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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.
3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of
evil workers, beware of the concision.
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.
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: 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;
3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
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,
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: 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; 3:11 If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
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.
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, 3:14 I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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.
3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by
the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk
so as ye have us for an ensample.
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: 3:19
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is
in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 3:20 For our conversation
is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ: 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.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Philippians
Book: Philippians
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The
Apostle cautions the
Philippians against judaizing false
teachers, and renounces his own former privileges.
(1-11)
Expresses
Earnest desire to be found in
Christ; also his
pressing
On toward
Perfection; and recommends his own
Example to
other believers.
(12-21)
1-11 Sincere Christians rejoice in
Christ Jesus. The
Prophet
calls the false prophets
Dumb dogs, Isa 56:10; to which the
Apostle seems to refer. Dogs, for their malice against
Faithful
professors of the
Gospel of
Christ, barking at them and biting
them. They urged human
Works in opposition to the
Faith of
Christ; but
Paul calls them evil-workers. He calls them the
Concision; as they
Rent the
Church of
Christ, and cut it to
Pieces. The work of religion is to
No purpose, unless the
Heart
is in it, and we must
Worship God in the strength and
Grace of
the Divine
Spirit. They rejoice in
Christ Jesus, not in mere
outward enjoyments and performances. Nor can we too earnestly
Guard against those who oppose or abuse the doctrine of free
Salvation. If the
Apostle would have gloried and trusted in the
Flesh, he had as much cause as any
Man. But the things which he
counted gain while a Pharisee, and had reckoned up, those he
counted loss for
Christ. The
Apostle did not persuade them to do
any thing but what he himself did; or to venture
On any thing
but that
On which he himself ventured his never-dying soul. He
deemed all these things to be but loss, compared with the
knowledge of
Christ,
By Faith in his person and
Salvation. He
speaks of all worldly enjoyments and outward privileges which
sought a place with
Christ in his
Heart, or could pretend to any
merit and
Desert, and counted them but loss; but it might be
said, It is easy to say
So; but what would he do when he came to
the trial? He had suffered the loss of all for the privileges of
a
Christian. Nay, he not only counted them loss, but the vilest
refuse, offals thrown to dogs; not only less valuable than
Christ, but in the highest degree contemptible, when set up as
against him. True knowledge of
Christ alters and changes men,
their judgments and manners, and makes them as if made again
anew. The believer prefers
Christ, knowing that it is better for
us to be without all worldly riches, than without
Christ and his
Word. Let us see what the
Apostle resolved to cleave to, and
that was
Christ and
Heaven. We are undone, without
Righteousness
wherein to appear before
God, for we are guilty. There is a
Righteousness provided for us in
Jesus Christ, and it is a
complete and perfect
Righteousness. None can have benefit
By it,
who trust in themselves.
Faith is the appointed means of
applying the saving benefit. It is
By Faith in
Christ's
Blood.
We are made conformable to
Christ's
Death, when we die to
Sin,
as he died for
Sin; and the world is crucified to us, and we to
the world,
By the
Cross of
Christ. The
Apostle was willing to do
or to suffer any thing, to attain the glorious resurrection of
saints. This
Hope and prospect carried him through all
difficulties in his work. He did not
Hope to attain it through
his own merit and
Righteousness, but through the merit and
Righteousness of
Jesus Christ.
12-21 This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not
mentioned as if the
Apostle had gained the prize, or were
already made perfect in the
Saviour's likeness. He forgot the
things which were behind,
So as not to be content with past
labours or present measures of
Grace. He reached forth,
stretched himself forward towards his point; expressions showing
great concern to become more and more like unto
Christ. He who
runs a race, must never stop short of the
End, but press forward
as
Fast as he can;
So those who have
Heaven in their view, must
still press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and
constant endeavours. Eternal
Life is the
Gift of
God, but it is
in
Christ Jesus; through his
Hand it must come to us, as it is
procured for us
By him. There is
No getting to
Heaven as our
home, but
By Christ as our Way. True believers, in seeking this
Assurance, as
Well as to
Glorify him, will seek more nearly to
resemble his sufferings and
Death,
By dying to
Sin, and
By
crucifying the
Flesh with its affections and lusts. In these
things there is a great difference among real Christians, but
all know something of them. Believers make
Christ all in all,
and set their hearts upon another world. If they differ from one
another, and are not of the same
Judgment in lesser matters, yet
they must not
Judge one another; while they all meet now in
Christ, and
Hope to meet shortly in
Heaven. Let them join in all
the great things in which they are agreed, and wait for further
Light as to lesser things wherein they differ. The enemies of
the
Cross of
Christ mind nothing but their sensual appetites.
Sin is the sinner's shame, especially when gloried in. The way
of those who mind earthly things, may seem pleasant, but
Death
and
Hell are at the
End of it. If we choose their way, we shall
share their
End. The
Life of a
Christian is in
Heaven, where his
Head and his home are, and where he hopes to be shortly; he sets
his affections upon things above; and where his
Heart is, there
will his
Conversation be. There is
Glory kept for the bodies of
the saints, in which they will appear at the resurrection. Then
the body will be made glorious; not only raised again to
Life,
but raised to great advantage. Observe the power
By which this
change will be wrought. May we be always prepared for the coming
of our
Judge; looking to have our vile bodies changed
By his
Almighty power, and applying to him daily to new-create our
souls unto
Holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to
employ our bodies and souls as instruments of
Righteousness in
his service.