The Letters · New Testament

Philippians 3

Philippians 3: counting gains as loss and pressing toward the mark

General context

Paul tells the readers to rejoice in the Lord and says repeating himself is safe. He then warns three times in one verse, against dogs, evil workers and the concision, and claims the term circumcision for those who worship in the spirit without confidence in the flesh. If anyone could claim such confidence, he says, he could claim more, and lists what he had: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church in zeal, blameless in the righteousness of the law. All of it, he says, he counted loss for Christ, counting everything loss for the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, having suffered the loss of all things and counting them dung, so he may be found in Christ with a righteousness not his own, know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, and reach the resurrection. He denies having arrived: not attained, not already perfect, but following after, forgetting what lies behind and reaching for what lies ahead, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling. He asks those who are perfect to think this way, says God will show them anything they see differently, and asks them to keep one rule. He tells them to follow his example and watch those who live by it, then breaks off into a parenthesis about many who walk as enemies of the cross, a thing he says he has told them often and now repeats weeping, whose end is destruction and whose glory is their shame. Against that he sets a citizenship in heaven and a Saviour who will change the body.

Cited passages: Philippians 3:1, Philippians 3:2, Philippians 3:3, Philippians 3:4, Philippians 3:5, Philippians 3:6, Philippians 3:7, Philippians 3:8, Philippians 3:9, Philippians 3:10, Philippians 3:11, Philippians 3:12, Philippians 3:13, Philippians 3:14, Philippians 3:15, Philippians 3:16, Philippians 3:17, Philippians 3:18, Philippians 3:19, Philippians 3:20, Philippians 3:21

Philippians 3 (KJV)

¹Finally, 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.

²Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

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

⁴Though 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:

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

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

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

⁸Yea 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,

⁹And 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:

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

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

¹²Not 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.

¹³Brethren, 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,

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

¹⁵Let 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.

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

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

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:

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

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

²¹Who 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.

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Historical context

The chapter is the letter's fullest account of Paul's background, and every item in it comes from him: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, and a persecutor of the church. No outside source is offered for any of it, and no dates are attached. The people he warns against are labelled rather than named. Dogs, evil workers and the concision are terms the letter applies to them; the chapter never says what these people taught, though it sets them against those who have no confidence in the flesh. The many who walk as enemies of the cross are likewise unnamed and are described only by their end, their God and their glory. The chapter quotes no scripture. It also says Paul has told the readers about these people often before, without saying when or in what form.

Cited passages: Philippians 3:2, Philippians 3:3, Philippians 3:5, Philippians 3:6, Philippians 3:18, Philippians 3:19

Literary context

The chapter opens with Finally and then runs for twenty more verses, which is the first sign that the word is not marking an ending. Its argument is kept in a ledger. Gain, loss, count and suffered the loss of all things turn a list of credentials into a balance sheet, and the settlement is stated in the crudest available word, that he counts them but dung. The second half changes to a race. Attained, follow after, apprehend, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth, press toward the mark, all pull in one direction, and the writer insists twice that he has not finished. The parenthesis at verses 18 and 19 breaks the tone completely, with weeping inside the brackets, before the last two verses lift the view off the ground entirely.

Cited passages: Philippians 3:1, Philippians 3:7, Philippians 3:8, Philippians 3:12, Philippians 3:13, Philippians 3:14, Philippians 3:18, Philippians 3:19, Philippians 3:20, Philippians 3:21

Key moments

Three warnings in one line (Philippians 3:2). Paul warns against dogs, evil workers and the concision.
The credentials listed (Philippians 3:5). He sets out his standing by birth, tribe and training.
Counted loss (Philippians 3:7). The list is transferred from the gain column to the loss column.
Not already perfect (Philippians 3:12). He denies having arrived at what he is pursuing.
Press toward the mark (Philippians 3:14). The pursuit is described as a race with a prize.
Told you even weeping (Philippians 3:18). A parenthesis names enemies of the cross and reports tears.
Conversation in heaven (Philippians 3:20). The chapter ends by locating the readers' citizenship elsewhere.

For reflection

Paul says he keeps forgetting those things which are behind, and the things behind include achievements as well as failures. Which of the two is harder for you to put down?