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BOOK 50 OF 66 · PAULINE EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

Philippians 3

Philippians book home•Chapter 3 of 4•21 verses
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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Philippians 3 Overview

Paul warns against confidence in religious flesh and recounts his impressive Jewish credentials only to count them loss for Christ. He rejects his own law-based righteousness in favor of righteousness through faith in Christ, presses toward the prize of his heavenly calling, and reminds believers that their conversation is in heaven while they await Christ’s transformation of the body.

PhilippiansBook
3Chapter
21Verses
Pauline EpistlesDivision

Before you read Philippians 3

Coming from

Paul calls the church to unity through humility, using Jesus Christ as the supreme example: though in the form of God, He humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death on the cross. God highly exalted Him. Paul then urges believers to work out their salvation in reverent obedience because God works in them, and commends Timothy and Epaphroditus.

In this chapter

Paul warns against confidence in religious flesh and recounts his impressive Jewish credentials only to count them loss for Christ. He rejects his own law-based righteousness in favor of righteousness through faith in Christ, presses toward the prize of his heavenly calling, and reminds believers that their conversation is in heaven while they await Christ’s transformation of the body.

Leads into

Paul urges unity between Euodias and Syntyche, calls believers to rejoice, pray instead of live in anxious care, think on what is true and pure, and practice what they have learned. He explains that he has learned contentment in both need and abundance through Christ’s strength and thanks the Philippians for faithful financial partnership.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Paul’s strongest religious credentials could not justify him. He explicitly contrasts ‘mine own righteousness, which is of the law’ with righteousness ‘through the faith of Christ.’

Paul’s pressing toward the prize concerns Christian pursuit and reward after justification, not an attempt to earn eternal life.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Religious pedigree cannot justify

Paul counts circumcision, ancestry, zeal, and legal blamelessness as loss compared with Christ.

Righteousness comes through faith in Christ

Paul wants the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Mature believers still press forward

Paul does not claim sinless perfection or completed growth.

Believers await bodily transformation

Christ will change the vile body to be fashioned like His glorious body.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Romans 3:20–28

Paul likewise rejects justification by deeds of the law.

Galatians 2:16

A man is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:51–53

The future bodily transformation of believers parallels Paul’s resurrection teaching.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use Paul’s pursuit language to add works to justification

He has already rejected his own righteousness and received righteousness by faith.

Do not read ‘perfect’ in verse 15 as sinless perfection

Paul has just said he has not already attained.

Do not make citizenship in heaven mean resurrection bodies are unimportant

Paul ends by emphasizing bodily transformation.

Read Philippians 3 watching for…

Paul’s former credentials.

What he counts as loss.

The contrast between two kinds of righteousness.

The phrase ‘not as though I had already attained.’

The heavenly citizenship and transformed body.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline4 sections
1-6Paul warns against false teachers and lists the fleshly credentials he once trusted7-11Paul counts former gain as loss to know Christ, his righteousness, power, suffering, and resurrection12-16Paul presses toward the mark and calls mature believers to the same mind17-21Believers are told to follow godly examples and remember their heavenly conversation and coming transformation
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.

2

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

3

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

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:

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;

6

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

7

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

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,

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:

10

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

11

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

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.

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,

14

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

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.

16

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

17

Brethren, 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:

19

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

20

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

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.