Philippians 3:1:
3:1From-now-on, my brothers, you must joy in (the) Lord. To write the same-things to you indeed (is) not slothful to me but to you (it is) safety.
Paul writes: from now on (as to the rest, pertaining-to the time remaining, henceforth), my brothers…. Again Paul addresses the Philippian holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God) as "brothers" and he emphasizes this point by adding the word "my" – thus reminding them that they all, including himself, had received the same gift of holy spirit. They had all become children of God, their Father, spiritually.
From now on, my brothers, you must joy in the Lord (not in me, or in the fact of Epaphroditus' arrival – but you must rejoice within your Master, Jesus Christ; he must be the efficient or instrumental cause for your joy). To write the same-things to you (repeating things that I have already written) indeed with affirmation is not slothful to/for/with me (it is not tardy, lazy, no hesitation on my part, I am not shrinking from my responsibility of holding forth God's Word), but to/for/with you to write the same-things affords safety (it gives surety, cannot be tripped-up or thrown-down and thereby fall from its correct position, it gives firmness and certainty).
Paul was reinforcing what he had already taught them. He was repeating himself by revelation, not because he was slothful, nor was he non-receptive to revelation anymore, nor did he forget what he had already written!
[Reference: Acts 21:34; Philippians 4:4.]
Verses 2 and 3:
.2You must observe the dogs, you must observe the bad workers, you must observe the mutilation – .3for we are the circumcision, the (people) rendering-service with spirit and boasting in Christ Jesus and not having been persuaded2 in flesh.
What does Paul mean by writing about "dogs"? He is not referring to the canine pets that many people have in their homes today. He is using a figure of speech whereby he emphasizes the characteristics, activities and mode of operation of some people who were opposing the good-message that he teaches.
You holy-people must observe (look-at and mentally-envision, be mentally-aware and able to contemplate, even though you may not physically see anything with your physical eyes, and thus in this context you must be circumspect, wary, and cautious of):
It is interesting to note that Paul by revelation uses this word "mutilation" instead of the usual word "circumcision." Circumcision refers to the action of literally and physically cutting-around the foreskin (prepuce) and removing it off from the rest of the male's flesh, which necessitated the shedding of his blood while cutting, but afterwards being healed and not having to deal with that flesh anymore. God had originally made the covenant of circumcision with Abraham (refer to Genesis chapter 17), and then with his offspring and with those who wanted to be included in God's covenant and promises throughout the centuries until Abraham's promised seed, the Christ, came and accomplished redemption and salvation. As a result of Christ's accomplishments, he has made holy spirit-life available to mankind, which is the new covenant, the covenant of spirit. All holy-people are part of the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with Abraham.
The people who were still promulgating that circumcision was the criteria to become righteous to/with God are called the "mutilation" by Paul in this letter. He explains further: in truth, we (all of us holy-people together) presently and actively are the circumcision (figuratively, we are the group of people who have been circumcised with Christ's circumcision) because "circumcision" since the day of Pentecost truly refers to us who are the people who presently and actively are:
We holy-people render-service with the holy spirit-life within us; this is the only way we can render-service towards our Lord Jesus Christ and God, our Father. Any so-called "service" outside-of or without the involvement of our holy spirit-life and adherence to it is not service from God's point of view! We must listen to our holy spirit-life, be receptive to our holy spirit-life, and obey what God and the Lord Jesus Christ communicate to our holy spirit-life and which it communicates to our minds and bodies. If we ignore and refuse that information then we cannot and do not render any service towards our Lord Jesus Christ or towards God our Father.
We boast in Christ Jesus; any other boasting in front of people is empty from God's point of view. Our boast is within everything that Christ Jesus has done for us and everything that Christ Jesus is to/for us today because we have the spirit of Christ in us, that holy spirit-life which has all the power and authority of the resurrected Christ available to us to use as directed by God or by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
We were not persuaded and we continue not persuaded in flesh. Our flesh, anything we can do with and to our physical bodies, does not give us the basis or source of our persuasion regarding our standing or our state before the only true God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Just because a person may be circumcised a thousand times, or a person may physically wash his body in water a million times over, this has no bearing today on a person's righteousness before God; this does not make a person a Christian, a child of God; this does not make a person a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Reference: Acts 27:23; Romans 1:9, 2:28 and 29, 8:9; I Corinthians 1:31, 7:19; Galatians 6:13-15; Colossians 2:11.]
Verses 4-6:
.4Even-indeed I, having persuasion also in flesh since some other-person considers to have been persuaded2 in flesh, I rather: .5an eighth-day-person with circumcision, out-from (the) genus of Israel, of (the) tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew out-from Hebrews, according to law – a Pharisee, .6according to zeal – persecuting the church, according to righteousness, the (righteousness) in (the) law – having become without-blame;
Evidently some people were basing their service and their boastings and their righteousness before God on their flesh, the things they accomplish within the sphere of action of flesh, which was the realm wherein the law of Moses was to be carried-out by God's people before the gift of holy spirit was first made available on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
Paul now continues by giving himself as an example pertaining to his own fleshly qualifications and what the law would say about him if the law were still in force – which would obliterate anything Paul did from the moment he believed regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and received holy spirit-life.
Emphatically I am having persuasion (holding conviction) also within flesh since someone else supposes to have already been persuaded and is still actively persuaded within his/her flesh – I rather (more-so – more than any other person). Why? The following is a list of my fleshly qualifications:
But the law of Moses has been completed, it is fulfilled, and the gift of holy spirit has been made available to mankind (Acts 2) – so what is Paul's thinking regarding his fleshly qualifications which so many people rely on? Paul continues:
Verses 7-9:
.7which-things ever used-to-be gain to me these-things I led2 (my mind to regard them to be) loss because-of Christ, .8but certainly-indeed I lead (my mind to regard) all-things to be loss because-of the (thing) being-superior of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord because-of whom I was caused-to-receive-loss (of) all-things, and I lead (my mind to regard them to be) refuses in order that I may gain Christ .9and I may be found in him, not having my righteousness, the (righteousness) from law, but the (righteousness) by means of belief of Christ, the righteousness out-from God on the belief,
The things which may during any past time have been gain (profit, benefit, advantage) to/for me – these things I took the initiative or caused it to be in my mind to view them, and I still view them, to be loss (damage, detriment) on account of Christ. But contrary to some form of gain, certainly indeed (yes it is true that) I presently lead my mind to regard all things (every one of the fleshly and fleshy qualifications, achievements, actions, etc) to be loss on account of the thing presently and actively being superior (holding the high position of being over and above all the other things, there can be no loss to that-which is superior and provides protection) pertaining-to and consisting-of the personal knowledge (a truly active and relative knowing) of Christ Jesus who is my Master.
It is on account of Christ Jesus my Lord that I was caused to receive loss of all things (I was inflicted loss, damage or detriment upon all the things pertaining to and issuing from my flesh), and I lead my mind to regard them to be refuses (the plural form of refuse, what is thrown-away, the dregs, as the left-over scraps that are thrown to the dogs, or as excrement, dung, which is thrown-away from the body). Why do I lead my mind to regard them as refuses?
For the purpose and result that I would gain Christ (derive or acquire the profit, benefit, advantage, who is Christ, the Anointed-one, the Messiah) and I would be found in him (within the sphere of action of Christ, having received holy spirit-life which is the spirit of Christ in me, and now he is the efficient and instrumental cause of my being who I am in the spirit category – I would be found in Christ)…
…but contrary to that kind of righteousness,
Christ believed all that God gave him to believe (Hebrews 12:2) and thus he accomplished what God asked him to accomplish. Since the day of Pentecost God has made known to mankind the belief that we must believe in order to become God's children receiving the gift of holy spirit thereby becoming righteous (Romans 10:9 and 10) – previous to Jesus Christ accomplishing redemption and salvation for mankind it was not available to believe regarding what he did because he had not done it yet. Today, all who believe regarding the Lord Jesus Christ receive holy spirit. All of us who are holy-people have the spirit of Christ in us and therefore spiritually we have Christ's belief within us – now it is up to our freedom of will to listen attentively to our holy spirit-life and behave accordingly.
[Reference: Acts 27:10; Romans 1:16 and 17, 3:21-31, 10:3-10, and 17; Galatians 2:16, 3:21-29; Colossians 2:3; II Peter 3:18.]
Verses 10-12:
.10(my purpose being) to know him and the ability of his resurrection and (the) sharing-in-common of his sufferings being formed-together with his death .11if by-some-manner I may come-down into the resurrection-out, the (resurrection) out-from dead-people – .12not that already I have taken (it), or already I was made-complete2, but I pursue if also I may take-hold on that-which also I was taken-hold by Christ Jesus.
Paul continues explaining his purpose, objective and intended result: to personally know Christ (with a truly active and relative knowing) and the able-power of his resurrection (his standing-up) and the sharing-in-common (partaking, participation or communion) of/with his sufferings (the experiences of things which affected him during his life before he died and including things which presently affect him during his resurrected life) since I am presently being formed-together with (jointly-formed, co-formed; my whole make-up, not only the external appearance, being fashioned, shaped, caused to share the form in conjunction with) his death if there is any way (somehow) that I would come-down into (be directed in motion to reach and will arrive at the object which is) the resurrection (standing-up) out – out from where? – emphatically, the resurrection out from dead-people (from among the people who remain dead and who will continue dead until Christ will raise them up for judgment at a future time).
Even though Paul has holy spirit-life within him, the spirit of Christ in him, which makes him complete in the holy spirit category, he does not personally know, nor has he experienced, the fullness of all that is involved both now and in the future. Christ Jesus has already personally experienced and achieved resurrection because God raised him up out-from among the dead-people. Christ Jesus is alive in his spiritual body with its holy spirit-life.
Next, Paul makes it quite clear, so there is no mistaking what he means: it is not that by this time I have taken (received from another as though it were already given to me) all of what is and will be available to/for/in me, or that by this time I was made-complete and am still made-complete (caused to reach and arrive at my ending-issue, made perfect by the ultimate arrival of the state of completeness, and so I am not in need of anything else taking place now or in the future) – but I presently and actively pursue (follow or proceed earnestly after; not sit-back and do nothing just letting things happen around me now, but I pursue) if also I would take-hold (in the active sense of receiving in a downward motion seizing or overtaking the object suddenly which is presented to me by another) resting or based upon that-which also I was taken-hold by Christ Jesus (by the power of, under the hand of Christ Jesus who is the efficient or instrumental agent of his taking-hold of me).
Paul had no doubt but that he would be gathered-together by Christ with all other holy-people when Christ will come to be present to gather the church (refer to I Thessalonians 4:13-18) – but it has not happened yet! What Paul is explaining is that, while he is waiting for that event to occur, he pursues all that Christ has made him to be and has apostled him to carry-out for him right now, he is doing everything possible to learn, to do, to speak, to practice, to experience all that is available now, and he knows that in the future he will definitely take-hold of the fullness of all that is promised to him by God and the Lord Jesus Christ (and so will all other holy-people).
[Reference: Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-38; Acts 4:2, 15:5, 16:1, 27:12; Romans 1:4, 6:4-14, 8:29; I Corinthians 1:9, 15:12-58; II Corinthians 1:5-7; Ephesians 1:17-23; Philippians 2:6, 7; I Peter 4:13; Revelation chapters 20-22.]
Verses 13 and 14:
.13Brothers, I do not calculate myself to have taken-hold2, but one-thing: indeed forgetting the-things behind but stretching-out-on the-things in-front, .14I pursue according to (the) target into the prize of the upward calling of God.
Again, Paul addresses the Philippian holy-people/Christians as "brothers" thereby reminding them that they all, including himself, had the same holy spirit-life within them and were brothers spiritually, and God was their Father. Then he continues teaching them how to walk/behave during the everyday living of their lives, and he gives himself as an example.
I do not calculate (reckon, count or compute) myself to have previously taken hold and still to have hold on everything that is and will be made available to all holy-people by God and the Lord Jesus Christ (not a "Mr. Know-it-and-Done-it-all"), but there is one thing that is available for me to do now in the walk/behavior category during the everyday living of my life awaiting Christ's gathering us all together with him, this is:
(a) with affirmation on the one hand, forgetting (while I am causing myself to forget upon, willingly I am escaping to place notice resting or based on, ceasing to pay attention to, disregarding) the things which are behind (backwards),
(b) but on the other hand, stretching-out-on (and while I am extending myself resting or based upon) the things which are in front (before or ahead-of me),
God's upward calling has already been issued to mankind, and all holy-people have accepted that invitation and are in the race and will receive the prize because God has promised that Christ will gather us all together with him and we will be given new spiritual bodies, etc. In fact, some Greek texts have the words "in Christ Jesus" at the end of verse 14.
To help our understanding, let us also read some verses from the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian holy-people:
I Corinthians 9:24 and 25:
.24You knew2 that the (people) running in a stadium all-people indeed run but one-person receives the prize, don't you? – (yes) – thus you must run in order that you may take-hold-of (your prize);
.25but every-person, the (person) contesting, exercises-self-control-over all-things, therefore indeed those-people (do this) in order that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
In the letter to the Philippian holy-people, Paul wrote: ".13Brothers, I do not calculate myself to have taken-hold2, but one-thing: indeed forgetting the-things behind but stretching-out-on the-things in-front, .14I pursue according to (the) target into the prize of the upward calling of God."
Philippians 3:15 and 16:
.15Therefore as-many-as (are) complete-people let us think this, and if you think something differently God will reveal this also to you, .16besides, into that-which we have come-ahead-of (we are) to walk-in-line-with the same-thing.
Following-on from what I have just written, as many of us who are complete people…. The "complete-people" are those who are complete in the holy spirit category. All holy-people are complete spiritually (having reached and arrived at God's intended ending-issue available today for us which is referring to the truth that each holy-person has already received holy spirit and therefore we are spiritually complete, perfect by the ultimate arrival of the state of completeness available now). All holy-people become members initiated into the
Here, Paul is reminding them about God's point of view which is that they are His children and they cannot sin within their holy spirit-life! All holy-people are complete or perfect in the spirit-category – all have as much as is presently available from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all have the hope of glory. Paul could not have been referring to the Philippian Christians' walk/behavior during their everyday living as being "complete" because he is writing teaching them how they ought to think, etc. – if they were already complete in the walk/behavior category he would not need to teach them anything else.
Paul writes: therefore as many people as are complete-people (we have all that is available now spiritually, but not yet in the walk/behavior category) let us presently and actively think this (we should have this thought in our mind: pursuing according to the target into the prize of the upward calling of God) – and if you think something differently (have thoughts of a different kind) to what I have just written, God will reveal this to you (God will uncover, as removing a veil and exposing what was previously hidden from your view, the fact that you are thinking differently to what you are supposed to be thinking). God can reveal information to His children by means of the holy spirit-life which is within us all (refer to Philippians 2:13) or by whatever manner He decides to communicate to us. Of course, it is up to each individual whether he/she will obey what God says or not during daily life in the walk/behavior category.
Moreover, more/other than what I have already written, with-a-view-to or directed-to what we have come-ahead-of (that-which you and I have already come before, overtaken or gotten in-front-of, gone before in the walk/behavior category, in other words: what we have learned so far and know about how we should behave ourselves) we are to presently and actively walk in line with the same-thing (advance in an orderly manner, step-by-step, according to the same thing, not a different thing, but the same, itself, what God says we ought to say and do now).
[Reference: Romans 12:2; I Corinthians 2:6; II Corinthians 10:14; Galatians 5:25, 6:15 and 16; Ephesians 4:13; I Thessalonians 4:15.]
.17You must become imitators-together with me, brothers, and you must scope the (holy-people) thus walking according as you have us (being) a type – .18for many walk of whom I used-to-say often to you, but now also I say crying: (they are) the enemies of the cross of Christ, .19whose completion (is and will be) destruction, whose god (is) the belly and the glory (is) in the shame of them, the (people) thinking the earthly-things – .20for our citizenship is-from-the-beginning in (the) heavens out-from where also we eagerly-await (the) savior (who is the) Lord Jesus Christ .21who will change-the-outward-figure (of) the body of our humiliation (to be) formed-together with the body of his glory according to the in-working (for) him to be able and to subject all-things to him.
Paul continues very straight-forwardly: you holy-people must presently become (cause yourselves to come to pass to be) imitators-together with me (people who imitate together, joint mimics, people who follow together, imitators in conjunction with me, as I imitate the Lord Jesus Christ and God), brothers…. Again, Paul addresses these Philippian Christians as "brothers" and thereby reminds them that they all, including Paul, were children of God having received the same holy spirit-life.
You must become imitators together with me, brothers, and you must presently and actively scope (watch or look intensely at as a target so as to determine your own action carefully) the holy-people who are in this manner walking (literally: moving the feet around, going on foot; figuratively: walking around during the everyday living of life, behaving or conducting themselves in the manner I've just described) according as you presently have us, myself and those who already walk in this manner, being a type (a mark, impression or pattern the same way as an old typewriter would impress the shape of the required letter on a piece of paper, an example for you to copy and follow).
The Philippian holy-people should behave themselves in the correct manner described by Paul. He explains: in truth, many people walk (behave, conduct themselves), concerning whom I used to habitually say many times to you during the past (refer to verse 1 above regarding repetition), but at the present time also I say crying (weeping, shedding tears, expressing grief, mourning): they are the enemies of the cross of Christ ([some Greek texts include the verb "you must observe," be spiritually alert to see what I am telling you] - they are enemies, people who have active ill-will against the cross of Christ, they oppose and exhibit enmity and hostility against Christ's cross). The cross of Christ refers to all that the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished carrying-out the assignment that God gave him, doing God’s will, including his death by crucifixion on the cross, and then God having raised him up out-from among the dead-people and having seated him at His right-side now being second-in-command to God Himself, and then Christ shed forth the gift of holy spirit on the day of Pentecost making salvation available to mankind.
Concerning the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Having written about the enemies of the cross of Christ, Paul now continues teaching the holy-people from verse 17 where he wrote: "you must become imitators-together with me, brothers, and you must scope the (holy-people) thus walking according as you have us (being) a type."
In truth, our citizenship (the state of our living in the duty of being citizens, the condition and rights of being free citizens within a walled-town or city with its governing authority and our enjoying the privileges which we have been given – here referring to the citizenship that all of us holy-people have) presently and actively is from the beginning (it has its start, its beginning, not the beginning of time or of the world, but our citizenship has its origin and continued existence) within the sphere of action of the heavens (literally referring to the areas above the earth, figuratively referring to God's spirit realm – the plural "heavens" gives great emphasis and expansive greatness to God’s spirit realm). God is the One Who governs His walled town, His protected city, His kingdom with His dignity and power and we are the citizens. This is the second reference Paul makes in this letter regarding our true citizenship from God's viewpoint (refer to Philippians 1:27).
All holy-people/Christians' citizenship originates and continues to be in the heavens, and it is out-from heaven that also we presently eagerly-await (wait to subjectively receive, accept or take to ourselves what will be presented to us, which will be) the savior who is the Lord Jesus Christ (the Lord/Master Jesus Christ is the savior, the one who accomplished salvation for us, the one who made us free from danger and destruction spiritually and keeps us safe to/with himself and God his Father).
It is the Lord Jesus Christ who will at a still-future time change the outward figure of the body of our humiliation (he will alter the external-figure, outward-shape, scheme, schema, outline, including the demeanor, deportment, expressed-personality of the physical body which we still have, and this body is and emanates our humbling, our state of lowliness, of low degree, it is what makes us to be in the lowly position relative-to what we will have in the future)…. Right now we still have the body that is in a low-degree; it is like a tent or a vessel around or containing our holy spirit-life.
The Lord Jesus Christ will change-the-outward-figure of the body of our humiliation, and it will be a body adjectively described as formed-together with (jointly-formed, co-formed; its whole make-up, not only the external appearance, will be fashioned or share the form in conjunction with) the body of his glory (the body of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; this body is and emanates his state of glory, importance, splendor, and renown, he is in his glorious position because God raised him out-from among the dead-people giving him his new spiritual body and God placed him at His right side).
The life of the spiritual body is holy spirit, not the soul-life which we have today that keeps our fleshy bodies alive and is evidenced by our breathing. Today we holy-people have our fleshy body which is as a tent or a vessel containing the gift of holy spirit which we have received; but in the future we will have a body that will be spiritual – we will not be spirit-beings like the angels are, but we will be spiritual because the life of our new bodies will be holy spirit-life (refer to I Corinthians chapter 15).
All of us holy-people presently have the spirit of Christ in us, which is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). We have the promise that at a future time, as Paul explains: the Lord Jesus Christ will change-the-outward-figure of the body of our humiliation to be formed-together with the body of his glory in accordance with the in-working purposing to give him the able-power (to enable him, to make him capable) and to actively subject all-things to him (cause all-things to be in submission, to be arranged in the position of being underneath the Lord Jesus Christ, excluding God his Father, of course).
The word translated "in-working" is a noun and it means: the inner-working in action, the active energy, the powerfully active work being done within by God, God's effectual work. God is the One Who has in-worked the in-working of the strongness of His strength in Christ having raised him up out-from the dead-people, thus giving him the ability to carry out those things which God asks of him, and God is the One Who subjects everything under the Lord Jesus Christ so that in the future Christ will subject everything including himself to the only true God.
[Reference: Acts 8:33, 16:11-40; Romans 8:10-30, 10:4, 11:28, 12:2, 16:17 and 18; I Corinthians 1:7, 18, 22 and 23, 4:6 and 16, 11:1, 15:20-57; II Corinthians 4:2, 11:13-15; Galatians 3:10-14, 6:12-14; Ephesians 1:11, 12, 19-23, 2:4-6 and 13-18, 5:1; Philippians 1:27 and 28, 2:5-8; Colossians 3:1-4; I Thessalonians 1:6 and 7, 2:14, 3:7-9, 4:13-17; II Thessalonians 2:3, 3:9; II Peter 2:1; I John 3:2. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
