Thwarting Sabotage
by Bill Ireland
The following is an excerpt from Preaching the Word: Philippians and Philemon; Colossians published by Smyth & Helwys.
Sabotage happens all the time and everywhere. Take, for example, the politician who attaches a “poison pill,” amendment to a popular piece of legislation to ensure its defeat. An unhappy person can resort to acting out in a passive-aggressive manner to manipulate others. Sadly, sabotage shows up in congregations. Church members can work their “constituents,” to undermine a pastor’s leadership.
Throughout his ministry, Paul had to counter the moves of saboteurs who sought to undermine his mission to preach the gospel and start new communities of faith. As soon as Paul departed from a particular area, his opponents moved in and attempted to undo his work, either by discrediting Paul himself or by arguing that Paul’s message was somehow off target. The apostle’s letter to the Philippians is a case in point. In 3:1-16, Paul clearly recognized the threat of sabotage and acted decisively to thwart it. Paul’s wise response offers some timely guidance as we seek to thwart sabotage in our own contexts.
Paul’s first move was to speak truthfully. As he began to counter his opponents, Paul wasted no time in getting started:
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!i
Paul’s language here is hot! He identified his enemies and underscored the dangers they posed by using harsh language. This abrupt change in tone signals the seriousness with which he considered this threat. Whatever the precise content of their teaching, Paul saw it as a distortion of the gospel.ii
The key thing to note here is not the angry tone with which he began—indeed that may in fact be counterproductive. Instead, our takeaway is that Paul emptied the threat of sabotage of its danger by speaking the truth. Sabotage flourishes in dark corners and spreads through innuendo. Sabotage dresses up as good and works evil. Sabotage proceeds indirectly by asking a loaded question or by raising suspicion with a wink and a nod. In such circumstances, our best response is to speak the truth as clearly and forthrightly as possible. When there’s a lot at stake, one way to limit the damage of sabotage is to speak the truth as we know it.
In his second move, Paul appealed to his experience as a way of negating the claims of the saboteurs. I find it interesting that Paul dealt with the threat posed by this false teaching, not by offering a point-by-point rebuttal of it, but by talking about where he’s been and how Christ has changed his life. This appeal was likely successful because Paul was less interested in changing minds than in winning hearts.
Years ago, I read about what test pilots did when they pushed the boundaries too far in an untried aircraft. If the plane began to twist or spin erratically and go out of control, the test pilot would describe over the radio to ground personnel how the aircraft was behaving. He would stay with the aircraft as long as possible, reciting all the procedures he had tried in order to regain control: “I’ve tried this and this and this. Nothing has worked. I’m about to try this.” Relating the details of his experience would provide a helpful guide for future pilots who might find themselves in a similar situation. The test pilot’s experience would likely result in some sort of engineering fix or become a part of an emergency procedures manual.
“I’ve tried that.” That’s the essence of Paul’s testimony in verses 4-6. By recalling his past and his heritage, Paul was in essence saying, “I’ve tried that. I’ve been down that path. I know where it leads. I’ve found a different path that is worth everything.” The new life he had in Christ far surpassed everything he had once known and lived. He willingly consigned it all the compost pile for what he called, “the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.”iii
By means of this testimony, Paul defined himself over against his adversaries. Thwarting sabotage requires just such a self-defining move on the part of leaders. Allowing others to define us enables sabotage to persist. Defining ourselves offers clarity about who and what we are.
Finally, Paul countered the potential sabotage by offering an alternative vision.
Whatever the identity of Paul’s adversaries and the precise content of their teaching, the one thing they insisted on was adherence to traditional rules. If the Philippians adopted their perspective, they would have the right kind of faith, the right kind of belief, and all would be well. All that was necessary was to embrace the old rules and practices. Likewise, sabotage flourishes in an environment that is resistant to change. Saboteurs work hard to maintain things as they are instead of devoting energy to making things better.
Paul countered his adversaries by putting himself forward as one, who for all his rich experience with the grace of God, was still incomplete and still in process. His personal image of following Christ wasn’t a check list but a marathon:
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.iv
Do you catch the vibrancy in Paul’s confession? I’m not there yet! I’m restless, and I yearn to be made complete. I’m pressing forward, and I’m leaning into the finish!
Thriving congregations possess a healthy restlessness. Looking for new opportunities to live out the gospel and minister to those in need offsets the negativity of sabotage. A compelling vision robs sabotage of its power. An alternative way of looking at things inspires hope and refreshes our courage. When we’re able to paint a clear picture of where we’re headed and what’s next, we generate new energy.
Paul’s strategy for thwarting sabotage offers us an extremely healthy approach whenever and wherever we find our efforts to be faithful undermined. Devotion to truth, defining ourselves by speaking out of our experience, and a fierce determination not to yield to complacency: these things mark the path to a mature and uncompromised faith.
i Philippians 3:2 (NRSV).
ii Fred B. Craddock, Philippians (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1985), p. 57.
iii Philippians 3:8 (NRSV).
iv Philippians 3:12-14 (NRSV).