We’ve lost something in translation. Of course, this sets up many jokes—the time I misunderstood when one girl responded to my attention with “kiss off!” Well, kiss I tried… manifestly unsuccessfully. Idioms do not cross languages very well: I guess in Hebrew comparing a woman’s hair to “a flock of goats descending from the mountain” is complementary, or one’s belly as “a rounded heap of wheat set about with lilies” as swoon-worthy (Song of Solomon 4:1; 7:2). Less funny examples include trying to translate poetry from one language to another: try a literal translation of a Japanese haiku.
A much more important example occurs in our text for this week’s sermon: Philippians 3:20. Paul writes: “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The key word is “citizenship” and it is fraught with possible misunderstandings.
The word, “citizenship,” has as its base, “citizen,” and a “citizen” was one who lived in a city. Until only about 500 years or so ago, citizen was equivalent to a town-dweller. It had little to no connotation of politics, but merely a description of location—where do you live? “I’m a citizen” (in the city). But eventually, a “citizen” became more and more associated with the state, the political government. One was a “citizen” if one fell under the jurisdiction of the ruling government, either in the town or all around. Eventually, the word came to be used more to identify one’s political or national allegiance.
And, this association—the identification of a “citizen,” not with location, but with allegiance—is central to the understanding of Paul’s affirmation in Philippians 3. Our citizenship is in heaven—not necessarily in a location-sense (though it is true that heaven is our ultimate home), but in an immediate allegiance-sense. Paul is not identifying for us our eventual location for all eternity, heaven; rather, Paul is reminding his readers that our ultimate identity is with Christ—He is our home, He is our King.
And, with that “citizenship” comes responsibilities, privileges, and obligations. Just as any citizen is responsible to his/her community, so the citizen of heaven is responsible to the community of heaven—from its King, to its land, to its people. One of the great charges for the citizen is to bless others with the blessing we have received—to exercise our responsibilities, so others might share in our privileges. What a gift we have, being citizens of heaven!
In preparation for worship this week, read Philippians 3:17-21.
- We are going to focus our attention on Sunday primarily on verse 20, “we are citizens of heaven.” What do the surrounding verses have to do with being “citizens of heaven?”
- Verse 21 speaks of the future experience of a “citizen of heaven.” What is that future experience? How does one get that experience?
- From verses 18 and 19, what does being a citizen of heaven contrast with? What is described in 18 and 19 that are NOT part of the citizen’s life?
- What does citizenship entail? What benefits or blessings or privileges are included here?
- How is the power of God’s Kingdom represented here? How are the people of God’s Kingdom dealt with here? What place in God’s Kingdom is referenced?
By Henry Knapp