheries of these persons; or because they made their belly their god, he calls it their shame in which they gloried, and which was the name given to the idols of the Gentiles:

who mind earthly things.
The Arabic version renders it, "who entertain earthly opinions"; and some by, "earthly things" understand the ceremonies of the law, called the elements and rudiments of the world, which these false teachers were fond of, and were very diligent to inculcate and urge the observance of; though rather worldly things, such as honour, glory, and popular applause, and wealth, and riches, are meant; for they sought their own things, and not the things of Christ; through covetousness, with feigned words, they made merchandise of men, and amassed to themselves great sums of money; and yet were greedy dogs, could never have enough, everyone looking for his gain from his quarter, ( Isaiah 56:11 ) : and now persons of such characters as these were by no means to be followed, but such who are hereafter described.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Euripides.

Philippians 3:19 In-Context

17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ;

21 who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things to himself.