Philippians 3

     3:1.  Rejoice; a major theme of this prison letter (1:18, 25; 2:18, 28; 4:4, 10).

     3:2.   False circumcision; the Greek word this is based on actually means to cut off (cf. margin).  It is Paul’s word of disdain for the Jewish party who insisted the Gentiles must be circumcised and brought under the Law.  They were actually cutting themselves off from Christ, because their salvation was of works done in the flesh, and not of faith (cf.Gal.5:12).

     3:3.  Circumcision; this is a Latin based translation of a Greek word (margin) that means to cut around.  It was the OT ordinance that was a sign of faith in the sacrifice of the promised seed.  Now that that promised One had come, and his sufficient sacrifice been given, this bloody ordinance was replaced by baptism.  The true circumcision are those who put their confidence in Christ’s finished work, not in the flesh (cf. Ro.2:29; Col.2:11-13). 

     3:4-8.  Anything they could do, Paul could do better, but it was all rubbish compared to Christ, the pearl of great price for which a man would gladly give all he has.  The word rendered rubbish (8) actually means what is thrown to dogs.

      3:6.  As to . . . the Law, found blameless; this may seem an extravagant claim, but Paul’s point is that, like the rich young ruler who said he had kept the Law from his youth up, Paul still felt he was lacking.  The Law by itself was insufficient, being only a type of righteousness, and not the thing itself (cf. Heb.10:1).

     3:9.  True righteousness comes from God on the basis of faith in Christ, the righteous One.

     3:10-11.  Cf. Luke 9:23-24.

     3:12-16.  This pressing on toward the goal is the very opposite of a passive faith.   The upward call of God is a climb, a struggle  (cf. Job 14:14-15).

     3:15.  Attitude; i.e., state of mind.  Having a right mind, or attitude, how we think, is much stressed in this epistle (e.g., 2:2, 5, 4:8).

     Note the use of the word perfect; Paul was once considered perfect in Law (6), but he yet struggles to attain to it in Christ (cf. Mt.5:48).  It is true that perfect is often used to mean mature (margin) rather than completely flawless as we usually use it.  However, I suspect Paul is here using a little sarcasm on people with a certain attitude.  He is saying, all right, since you have gone on ahead of me, keep living up to your perfection (16).

     3:17-21.   The pattern they have in Paul (17) is of a constant forgetting of what is behind, and a reaching forward, a straining toward what lies ahead, which is a share of Christ’s glory (12-14).  That is not the pattern of many.  There are those whose god is their belly (19, KJV and margin), who are enemies of the cross of Christ (18).  These are both Judaizers and unconverted Gentiles in the church who trust in the flesh.   They set their minds on earthly things (cf. Jude 4) rather than heavenly (20), from whence shall come our Savior and Lord, who will transform us from what we are into the glory that is his.  He is Lord, and has the power to subject all things to himself (21), even suffering and death (10-11).