Philippians Chapter 3

From The Open Bible Project

3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

• (1) A conclusion of those things which have been said before, that is, that they go forward cheerfully in the Lord.
• (2) A preface to the next admonition that follows, to take good heed and beware of false apostles, who join circumcision with Christ, (that is to say, justification by works, with free justification by faith), and beat into men’s head the ceremonies which are abolished, instead of true exercises of godliness and charity. And he calls them dogs, as profane barkers, and evil workmen, because they neglected true works and did not teach the true use of them. To be short, he calls them concision, because in urging circumcision, they cut off themselves and others from the Church.
• (a) Which you have often times heard from me.

3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.

• (b) He alludes to circumcision; and while they were boasting in it, they broke apart the Church.

3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

• (3) He shows that we ought to use true circumcision, that is, the circumcision of the heart, so that by cutting off all wicked affections by the power of Christ, we may serve God in purity of life.
• (c) In outward things which do not at all pertain to the soul.

3:4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

• (4) He does not doubt to prefer himself even according to the flesh, before those perverse zealous urgers of the Law, that all men may know that he does with good judgment of mind, consider of little worth all of those outward things. For he who has Christ lacks nothing, and confidence in our works cannot stand with the free justification in Christ by faith.

3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

3:6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

3:7 However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.

• (d) Which I considered as gain.

3:8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

• (e) He shuts out all works, those that go before, as well as those that come after faith.
• (f) That in their place I might get Christ, and from a poor man become rich, so far am I from losing anything at all.

3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

• (g) In Christ: for those that are found outside of Christ are subject to condemnation.
• (h) That is, to be in Christ, to be found not in a man’s own righteousness, but clothed with the righteousness of Christ imputed to him.

3:10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;

• (5) This is the end of righteousness by faith with regard to us, that by the power of his resurrection we may escape from death.
• (i) That I may indeed feel him, and have an experience of him. (6) The way to that eternal salvation is to follow Christ’s steps by afflictions and persecutions, until we come to Christ himself, who is our mark at which we aim, and receive that reward to which God calls us in him. And the apostle sets these true exercises of godliness against those vain ceremonies of the Law, in which the false apostles put the sum of godliness.

3:11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

• (k) To everlasting life, which follows the resurrection of the saints.

3:12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

• (l) For we run only as far forth as we are laid hold on by Christ, that is, as God gives us strength, and shows us the way.

3:13 Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

• (7) The conclusion of this exhortation standing upon three members: the first is, that those who have profited in the truth of this doctrine should continue in it. The second is, that if there are any who are yet ignorant and do not understand these things, and who doubt of the abolishing of the Law, they should cause no trouble, and should be gently waited for, until they also are instructed by the Lord. The third is, that they judge the false apostles by their fruits: in which he does not doubt to set forth himself as an example.
• (m) He said before that he was not perfect. So that in this place he calls those perfect who have somewhat profited in the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel, whom he sets against the rude and ignorant, as he himself expounds in (Philippians 3:16).

3:16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind.

3:17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

3:18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

• (8) He shows what the false apostles truly are, not from malice or ambition, but with sorrow and tears, that is, because being enemies of the Gospel (for that is joined with persecuting it) they regard nothing else, but the benefits of this life: that is to say, that abounding in peace, and quietness, and all worldly pleasures, they may live in great estimation among men, whose miserable end he forewarned them of.

3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

• (n) Reward.
• (o) Which they hunt after from men’s hands.

3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

• (9) He sets against these fellows true pastors who neglect earthly things, and aspire to heaven only, where they know that even in their bodies they will be clothed with that eternal glory, by the power of God.

3:21 who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.