Albert Barnes Commentary Philippians 3:20

"For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" — Philippians 3:20 (ASV)

For our conversation is in heaven (compare Ephesians 2:6, 19). That is, this is true of all who are sincere Christians. It is a characteristic of Christians, in contrast to those who are the "enemies of the cross," that their conversation is in heaven. The word "conversation" we now apply almost entirely to oral discourse.

However, it formerly meant conduct in general, and it is usually employed in this sense in the Scriptures (Philippians 1:27, where the verb occurs from which the noun here is derived). The word used here, politeuma—found nowhere else in the New Testament—properly means any public measure, administration of the state, the manner in which the affairs of a state are administered; and then the state itself, the community, commonwealth, those who are bound under the same laws and associated in the same society.

Here it cannot mean that their "conversation," in the sense of discourse or talking, was in heaven; nor that their "conduct" was in heaven—for this would convey no idea, and the original word does not demand it. Instead, the idea is that they were heavenly citizens, or citizens of the heavenly world, in contrast to a worldly community. They were governed by the laws of heaven; they were a community associated as citizens of that world, and expecting to dwell there.

The idea is that there are two great communities in the universe: that of the world and that of heaven. One is governed by worldly laws and institutions, and associated for worldly purposes; the other is governed by the laws of heaven and associated for heavenly or religious purposes. The Christian belonged to the latter, while the enemy of the cross, though in the church, belonged to the former.

Between true Christians and others, therefore, there is all the difference that arises from belonging to different communities, being bound together for different purposes, subject to different laws, and altogether under a different administration. There is more difference between them than there is between the subjects of two earthly governments (Compare to Ephesians 2:6, 19).

From whence also we look for the Saviour . From heaven. That is, it is one of the characteristics of the Christian that he believes that the Lord Jesus will return from heaven, and that he looks and waits for it. Other men do not believe this (2 Peter 3:4), but the Christian confidently expects it. His Saviour has been taken away from the earth and is now in heaven, but it is a great and standing article of his faith that that same Saviour will again come and take the believer to Himself (John 14:2–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).

This was the firm belief of the early Christians, and this expectation with them was allowed to exert a constant influence on their hearts and lives. It led them:

1. To desire to be prepared for His coming;
2. To feel that earthly affairs were of little importance, as the scene here was soon to close;
3. To live above the world, and in the desire of the appearing of the Lord Jesus.

This was one of the elementary doctrines of their faith and one of the means of producing deadness to the world among them. Among the early Christians, there was perhaps no doctrine that was more the object of firm belief, and the ground of more delightful contemplation, than that their ascended Master would return. In regard to the certainty of their belief on this point, and the effect which it had on their minds, see the following texts of the New Testament: Matthew 24:42, 44; Luke 12:37; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Hebrews 10:37; James 5:7–8; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:7, 12, 20.

It may be asked, with great force, whether Christians in general now have any such expectation of the second appearing of the Lord Jesus, or whether they have not fallen into the dangerous error of prevailing unbelief, so that the expectation of His coming is allowed to exert almost no influence on the soul?

In the passage before us, Paul says that it was one of the distinct characteristics of Christians that they looked for the coming of the Saviour from heaven. They believed that He would return. They anticipated that important effects would follow for them from His second coming. So we should look.

There may be, indeed, a difference of opinion about the time when He will come, and about the question whether He will come to reign "literally" on the earth—but the fact that Christ will return to our world is common ground on which all Christians may meet, and is a fact which should be allowed to exert its full influence on the heart.

It is a glorious truth—for what a sad world this would be, and what a sad prospect would be before the Christian, if the Saviour were never to come to raise His people from their graves and to gather His redeemed to Himself! The fact that He will come is identified with all our hopes. It is fitted to cheer us in trial, to guard us in temptation, to make us dead to the world, and to lead us to keep the eye turned toward heaven.