...by James Hansen.
(On Philippians 3:1-14)
Paul is bold. He is not afraid to use whatever means necessary to get his point across. In Philippians 3:8, Paul uses the Greek word skubalon, which we translate "rubbish." A more accurate term would be one that refers to... um... you know the mikey? That stuff we fill it with? Sometimes people use this word as a swear word... yeah that word. Come on. You know what I'm talking about. That's what that Greek word means- that is its English equivalent that mirrors how that word was used in Paul's time.
Paul does not hold back. He considers all that is not Christ and all that is not rooted in Christ complete and utter skubalon. What does that mean for us? Look at your own life. Where is Christ? What aspects of your life are rooted in Christ? What aspects of your life are not rooted in Christ? Paul makes it clear that EVERY aspect of our lives needs to be rooted in Christ and not filled, like the mikey, with skubalon (pardon my Greek teehee).
I'm currently in the process of writing an extensive research paper on low self-esteem among adolescents. One of the things I'm discovering more and more is that humans are constantly putting their confidence in the wrong things. Paul put his confidence in being a "Hebrew of Hebrews" (mirroring "King of kings"); a Pharisee- one who knows God's Law extremely well; so zealous he slaughtered Christians. And then one day, he gave all that up to and for Christ, not for his glory but for God's. He put all his confidence in Christ alone.
Man when you put it like that it's so hard to deny Christ. "Would you rather be filled with skubalon or Christ?" It's almost a rhetorical question once we understand the condition of our lives apart from our savior.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this prompts me to say: Go Paul! He is a man who really understood the gospel and was not ashamed to say it like it is.
No wonder he wrote to Timothy:
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline."
First of all, love the title. Way to follow through ;) second of all, I loved this discussion 100% and would be fascinated to read your research paper! I often find myself wishing the struggle to put my confidence in Christ alone was just something that plagued my adolescent years or the first stage of my walk with Christ, but it's just not true. As Reid likes to say, "no one graduates from Jesus school!" Jesus, teach me again what it looks like to consider all else except You as skubalon!
ReplyDeleteThanks James.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to give Jesus credit for starting this skubulon trend. In John its Jesus who takes dirty jars (you can get the details from Reid) and turns them into wine. It's Jesus who says that out of you can flow living water instead of something else.
He takes my death and turns it to life and then asks me to do the same, that is, take sin (death) against me and transform it through His person in me to Life.
His call is for me to eat the skubulon (other's sin) and make it sparkle like living water.
Beautiful stuff that skubulon can be if I'm willing to forgive.
Thanks for your post James. You're helping me grow and appreciate Christ's person and call.
PS - for the record - God asked Ezekiel do some vile things with skubulon and supper as a physical manifestation of our sin. Seems like this sin/skubulon for dinner, the Lord's supper cleaning up our mess and transforming our death to death digestive nature with His life, thing has been in motion through the prophets for some time. (I know that's an impossibly long sentence but it will have to do for now.) Peace.