In the past, we have constantly emphasized the spirit. The book of Philippians, however, shows the importance of the soul. As human beings, we are not a spirit or a body, but a soul. Therefore, we Christians must be one not only in spirit, but also in soul. It is very easy to be one in spirit; however, it is difficult to be one in soul, for in the soul we have the troublesome mind, the perplexing emotion, and the stubborn will. In the book of Philippians Paul charges us to be one in soul. The oneness in the soul is the perfect oneness. The oneness in the spirit, on the contrary, is temporary; it cannot last very long. As we pray, sing, and praise the Lord, we are one in spirit. But after we have finished praising, we may find that we are not one in soul. The oneness in the soul is long-lasting. This oneness is found only in Philippians.
The book of Philippians covers the matter of the enjoyment of Christ. This book is unique and contains a number of new and even peculiar expressions. The enjoyment of Christ is in the fellowship in the gospel, in the thinking the one thing, in having the same love, and in the oneness of soul. These are some of the unusual terms found in the book of Philippians.
Another unusual term is found in chapter three, verse 2, where Paul says, "Beware of dogs." According to the Bible, a dog is an unclean animal because it does not chew the cud (Lev. 11:26). In order for an animal to be clean, it must chew the cud like a cow or sheep, and it must also have a divided hoof. The hoofs of horses and donkeys are not divided; therefore, these animals are not clean. But cows and sheep are cloven-footed; hence they are clean. Pigs have a divided hoof, but they do not chew the cud. But dogs neither chew the cud nor are cloven-footed. Both chewing the cud and a divided hoof are symbols in the Bible. A divided hoof signifies discernment in walking, discernment regarding what we should do, where we should go, and the way we should take. If we have a divided hoof, we shall know whether to go to the meeting hall or to the movie theater. But one without a cloven hoof has no discernment regarding his walk. If we do not have the faculty of discernment, we shall become dirty, unclean. To chew the cud is to masticate the words of the Bible. We read the Bible in the way of chewing the cud. For example, by prayreading the words of John 3:16, we chew the cud. If we would chew the words of the Bible, how clean we would become! If we chew the cud and have divided hoofs, we shall be kept from anything defiling. Because we chew the cud and have cloven feet, we are no longer dogs. Rather, we are little lambs.