Section 8
and allow Him to have a free way in them. The cause of this problem is religion, philosophy, and culture.
If we would get into the depths of Paul's thought in Philippians 3:7 and 8, we would re alize that Paul was very concerned about the matters of religion, philosophy, and culture. His word about the dogs, the evil workers, and the concision in verse 2 confirms this. The conci sion, a contemptuous term for circumcision, is a matter not only related to religion, but is a mat ter especially related to Jewish culture. Moreover, Jewish culture is based upon Jewish philosophy and logic. In verse 3 Paul says that we are the circumcision, who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Then he goes on to give the reasons he once had for confidence in the flesh, listing seven items related to Jewish religion, philoso phy, and culture. These are the very things Paul counted as loss on account of Christ. Do you know why he counted them loss? It is because they were all substitutes for Christ, hooks used by Satan to keep people from Christ and from the experience of Christ. How subtle is the enemy in keeping us from the experience of Christ!
Oh, the subtlety of the enemy needs to be