Philippians 3:1-6

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Philippians 3:1-3

It seems the church of the Philippians, though a faithful and flourishing church, was disturbed by the judaizing teachers, who endeavoured to keep up the law of Moses, and mix the observances of it with the doctrine of Christ and his institutions. He begins the chapter with warnings against these seducers. I. He exhorts them to rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 3:1), to rest satisfied in the interest they had in him and the benefit they hoped for by him. It is the character and temper of sincere... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Philippians 3:4-8

The apostle here proposes himself for an example of trusting in Christ only, and not in his privileges as an Israelite. I. He shows what he had to boast of as a Jew and a Pharisee. Let none think that the apostle despised these things (as men commonly do) because he had them not himself to glory in. No, if he would have gloried and trusted in the flesh, he had as much cause to do so as any man: If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh, I more, Phil. 3:4. He had as... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Philippians 3:1

3:1 As for what remains, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble to me to write the same things to you, and for you it is safe. Paul sets down two very important things. (i) He sets down what we might call the indestructibility of Christian joy. He must have felt that he had been setting a high challenge before the Philippian Church. For them there was the possibility of the same kind of persecution, and even the same kind of death, as threatened himself. From one point of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Philippians 3:2-3

3:2-3 Be on your guard against the dogs; be on your guard against the evil workers; be on your guard against the party of mutilation; for we are the truly circumcised, we who worship in the Spirit of God; we whose proud boast is in Jesus Christ, we who place no confidence in merely human things. Quite suddenly Paul's accent changes to that of warning. Wherever he taught, the Jews followed him and tried to undo his teaching. It was the teaching of Paul that we are saved by grace alone, that... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Philippians 3:2-3

(iii) Lastly, he calls them, the party of mutilation. There is a pun in the Greek which is not transferable to English. There are two Greek verbs which are very like each other. Peritemnein ( Greek #4059 ) means to circumcise; katatemnein means to mutilate, as in Leviticus 21:5 , which describes forbidden self-mutilation, such as castration. Paul says, "You Jews think that you are circumcised; in point of fact, you are only mutilated." What is the point of this? According to Jewish... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Philippians 3:4-7

3:4-7 And yet it remains true that I have every ground of confidence from the human point of view. If anyone has reason to think that he has grounds for confidence in his human heritage and attainments, I have more. I was circumcised when I was eight days old: I am of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin: I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrew parents. As far as the Law goes, I was a Pharisee: as for zeal, I was a persecutor of the Churches: as for the righteousness which is in the Law, I was... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Philippians 3:4-7

So far Paul has been stating the privileges which came to him by birth; now he goes on to state his achievements in the Jewish faith. (i) He was a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents. This is not the same as to say that he was a true Israelite. The point is this. The history of the Jews had dispersed them all over the world. In every town and in every city and in every country there were Jews. There were tens of thousands of them in Rome; and in Alexandria there were more than a million. They... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 3:1

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord ,.... The Syriac version reads, "in our Lord", i.e. Christ. The apostle seems as if he was about to conclude his epistle; and therefore, as if he was taking his farewell of this church, and giving his last advice to them, he exhorts them in a most affectionate manner, as his dear brethren in a spiritual relation, that they would make Christ their chief joy; that whatever sorrow they might have on account of his bonds, or the sickness of Epaphroditus,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 3:2

Beware of dogs ,.... By whom are meant the "judaizing" teachers, who were for imposing the works and ceremonies of the law upon the Gentiles, as necessary to salvation; and they have the name retorted on them they used to give to the Gentiles; see Matthew 15:26 ; nor should they think it too severe, since the Jews themselves say F16 Misn. Sota, c. 9. sect. 15. , "the face of that generation (in which the Messiah shall come) shall he, כפני הכלב , "as the face of a dog". The... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 3:3

For we are the circumcision ,.... And not they; they have the name, and we the thing, or that which legal circumcision was a shadow of, namely, circumcision of the heart; which lies in being pricked to the heart under a true sense of sin; in having the hardness of the heart removed, and the iniquity of it laid to open view; in pain and contrition of heart about it, joined with shame for it, and loathing of it, the consequence of which is, a putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, ... read more

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