Philippians 3:1
Τὸ λοιπόν, ἀδελφοί μου, χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ. τὰ αὐτὰ γράφειν ὑμῖν, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὀκνηρόν· ὑμῖν δὲ ἀσφαλές.
For the rest, my brothers, rej0ice in the Lord. The same things to write to you for me not reluctant but to you certain.
Paraphrase: So brothers and sisters, these are the things I wanted to lay before you. Give them your full attention and let me bring this letter to a close. I have never hesitated to teach you these things. The sum of it all is just this, rejoice in the Lord Jesus. Let your full confidence and trust be placed in Him and never look to anything else. Let the person and work of our Savior be the source of your deepest joys and satisfaction in life. What other cause for rejoicing is there? I feel so strongly about this; that is why it is no trouble for me to write these letters. This is the message God commissioned me to preach (Acts 26:15-23) and that is why I write letters. I know that they help you to stay rooted and grounded in the truth of God and that is why I write.
Comments:
Olshausen has (p417) a lengthy comment on Τὸ λοιπόν. See this expression in 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 6:10. Lightfoot (p123): Sometimes this concluding portion is prolonged, as in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, where it extends over two chapters. In the present instance the letter is interrupted, a fresh subject is introduced, the conclusion is for a time forgotten, and St Paul resumes his farewell injunctions later at Philippians 4:8.
Philippians 3:2
Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας· βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας· βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν.
Watch the dogs; watch the evil workers; watch the cutters.
Paraphrase: There are so many things in the world which take our eyes off Jesus and anything that takes our eyes off Jesus removes our joy. Truth be told, there are many things in the church which bring us to look away from Jesus. This is what really irritates me. Watch out for these vicious dogs which lay in wait to tear the gospel to shreds! Watch out for these people who plan and strategize for how they will block the progress of the kingdom of God and pervert and twist the truth of the gospel. Yes, I mean the Judaizers, the cutters! These are the ones who preach that you must be circumcised, or you are not really a Christian. (Acts 15:1) Yes, I say it again; don’t give your ear for a single moment to these gospel-wreckers.
Comments:
Philippians 3:3
ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες,
For we are the circumcision who are worshipping by the spirit of God and boasting in Christ Jesus and not in flesh having trusted,
Paraphrase: These people glory in circumcision, but they don’t understand it. God teaches us that the only circumcision worth talking about is the circumcision of the heart. (Leviticus 26:41; Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; 9:26; Ezekiel 44:7.) Their circumcision is just in the flesh; and therefore, it does them no good. (Romans 2:25-29) The real circumcision is what the Holy Spirit does in uniting us to Christ so that we die and rise with Him. (Colossians 2:11-13) Yes, this is the circumcision that took place when you received that Spirit baptism which makes all the difference in our life. Now for this great salvation, we worship God and rejoice in Jesus Christ. The Judaizers place all their confidence in their circumcised flesh; we place it all in our union with Christ. (Galatians 6:14-16) You know what this means? It means that really we are the circumcision; we are the true covenant people of God (Galatians 6:16), the true seed of Abraham. (Galatians 3:29)
Comments:
Philippians 3:4
καίπερ ἐγὼ ἔχων πεποίθησιν καὶ ἐν σαρκί. Εἴ τις δοκεῖ ἄλλος πεποιθέναι ἐν σαρκί, ἐγὼ μᾶλλον·
though I myself having confidence even in the flesh. If any other thinks to be confident in the flesh, I more.
Paraphrase: Let me just say this; if anyone wants to add up all the external things which might qualify him to be one of God’s people, I am happy to challenge you in that. No one can best me here.
Comments:
Philippians 3:5
περιτομῇ ὀκταήμερος· ἐκ γένους Ἰσραήλ, φυλῆς Βενιαμίν· Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων· κατὰ νόμον, Φαρισαῖος·
circumcision, the eighth day; of nation Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; by the law, a Pharisee.
Paraphrase: Let me list for you all the things in which I could boast as marking me out as one of God’s special favorites. First, circumcision. I was circumcised on the eighth day, exactly as the law requires. (Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3) Second, I am an Israelite and can trace my ancestry, for both my parents, to the tribe of Benjamin. This makes me a superlative Hebrew. Third, I was not just acquainted with the law, I was a scholar of the law, a pharisee who studied under the preeminent Jewish scholar of our time, Gamaliel. (Acts 5:34; 22:3)
Comments:
Benson argues (p117) that a person could be an Israelite but not a Hebrew.
For Gamaliel, see Howson p57.
Philippians 3:6
κατὰ ζῆλος, διώκων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν· κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ, γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος.
for zeal? persecuting the church; for righteousness, what in the law? being blameless.
Paraphrase: Do you want to talk about zeal? I persecuted the church with more zeal than anyone ever has. I made the trip to Damascus and didn’t even stop for the afternoon heat. (Acts 22:6) What about my record of law keeping? Here too, I can assure you, I was completely blameless.
Comments:
Luther: I was a good monk, and I kept the rule of my order so strictly that I may say that if ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery it was I. All my brothers in the monastery who knew me will bear me out. If I had kept on any longer, I should have killed myself with vigils, prayers, reading, and other work. Bainton, Here I Stand, p54.
Philippians 3:7
Ἀλλὰ ἅτινα ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι, διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, ζημίαν.
but whatever gain it was to me, I consider these things, on account of Christ, loss.
Paraphrase: What of all these things? Are you impressed by my resume? Let me tell you what I think of it; I think of all these things as just so many losses. They are all debits in my soul’s ledger book. Why do I think this way? Because I have met Jesus Christ.
Comments:
Philippians 3:8
ἀλλὰ μὲν, οὖν γε, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου μου, δι’ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω
but on the one hand, therefore, truly, I consider all things to be loss on account of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, on account of whom, I suffer the loss of all things and consider as excrement in order that I might gain Christ.
Paraphrase: Yes, truly I hardly know how to say it in words. Everything on earth no longer holds any value or appeal to me because I have come face to face with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, my great Sovereign and the King of heaven and earth. (Revelation 1:17) Because of this, I am ready and willing to suffer the loss of all earthly property and the loss of all earthly glory and credentials such as I have listed. Everyone of them is just trash and garbage and of no value. I turn my back on it all in order that I might find Christ and…
Comments:
Philippians 3:9
καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ, μὴ ἔχων ἐμὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν ἐκ νόμου, ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ, τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει,
and I might be found in Him not having my righteousness, the righteousness by the law, but the righteousness through faith of Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
Paraphrase: …enter into a saving union with Him, a union which brings me a righteousness which does not consist of my law-keeping but which comes through faith in Christ. It’s a legal status given to us by God and which we receive by faith.
Comments:
Philippians 3:10
τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ [τὴν] κοινωνίαν [τῶν] παθημάτων αὐτοῦ, συμμορφιζόμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ,
Philippians 3:11
εἴ, πως, καταντήσω εἰς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν.
Philippians 3:12
Οὐχ ὅτι ἤδη ἔλαβον, ἢ ἤδη τετελείωμαι· διώκω δὲ, εἰ καὶ καταλάβω ἐφ’ ᾧ καὶ κατελήμφθην ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
Philippians 3:13
ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ* λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι. ἓν δέ· τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος,
Philippians 3:14
κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω εἰς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
Philippians 3:15
Ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει.
Philippians 3:16
πλὴν εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν.
Philippians 3:17
Συμμιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί, καὶ σκοπεῖτε τοὺς οὕτω* περιπατοῦντας, καθὼς ἔχετε τύπον ἡμᾶς.
Philippians 3:18
πολλοὶ γὰρ περιπατοῦσιν— οὓς πολλάκις ἔλεγον ὑμῖν, νῦν δὲ καὶ κλαίων λέγω— τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Philippians 3:19
ὧν τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια, ὧν ὁ θεὸς ἡ κοιλία, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντες.
Philippians 3:20
Ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ Σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν,
Philippians 3:21
ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὑτῷ τὰ πάντα.