We have already had occasion in the previous sermon to refer to Paul's
catalogue of 'things that were gain' to him, but we must consider it a
little more closely here. We may repeat that it is important for
understanding Paul's point of view to note that by 'flesh' he means the
whole self considered as independent of God. The antithesis to it is
'spirit,' that is humanity regenerated and vitalised by Divine
influence. 'Flesh,' then, is humanity not so vitalised. That is to say,
it is 'self,' including both body and emotions, affections, thoughts,
and will.
As to the points enumerated, they are those which made the ideal to a
Jew, including purity of race, punctilious orthodoxy, flaming zeal,
pugnacious antagonism, and blameless morality. With reference to race,
the Jewish pride was in 'circumcision on the eighth day,' which was the
exclusive privilege of one of pure blood. Proselytes might be
circumcised in later life, but one of the 'stock of Israel' only on the
'eighth day.' Saul of Tarsus had in earlier days been proud of his
tribal genealogy, which had apparently been carefully preserved in the
Gentile home, and had shared ancestral pride in belonging to the once
royal tribe, and perhaps in thinking that the blood of the king after
whom he was named flowed in his veins. He was a 'Hebrew of the Hebrews,'
which does not mean, as it is usually taken to do, intensely,
superlatively Hebrew, but simply is equivalent to 'myself a Hebrew, and
come from pure Hebrew ancestors on both sides.' Possibly also the phrase
may have reference to purity of language and customs as well as blood.
These four items make the first group. Paul still remembers the time
when, in the blindness which he shared with his race, he believed that
these wholly irrelevant points had to do with a man's acceptance before
God. He had once agreed with the Judaisers that 'circumcision' admitted
Gentiles into the Jewish community, and so gave them a right to
participate in the blessings of the Covenant.
Then follow the items of his more properly religious character, which
seem in their three clauses to make a climax. 'As touching the law a
Pharisee,' he was of the 'straitest sect,' the champions and
representatives of the law. 'As touching zeal persecuting the Church,'
it was not only in Judaism that the mark of zeal for a cause has been
harassing its opponents. We can almost hear a tone of sad irony as Paul
recalls that past, remembering how eagerly he had taken charge of the
clothes trusted to his care by the witnesses who stoned Stephen, and how
he had 'breathed threatening and slaughter' against the disciples. 'As
touching the righteousness which is in the law found blameless,' he is
evidently speaking of the obedience of outward actions and of
blamelessness in the judgment of men.
So we get a living picture of Paul and of his confidence before he was a
Christian. All these grounds for pride and self-satisfaction were like
triple armour round the heart of the young Pharisee, who rode out of
Jerusalem on the road to Damascus. How little he thought that they would
all have been pierced and have dropped from him before he got there! The
grounds of his confidence are antiquated in form, but in substance are
modern. At bottom the things in which Paul's 'flesh' trusted are exactly
the same as those in which many of us trust. Even his pride of race
continues to influence some of us. We have got the length of separating
between our nationality and our acceptance with God, but we have still a
kind of feeling that 'God's Englishmen,' as Milton called them, have a
place of their own, which is, if not a ground of confidence before God,
at any rate a ground for carrying ourselves with very considerable
complacency before men. It is not unheard of that people should rely, if
not on 'circumcision on the eighth day,' on an outward rite which seems
to connect them with a visible Church. Strict orthodoxy takes the place
among us which Pharisaism held in Paul's mind before he was a Christian,
and it is easier to prove our zeal by pugnacity against heretics, than
by fervour of devotion. The modern analogue of Paul's, 'touching the
righteousness which is in the law blameless,' is 'I have done my best, I
have lived a decent life. My religion is to do good to other people.'
All such talk, which used to be a vague sentiment or excuse, is now put
forward in definite theoretical substitution for the Christian Truth,
and finds numerous teachers and acceptors. But how short a way all such
grounds of confidence go to satisfy a soul that has once seen the vision
that blazed in on Paul's mind on the road to Damascus!