Many believers shall lose

Philippians chapter three is a startling wake-up call to a sleeping believer. The Holy Spirit says that many who walk as believers shall know destruction but on the other hand others shall know union with Life in all it’s fullness.

^{Phil 3:17} Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. New King James Version

The issue here is not your ultimate salvation in Jesus Christ but of reigning with Christ in the thousand year age about to begin.

One believer’s end is destruction while another believer’s end is to be transformed into the same image of Christ.

The word has been translated as destruction….but also means lose or loss.

G684 is destruction – ἀπώλεια
apōleia
ap-o’-li-a – : ruin or loss  – destruction, ruin, loss, perishing.

The word comes from G622 – ἀπόλλυμι
apollumi
ap-ol’-loo-mee
From G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively

KJV Usage: destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.

  It is often preached that simply by being a believer in Jesus Christ one has received all that there is as far as Salvation is concerned. But Paul uses the phrase – “there are many who walk” – to speak of those who are believers but who shall suffer loss instead of reward.

He references them again in 1 Corinthians 3:

¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

¹⁷ If anyone defiles(G5351) the temple of God, God will destroy(G5351) him.

For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

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In this passage in Corinthians Paul uses a word meaning SUFFER loss – G2210 – ζημιόω
zēmioō
dzay-mee-o’-o
From G2209; to injure, that is, (reflexively or passively) to experience detriment

KJV Usage: be cast away, receive damage, lose, suffer loss.

This is in contrast to the believer who receives a reward for his works of faith.

μισθός
misthos
mis-thos’
Apparently a primary word; pay for service (literally or figuratively), good or bad

Paul says that there are rewards or wages and there is also loss and ruin for the BELIEVER based upon what they did as ‘Temples of the living God’ in this life.

He tells us that both types of people shall be saved in the end — one via glory and the other through fire!! So disobedient believers shall be saved – of that there is no question. The issue is not salvation but rewards.

Paul connects this by reminding us that we are a TEMPLE of God inhabited by the Holy Spirit….and he warns us that if we “defile the temple of God“….NOT SOME BUILDING IN JERUSALEM…but our body and soul–GOD’S ETERNAL DWELLING PLACE. Then God shall destroy that one.

The word ‘defile’ and ‘destroy’ are translated from the same Greek word – G5351

φθείρω
phtheirō
fthi’-ro
Properly to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil (by any process) or

(genitive) to ruin (especially figuratively by moral influences, to deprave)

KJV Usage: corrupt (self), defile, destroy.

1Cor 3:¹⁷ If anyone habitually spoils, ruins, wrecks or corrupts God’s Temple, God will spoil, ruin, wreck and corrupt this person; for you see, God’s Temple – which you folks, yourselves, are (exist being) – is set-apart (holy; sacred; different from the common).  Jonathan Mitchell literal expanded.

The NKJV and even Jonathan Mitchell miss the aspect of this Greek word that means to shrivel or wither when talking of spoiling. If we habitually DO NOT CARE FOR GOD’S TEMPLE it shall wither and shrivel. A physical building needs regular maintenance to keep it in pristine condition. It is no different for us who ARE GOD’S TEMPLE.  If we are neglectful of our Temple it causes our spiritual life to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil.

I am not referring to physical activity though that is helpful, but to the things that affect our soul. If we allow our spiritual practice of worship, reading of His word, waiting on Him in prayer, communing with Him to be neglected we shall wither and shrivel…this is effectively RUINING AND DESTROYING GOD’S TEMPLE.

We are told  NOT TO NEGLECT the salvation that is given to us…

Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation,…? 

Lest we drift away is the same metaphor as suffer loss in 1 Cor 3:15

Lest we drift away is the same as whose end is destruction/loss/ruin in Philippians 3:19

So we have another contrast – ‘Give more earnest heed’ vs ‘neglect so great a salvation’

To give more earnest heed to His Salvation is to first of all hold it up in our mind as the HIGHEST THING THERE IS IN ALL THE UNIVERSE. We must prioritise the Lord in our lives and give Him the Highest place in every thing. This is the fear of the Lord. When we do not do that then we begin to become destroyers of God’s Temple rather than builders of it…and the result will be loss, ruin, destruction and a forfeiture of what WE COULD HAVE HAD AS SONS OF GOD.

Paul was concerned that those he wrote to would NOT MISS OUT on being in the UPWARD CALL OF GOD in Christ Jesus. Yes…this is the Rapture. The First resurrection is what Paul was referring to. He desperately wanted to be about God’s calling on his life and to qualify for that upward call of God when the Trumpet sounds….

^{1 Cor 15:50} Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

^{1 Thess 4:15} For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be(like this) with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Paul died in faith – not having received that promise – but shall be raised as he said- the dead in Christ shall be raised first….and then those who are ALIVE AND REMAIN...at the coming of Jesus shall be caught up and changed/transformed…in an instant!! to be like Him in every way except in that he is God.

Like Abraham and Sarah and the other Patriarchs who all died without having received the Promised LAND –Paul and the other Apostles and many more since that time have also died NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISED LAND(their immortality). It remains therefore that a people of God shall be alive and remain when Jesus comes….who shall be caught up to meet those just raised from the grave before them.

The interesting thing here is the word translated as REMAIN…perileipo –

περιλείπω
perileipō
per-ee-li’-po
From G4012 and G3007; to leave all around, that is, (passively) survive

KJV Usage: remain.