Page 1031 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

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OCTOBER 8
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Philippians 3:1–21
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me days Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
without number. 3 For me to write the same things to you is
not tedious, but for you it is safe.
“Why do you beautify your way to seek 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers,
33
love? beware of the mutilation! For we are the cir-
3
Therefore you have also taught cumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,
The wicked women your ways.
34
Also on your skirts is found
The blood of the lives of the poor
innocents.
I have not found it by secret search, 3:2 dogs. During the first century, dogs
But plainly on all these things. roamed the streets and were essentially wild
35 Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent, scavengers.Because dogs were such filthy ani-
Surely His anger shall turn from me.’ mals, the Jews loved to refer to Gentiles as
dogs. Yet here Paul refers to Jews, specifically
Behold, I will plead My case against you,
Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ the Judaizers, as dogs to describe their sinful,
vicious,and uncontrolled character.evil work-
Why do you gad about so much to ers.The Judaizers prided themselves on being
36
change your way? workers of righteousness. Yet Paul described
Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as their works as evil,since any attempt to please
you were ashamed of Assyria. God by one’s own efforts and draw attention
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Indeed you will go forth from him away from Christ’s accomplished redemption
With your hands on your head; is the worst kind of wickedness.mutilation. In
For the LORD has rejected your trusted contrast to the Greek word for “circumcision,”
allies, which means “to cut around,”this term means
And you will not prosper by them. “to cut down (off).” Like the prophets of Baal
(1 Kin. 18:28) and pagans who mutilated their
Psalm 116:5–14 bodies in their frenzied rituals,which were for-
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; bidden in the Old Testament (Lev. 19:28; 21:5;
Yes, our God is merciful. Deut. 14:1), the Judaizers’ circumcision was,
The LORD preserves the simple;
6 ironically, no spiritual symbol; it was merely
I was brought low, and He saved me. physical mutilation.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
7
For the LORD has dealt bountifully rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confi-
with you. dence in the flesh, though I also might have
4
8 For You have delivered my soul from confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks
death, he may have confidence in the flesh, I more
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My eyes from tears, so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock
And my feet from falling. of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew
9 of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a
I will walk before the LORD 6
In the land of the living. Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the
I believed, therefore I spoke,
10 church; concerning the righteousness which
“I am greatly afflicted.” is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I
I said in my haste, 8
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“All men are liars.” have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also
count all things loss for the excellence of the
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What shall I render to the LORD knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom
For all His benefits toward me? I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
13 I will take up the cup of salvation, them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and
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And call upon the name of the LORD. be found in Him, not having my own righ-
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I will pay my vows to the LORD teousness, which is from the law, but that
Now in the presence of all His people. which is through faith in Christ, the righteous-
ness which is from God by faith; that I may
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Proverbs 27:1
know Him and the power of His resurrection,
Do not boast about tomorrow, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
27 For you do not know what a day conformed to His death, if, by any means, I
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may bring forth. may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
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