Passage Explorer

Philippians 3

Setting the scene
Who wrote it
Paul
Who it was for
The church in Philippi
What was happening
Paul counts all his credentials as loss for the sake of knowing Christ, and presses on toward the goal
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What’s happening

"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord." Writing the same things again is no trouble for Paul and is safe for them. Then a sharp warning: "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh." For "we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Yet if anyone else has reason for confidence in the flesh, Paul has more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the assembly; as to righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. "However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. 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 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, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." He says he has not already obtained it or been made perfect, but presses on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. "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, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Let those who are mature think this way, and if they think otherwise, God will reveal that also to them; only let them hold true to what they have attained. "Brothers, join together in following my example, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for a pattern." For many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ, of whom Paul has often told them and now tells them even weeping; their end is destruction, their god is their belly, their glory is in their shame, and they think about earthly things. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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."

Why the setting matters

The sharp turn in tone at 3:2 has led some scholars to think that chapter 3 (or 3:2 to 4:3) was once a separate letter, though there is no manuscript evidence for that and many see it as one letter in which Paul turns to a warning. "Dogs" was a term Jews used for Gentiles; Paul turns it around and applies it to those who insist on circumcision (compare Galatians). "Those who mutilate the flesh" is a deliberate wordplay on "circumcision" (katatomē, "cutting up" instead of peritomē, "circumcision"). The list of Paul's credentials (3:5-6) is a careful résumé of Jewish privilege, and he counts all of it as rubbish (skubalon, a rough word for dung or garbage) next to knowing Christ. The Greek phrase in 3:9 (pistis Christou) can be translated "faith in Christ" or "the faithfulness of Christ," as in Galatians 2:16. The race imagery in 3:12-14 draws on the Greek games, and "the prize" (brabeion) is what the umpire gave the winner. In Philippi, a Roman colony, "citizenship" (politeuma) in heaven would have had particular force, since the colonists were proud to be citizens of Rome and Paul speaks of a higher homeland. The "enemies of the cross" in 3:18 are not named; they may be some who rejected suffering, or some who lived for pleasure.

Read Philippians 3 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Paul

Counts his credentials as loss for Christ.

The believers in Philippi

Urged to imitate Paul and keep their citizenship in heaven.

The "dogs" and "evil workers"

Those Paul calls dogs and evil workers, who put confidence in the flesh.

Jesus

The surpassing worth of knowing whom Paul puts above everything.

Talk it through

  1. Paul lists everything he could be proud of and calls it rubbish compared with knowing Christ. What do we put in our own list of credentials?
  2. "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings." Why does Paul put suffering and resurrection together?
  3. "Forgetting what is behind." What might Paul want to forget, and what does he keep?
  4. "Our citizenship is in heaven." What does it change about how a person lives on earth?

Read Philippians 3

World English Bible

1Finally, 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. 2Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision. 3For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; 4though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

7However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a 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 9and 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, 10that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death, 11if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

13Brothers, 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, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.

17Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who 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.

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources