Philippians 3
Big idea: Paul turns from others' examples to his own story, and it runs the hymn's route in reverse-value: everything he once counted as gain — an unmatched religious résumé — he now counts as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (vv. 4–8). The true circumcision is not the flesh's credentials but faith (vv. 1–9); the true goal is to know Christ, share his sufferings, and attain the resurrection (vv. 10–11); and the true posture is a runner straining forward, not resting on what's attained (vv. 12–16). Against enemies whose god is the belly, Paul sets a people whose citizenship is in heaven (vv. 17–21).
Chapter 3 is the hymn lived out in Paul: the downward move of counting gain as loss, aimed at the upward hope of resurrection and a transformed body (vv. 20–21). It flows into chapter 4's call to 'stand firm in the Lord' — the settledness of those who know where their citizenship and their sufficiency lie.
3:1–3 — The true circumcision
'Finally, rejoice in the Lord' — then a sharp turn. Paul warns three times ('beware') against agitators he calls dogs, evildoers, and 'the mutilation' — Judaizers who pressed circumcision as necessary. He flips their claim: we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit, boast in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. Repeating this warning, he says, is a safeguard for them.
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. 2 Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;
3:4–6 — Paul's credentials
If confidence in the flesh were the game, Paul could win it. He lists seven credentials: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee; as to zeal a persecutor of the church; as to law-righteousness, blameless. Four are inherited, three are achieved — a flawless Jewish pedigree.
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: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
3:7–11 — Everything as loss for Christ
The great reversal. Whatever was gain, Paul now counts as loss for Christ — indeed he counts everything loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord, for whom he has lost all things and counts them refuse, in order to gain Christ and be found in him. Not with a righteousness of his own from the law, but the righteousness from God that depends on faith. The goal: to know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, so as to attain the resurrection.
7 However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8 Yes 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 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, 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death, 11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
3:12–16 — Pressing on toward the goal
Paul guards against a false 'arrival.' He has not already obtained or been perfected; he presses on to make it his own, because Christ made him his own. One thing he does: forgetting what lies behind, straining forward to what lies ahead, he presses toward the goal for the prize of God's upward call in Christ. The mature share this mindset; where they differ, God will reveal it — and meanwhile they should live up to what they have attained.
12 Not 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. 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 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. 16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.
3:17–21 — Citizens of heaven
Paul offers himself and those who walk like him as a pattern to imitate. He weeps over many who walk as enemies of the cross, whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, who glory in their shame and set their minds on earthly things. By contrast, our citizenship is in heaven, from which we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ — who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that subjects all things to himself.
17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).