Philippians 3:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet was this said about them alone? Does no one present here with us fall under the same accusation?

Or does none of you deserve it? Does no one count the belly as god? Do you not place your glory in shame?

I wish, I strongly wish, that nothing of the kind could be applied to us. I would even wish not to know anyone to whom this saying could be charged as a rebuke.

But I fear that the Apostle is speaking more to us than to his own contemporaries.

For if someone spends his whole life on drinking and eating, gives little to the poor, and spends more on his belly, is it not fitting to apply this saying to him?

Nothing can stir shame more, and nothing can be more reproachful, than this saying: "Their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame."

Who are these people? Those who "set their minds on earthly things." One says: we will build houses. Where? On earth.

He says: we will buy fields. Again, on earth. We will obtain power. Again, on earth.

We will attain glory. Again, on earth. We will grow rich. All on earth. These are the ones whose god is the belly.

Those who do not think of spiritual things, whose whole care and thoughts are bounded by the earth, truly have the belly as god.

They say, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor 15:32).

And after this do you still complain that your body is from the earth, although this does you no harm with respect to virtue?

Tell me, do you laugh and amuse yourself, dragging the soul down to dust by pleasures, and give this no thought at all?

What forgiveness will you receive, after casting yourself into such insensibility, when even the body itself must be made spiritual?

This is possible, if only you would wish it. The belly was given to you so that you might nourish it, not enlarge it.

It was given so that you might govern it, not be subject to it. It was given to serve you by nourishing the other members, not so that you should serve it.

It was not given so that you might go beyond bounds. The sea, when it overflows its shores, does not cause as many evils as the stomach causes to our body and also to the soul.

The sea floods the whole land, but the stomach burdens the whole body. Set sufficiency as its boundary, just as God enclosed the sea with sand.

If it surges and rages, forbid it by the authority given to you. See how God honored you with reason, so that you might imitate Him.

But you do not wish this. You see the stomach overfilled, disordering your whole nature and turning into a swamp.

Yet you do not dare restrain it and make it moderate. "Their god," he says, "is the belly."

Let us see how Paul served God. Let us also see how gluttons serve the belly.

Are they not subjected to countless deaths? Are they not afraid to refuse it any demand whatsoever?

Do they not slavishly serve it even in the impossible? Are they not worse than slaves?

But Paul is not such. Therefore he also said: "Our citizenship is in heaven."

The latter regards all people as lower than its own lowliness. The former thinks on what is above the world. The latter dreams of earthly things. The former desires divine and ever-memorable glory. The latter loves glory that fades away.

He honors it as the image of His saving death and glorious victory over the kingdom of sin and Hades. Therefore, after speaking of the enemies of the Cross, the Apostle adds concerning them: "Their end is destruction, their god is the belly" (v. 19).

The Cross belongs to a soul that has entered the struggle, is ready for death, and expects no rest at all. But they live in the complete opposite way. Christ usually calls sufferings a cross when He says, 'He who does not take his cross and follow Me' (Mt 10:38). That is, if anyone is not ready for death. Sensual people, lovers of life and flesh, are enemies of the Cross. And now, he says, I tell you even with tears. Indeed, those are worthy of tears who fatten the garment of their soul, that is, the body. They give no thought at all to the punishments in the life to come. To do what is shameful is a grievous sin. Yet the sin is reduced by half if the one who does it is ashamed. But when someone even boasts in shameful things, this is the height of insensibility. Was this said only about them? I fear that Paul speaks more to us than to his contemporaries. Nothing can more arouse shame or strike the soul than this saying: their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame. Who are these people? They are those who mind earthly things and say: We will build a house. Where? On earth. We will buy fields, again on earth. We will gain authority, on earth. We will attain glory, on earth. We will grow rich, all on earth. These are the ones whose god is the belly. For those who do not think about spiritual things truly have the belly as their god, saying: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!' (1 Cor 15:32). The sea overflowing its banks does not harm as much as the belly harms body and soul. Let us set satisfaction as its boundary, as God fenced the sea with sand. And if it rages, restrain it by the authority given to you" (cf. 1 Pet 4:17; Rom 6:21; 2 Cor 11:15).

From this come shameful deeds, of which it is not fitting even to speak. "Who mind earthly things." The concluding trait is that all their aims and hopes are bounded by the earth.

Good things above the earth are unknown to them. Since man cannot do without paradise, they expect to arrange their own paradise on earth.

Here is what Chrysostom says about such a way of life: "Nothing is more improper and more alien to a Christian than seeking idleness and rest, that is, a dissipated life with many comforts.

"Nothing is so contrary to our calling as strong attachment to the present life. Your Lord was crucified, and you seek rest? Your Master was nailed, and you give yourself to pleasures?

"Is this the work of a grateful soldier of Christ the King? Therefore Paul says: Many walk, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the Cross of Christ.

"There were people who hypocritically held to Christianity, yet lived in idleness and luxury, which is contrary to the Cross. Therefore the Apostle speaks in this way.

"The Cross belongs to a soul that has entered battle, is ready for death, and does not seek rest at all. But they live in exactly the opposite way.

"Therefore, though they call themselves Christ’s, they are enemies of the Cross. Otherwise, if they loved the Cross, they would strive to live a life proper to the Crucified One.

"Was not your Lord crucified? If you cannot be crucified in the same way as the Lord, you can imitate Him in another way.

"Crucify yourself, even if no one crucifies you. I say, crucify yourself, yet not for this purpose and not in such a way as to kill yourself, for that is lawless.

"Crucify yourself according to Paul’s word: The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (cf. Gal 6:14). If you love your Master, die His death.

"Know how great is the power of the Cross, and what beneficent effects it produced and produces. Christ usually calls sufferings a cross when He says, Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me (cf. Mt 10:38).

"This means: whoever is not ready for death. Sensual people, lovers of life and flesh, are enemies of the Cross.

"Indeed, everyone devoted to pleasures and earthly rest is an enemy of the Cross, in which Paul boasts, which he embraces, and with which he strives to be closely united.

"This is clear from his words: The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

"But now, he says, I tell you even weeping. Why? Because the evil has increased, and because such people are worthy of tears.

"Indeed, those who spend their life in pleasures are worthy of tears. They fatten the garment of their soul, that is, the body, and do not think at all about punishments in the life to come.

"Here you live in pleasure. Here you are drunk today, and tomorrow, and for ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, or a hundred years, which is impossible. Yet let us allow even this, if you wish.

"What is the end? What is the profit? None. Therefore is such a life not worthy of tears and lamentation?

"God has placed us in this arena in order to crown us, but we leave it without having done anything valiant.

"Therefore Paul weeps over what others laugh at and delight in: whose god is their belly. Therefore their god is, Let us eat and drink (1 Cor 15:32).

"Do you see how evil pleasure is? For some, money is god. For others, the belly is god. Are such people not idolaters? Are they not even worse than idolaters?

"And their glory is in their shame. Some say that these words indicate circumcision. But I say something entirely different, namely this: they boast in what they ought to be ashamed of.

"The Apostle says the same elsewhere: What fruit had you then in the things of which you are now ashamed? (cf. Rom 6:21).

"To do what is shameful is a grievous sin. Yet the sin is reduced by half if the one doing it is ashamed. But when someone even boasts in shameful things, this is the height of insensibility.

"But was this said about them alone? Is none of us subject to this accusation? Or does none of us deserve it?

"Does no one count the belly as god? Does no one set his glory in his shame? I desire, I greatly desire, that nothing of the sort could be applied to us.

"I would wish not even to know anyone against whom these words could be brought as a reproach. But I fear that Paul is speaking more to us than to his own contemporaries.

"If someone spends his whole life in drinking and eating, gives little to the poor, and spends more on the belly, is it not fitting to apply these words to him?

"Nothing can awaken shame more or strike more forcefully than this saying: whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame.

"Who are these people? Those who mind earthly things. They say: We will build houses. Where? On earth. We will buy fields, again on earth.

"We will receive authority, on earth. We will attain glory, on earth. We will become rich, all on earth. These are the ones whose god is their belly.

"Those who do not think of spiritual things, and whose whole care and thoughts are bounded by the earth, truly have the belly as god, saying: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (1 Cor 15:32).

"You laugh and amuse yourself, while with pleasures you bring your soul down to the dust. What forgiveness will you receive after casting yourself into such insensibility?

"Even the body itself ought to be made spiritual. This is possible, if you are willing.

"The belly was given to you so that you might nourish it, not enlarge it. It was given so that you might govern it, not be subject to it.

"It was given so that it might serve you in nourishing the other members, not so that you might serve it. It was not given so that you might go beyond bounds.

"The sea, when it bursts its banks, does not cause as many evils as the belly harms the body and the soul together. The sea floods the whole land, but the belly floods the whole body.

"Set sufficiency as its boundary, just as God fenced the sea with sand. If it surges, if it rages, rebuke it with the authority given to you.

"See how God honored you with reason, so that you might imitate Him, yet you do not wish to do so.

"When you see the belly overfilled, disordering your whole nature, and turning into a swamp, you do not dare restrain it and make it moderate."