Philippians 3:2

2. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision.

Translation and Paraphrase

2. (Now, my brothers,) Beware of the dogs! Beware of the evil workers! Beware of the (flesh-) cutting, the slashing-cision!

Notes

1.

Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the concision. The dogs referred to here were the Judaizers, those who insisted that Christians must keep the law of Moses, with its laws about circumcision, not eating meats, etc.

2.

The word dog had a very ugly connotation to ancient Jews. They did not think of dogs as we think of our prized household pets. To them the word dog brought to mind the unclean, half-wild, roaming, pack-running, scavenging pariah dogs of that part of the world.

Dog stands for a homosexual in Deuteronomy 23:18. Dogs are outside of heaven. (Revelation 22:15). Give not what is holy to dogs. (Matthew 7:5). Gentiles are called dogs (Matthew 15:27).

3.

Why should Paul call these Judaizers evil workers and dogs? They taught that people were saved by doing ceremonial works like circumcision, and by keeping the law, and fulfilling the works of the law. By doing this they placed themselves completely at odds with God's will as revealed through Christ. Of course they would have denied this, but Paul's evaluation of them must be accepted as true. Therefore in our own time anyone who insists that we must keep the law of Moses, wholly or in part, must be included in Paul's condemnation.

4.

The word concision (Gr. katatome) is a play on the word circumcision (Gr. peritome). In Old Testament times circumcision was a sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and was absolutely necessary. Under our Christian dispensation circumcision is of no importance at all. (Galatians 6:15) Paul uses the rather derisive name concision to refer to compulsory circumcision in our times. Concision means a cutting, a slashing, a pagan mutilation of the flesh which served no purpose. That which the Judaizers called circumcisiona mark of honorwas to Paul on a concisiona meaningless mutilation of the flesh. Compare Galatians 5:12 for a similar thought.

5.

Concision is used in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) in several very unflattering connections;

Leviticus 21:5Make not cuttings in their (the priests-')flesh.

1 Kings 18:28The prophets of Baal slashed themselves as they prayed for Baal to send down fire upon his altar.

Isaiah 15:2The Moabites cut their beards in grief.

6.

How could Paul refer to these Judaizers as evil workers? Basically because they insisted upon forcing their false doctrine upon Gentile converts to Christ, and would not listen to Paul's message of truth. Paul truly loved his fleshly kinsmen the Jews (Romans 9:1-2); nonetheless they fiercely and fanatically opposed him everywhere he went. Even the Christian Jews showed antagonism toward Paul. In doing such actions they made themselves evil workers.

7.

3:2 begins a new section in our outline, which we entitle False Teachers contrasted with Paul's example (Philippians 3:2-21). The first subtopic in this section is Philippians 3:2-17, which deals with the topic Why beware of the law-keepers. Two reasons are developed for this: (1) Law-keepers are not the true people of God; and (2) Paul had more to place confidence in than they had, but he sought Christ only.