A GOD FOR ALL PEOPLE – Philippians 3:4b-1

The apostle Paul was responsible for planting more churches in the first century than anyone else. His zeal for spreading the word about the revelation of God in Jesus Christ knew no bounds. He literally went to the ends of the earth to spread the message. His missionary journeys took the new faith far beyond what anyone might have imagined and planted the message in the hearts and minds of people who had most probably had not even heard of the God of the Hebrew people.

This vision of Paul is even more amazing when we remember that what came to be known as Christianity had its beginnings as a minor sect in Judaism. The original disciples were all from the Jewish nation and Jesus made it abundantly clear that His coming was to bring the salvation of God to the nation. There was no clear intention for this new revelation to go beyond the chosen people. But Paul had probably heard about Romans, Greeks, Samaritans and others coming to Jesus for healing and to hear his teaching. He was probably also aware of what happened at the feast of Pentecost following the death and resurrection of Jesus.  So for Paul it was probably not unimaginable that the message that Christ brought from God should be shared far and wide – especially as the message had not made the impact on the Jewish leadership.  The prophets had often told the people that they were the chosen people not because they were to be the special people of God but because they were to be the light to the nations of the world. The message was to be lived by the people in such a way that others would be drawn to God.  But until the nation was unified in its commitment to God and had accepted God’s sacrifice in Jesus Christ, the message was to remain with the people.

But this interpretation by Paul of the mission which was already spoken of by the prophets of old was a fundamental point of contention in the early church. Those who strove to remain within the synagogue and the Temple firmly believed that the revelation of God in Jesus Christ was simply a further revelation of the one God of Israel and that it was a call to those people alone to a deeper relationship with their God. This was the God of Israel, not of the world.

But Paul, and those whom he preached to and converted, saw the revelation of God in Jesus Christ as more far-reaching. Paul believed that God was not just the God of Israel but indeed the only living God in the world.  Paul did not agree with the other leaders of the early church. He saw the message as one that would bring life, hope and salvation not just for one group of people but for all creation.  Not only did Paul’s audacious steps in faith bring the God of Israel to the world, but his strong theological training also enabled him to effectively convey that message to the world and guide and teach the new converts in a way that would honour the past and embrace the future.

A further point of contention came when those who wanted to keep the revelation to the people of Israel felt that if new people were to be invited to become followers of their God that those people would need to adhere to the law as given to Moses including the rite of circumcision. They even insisted on maintaining the dietary laws

Those of the Jerusalem community believed that anyone wanting to accept the message of God in Jesus Christ and be baptized had to first agree to be a good Jew. For the men that meant circumcision as well as changes in their diet – for certain foods were not permitted. For the women, the changes were more subtle, but all had to be converted first to Judaism and then to the Christian faith. Even though so many elements of the new revelation were in conflict with the old ways, there was still a desire to maintain these traditions.

They believed that the Christians would have to be seen as wholly Jewish in order for the others to see this as a fuller revelation of God’s will and plan instead of some upstart sect bent on tearing apart the faith and history of the people.

Paul saw it differently. In spite of being a Jew in every way, even a Pharisee, he understood that the past could be honoured and even preserved without the new believers adopting every practice from the past.  For Paul, baptism marked a new point in the history of God with the people of the world and Paul saw this as now the unifying event for all believers.

The message of salvation proclaimed by God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son sent from the Father, was a message not just for the Jew, but also for the Gentile. It was not just for free people but for slaves. It was not just the possession of the men in the society but also was for the women.

The message of God was not to be jealously guarded by one people nor was it to be kept from the world. It was to be proclaimed to any and all who would listen.  And so Paul went out from Jerusalem and traveled throughout much of the known world spreading the word and planting churches in places like Philippi, Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, and Rome just to name a few.

His passion for the faith and his strong desire that the message not lose its purpose and direction enabled the Christian faith to not only burst the borders of Israel but to become a living faith in much of the world.  Today there are people in places of the world who are believers because Paul had the courage and the vision to take the message beyond what anyone could have imagined.

His challenge to the people of Philippi to seek for a righteousness that comes not from a set of commandments but comes through faith in Jesus Christ is still sound advice even in our day. No one can be put right with God by always doing the right thing for no one of us can be perfect as God is perfect. But each of us can gain perfection through Christ whose sacrifice covers our sins and grants us full and everlasting life with our God.

Did Paul achieve perfection in his lifetime? He probably came closer than most but even he knew that he needed to daily commit himself to the goal of becoming like Christ.  Not through circumcision but through a commitment to trust God, to follow the commandments of Jesus and to let God guide his life to the end.  May we too be so guided in our living that we may follow the path of faith revealed through Christ and so be a light to those around us.

AMEN