Philippians Chapter 3

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Rejoicing is one of the main themes of Paul's letter to the Philippians. He says in Chapter one, verse 22 that rejoicing "is the fruit of my labor." Also in chapter one he pointed out that many of the brethren are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Philippians 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

Philippians 1:13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

Philippians 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

That evidently because at the time Paul was dwelling in his own hired house, even though he was a prisoner. And he received all that came, according to Luke in Acts 28:

Acts 28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

The Philippian letter, along with Colossians and Philemon were evidently written during this period of time. Titus and 1 Timothy being written during a time when Paul was at liberty, before his second imprisonment, during which time he evidently wrote the Ephesian letter and 2 Timothy. So Paul is in bonds, that is to say, a prisoner, but he is still able to preach. This has given other brethren confidence to do the same without fear. Because of that Paul rejoices:

Philippians 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

In Chapter two, Paul tells them to "fulfill my joy" by being of one accord, of one mind. In Chapter four he says to "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice." in 4:10 Paul rejoices because the Phillipians' care for him had flourished, sending help to Paul in prison. So joy and rejoicing is one of Paul's main themes. Joy is second on the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter five.

Now he warns them:

Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

In the bible, dogs are Gentiles and Paul is probably referring to people who are like the ones he calls "other Gentiles" in Ephesians 4:17. They are people walking in the vanity of their mind. Religious but lost, because their understanding is darkened and they are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.

The "evil workers" are men who speak perverse things, as in:

Acts 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

These would be deceitful workers, as in:

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

He says also to beware of the concision. Strong's says that concision is a "cutting down, cutting off." In other words "mutilation." it is an obvious reference to those of the "circumcison" because of the next verse:

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Circumcision is physical, done in the flesh, but Paul speaks of a "circumcision made without hands:"

Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

This is an operation of God. It is spiritual. This took place at the cross when Christ was "cut off." In his death. The body of the sins of the flesh were "cut off" by the circumcision of Christ. That is a reference to his death and what took place through it. The sins of every believer was imputed to Christ at the cross, he was "cut off" and in that, the body of sins of the believer was cut off....it was removed. Our sins were imputed to Christ. They are no longer imputed to us.

So Paul says to the Phillipians that WE ARE the circumcision. It is spiritual and not physical. Our confidence is not in the flesh.

Philippians 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

Paul uses himself as an example of someone who might put confidence in the flesh...as if anyone could:

Philippians 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

So Paul has the right geneology and he has the strictest of the Jews religion, he was a Pharisee. And...he says that he was "blameless" as touching the righteousness which is in the law.

That doesn't mean that Paul thought that he was sinless. All have sinned. From Ecclesiastes to Romans the bible is clear that nobody is sinless:

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

But Paul says he was "blameless" That has to do with the fact that formerly Paul was under the law and religiously performed the sacrifices which were required by the law. Just as was the case with the father of John the Baptist and his wife:

Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

But notice what Paul's new attitude as a saved individual is concerning all those things:

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

So to Paul there are things that are much more excellent than religion and the law. It is the knowledge of Christ Jesus which was committed to Paul. It is the fact that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who will believe. It is justification by faith in the cross of Jesus Christ. It is salvation by grace alone through faith alone. It is not of works of any kind. The only boasting to be done is in what the Lord has done and not what we are trying to do for the Lord.

But when he says "that I may win Christ" there is a great truth which is about to follow:

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Now Paul already knows the Lord. He said "I know whom I have beleived." He said that he was persuaded that Christ was able to keep that....salvation....which I have committed to him. What Paul is talking about here is a life attitude!

It is Paul's desire in this passage to live the rest of his life as though he had already been raised from the dead. This is in one accord with things Paul said in Romans chapter six:

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Christ was raised from the dead. He walks in newness of life. Death has no more dominion over him. We also have been planted together, united with him by that baptism, that identification, in his death. That's what Paul means when he says "being made conformable unto his death." Notice further down in Romans:

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is the "reckoning" Paul is referring to in Philippians:

Philippians 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Now Paul is GOING to be raised from the dead. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Paul is in Christ and there is no doubt about it....he WILL be raised, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. So he is by no means talking about doing things in order to gain that or to maintain that. Again, Paul's desire is to live in this life, attain to in this life what is already true of him in Christ in eternity.

Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Notice he wants to "apprehend that" or he wants to attain unto that which is already his, positionally, in Christ. He wants to walk in the remainder of this life, that new life he already has in Christ.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

You cannot plow a straight row or even drive a car in a straight line by looking back. Paul is not looking back, he is forgetting those things that are behind and he is reaching forth unto those things which are ahead.

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Notice the PRIZE there. Paul is reaching for the prize, not the high calling. He already has the high calling. That high calling is a conversation in heaven. He already has that. But there is a PRIZE involved. There is a reward to be gained. And that reward is at the judgment seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Now that race he is speaking of is not a competition with someone else. It is a race with yourself. It is about walking in the Spirit and mortifying the deeds of the body. It is the battle that constantly goes on in the life of a believer. The battle between the old man, that old sinful, carnal nature we all inherited by birth, and the new man, the new creature in Christ.

We will never get rid of our old sin nature in this world. The only way it is going to go is to be disolved, either in death or at the Rapture. We can change what we do but we will never be able to change what we are by nature. So what Paul is talking about here is rather than trying to change the flesh, to exchange it. To put off the old man, practically, and put on the new. Positionally each believer already has, in Christ, put off the old and put on the new, but here he is talking about practically, in his daily life, for the rest of his life.

Philippians 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Being perfect here refers to being mature. That is sound, established, understanding the doctrine committed to Paul for the body of Christ and not only understanding, but taking heed to it. If a person is "otherwise minded" then getting back into the bible and searching these things out will result in God revealing even this unto you.

Philippians 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Here again, it is a matter of forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth to those things that are before, starting from right where you are today, and walking by this rule, minding the same thing. Believers today are to follow Paul...doctrinally:

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Those who walk so are those who are following Paul. An ensample is a pattern, and Paul is the pattern for believers today. Not in his "activites" that you may see in the book of Acts, but in his doctrine. If you are following Christ today then you are following Paul. Christ was IN Paul and spoke through Paul for the church today. Now the contrast between following Paul and doing other things is brought out next:

Philippians 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

An enemy of the cross of Christ is anyone who is not trusting totally and completely in the cross. In the fact that Christ died for our sins and he was raised again for our justification. People in religion, all kinds of religion, mind earthly things. Paul is clear that we should set our affection on things above and not on things in the earth.

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

The word for conversation is the same word as the word for "citizenship" but Paul says conversation. So there is a "conversation" going on in Heaven where believers are concerned. He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit and he makes intercession for us according to the will of God. The one who intercedes for the saints is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.