Philippians 3

Chap. III. Ver. 1—21. St. Paul warns the Philippians against false teachers, and exhorts them to place their whole confidence in Christ.—The apostle’s first caution is expressed in very strong and unceremonious terms. Dr. Macknight Ver. 17. Offered upon.—Margin, “* poured forth;”—i. e. if my blood should be poured forth as in martyrdom. The Jews, dogs, because they barked against the doctrines of the gospel and its faithful teachers, and were ready to devour all who opposed their errors. Our Lord used the word dogs in the same sense, when he commanded not to give that which is holy unto the dogs. ((Matthew 7:6).) Perhaps the unbelieving Jews are called dogs, likewise, to signify that, in the sight of God, they were now become as abominable for crucifying Christ, and persecuting his apostles, as the idolatrous heathens were in the eyes of the Jews, who, to express their abhorrence of them, called them dogs. The same persons are evidently intended by “evil workers,”

and “the concision,” or “the excision,” as the commentator just named renders it; a word formed by St. Paul, to designate those who contended for circumcision as necessary to salvation; in opposition to whom, the apostle describes himself and brethren as “the true circumcision;” those who looked to the spiritual intent and design of that ordinance—“who worshipped God in the spirit;” that is, spiritually and evangelically, and “put no confidence in the flesh,” nor in any fleshly ordinances, farther than the word of God requires and justifies them in so doing: not but, as he says, if such a confidence were warrantable, no man could have a greater right to boast in external privileges and advantages than himself, being “a Hebrew of the Hebrews,”

&c. as he subjoins. But what things soever he had formerly accounted gain, and valued himself upon, those he now “counted loss for Christ,” and in deference to his gospel and his cause. “Yea, doubtless,” adds he, bursting into a rapture of holy triumph—“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;” namely, fortune, character, and fame—ease, comfort, and (that in which above all things I gloried) my own self-righteousness; “and do still count them all (but) dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the law; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith;”—that in his Son.

(See exposition, (Romans 3:20-31).) The apostle adds—“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,” &c. as if he had said, That I may have an experimental acquaintance with his love—feel the attractive power of his resurrection, drawing up my heart and affections to heaven and heavenly things—obtain a fellowship in his sufferings and death; if by any means I might attain to the resurrection from the dead—meaning the first resurrection, or the resurrection of the just. St. Paul then returns to his favourite metaphor, comparing the course of a Christian life to the Olympic races—“Not as though I had already attained the prize, or completed my course, (see (1 Corinthians 9:24-26);) but I follow after (it,) if that I may [but] apprehend that, for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” To apprehend, is literally to lay hold of; Christ had laid hold of the apostle, to introduce and to help him onward in the course, and his own anxiety was, that he also might reach the goal.

For this purpose, forgetting the things that were behind, namely the attainments he had already made, he was still eagerly reaching forward, still pressing toward the goal, eager to “lay hold on eternal life,” which is “the prize of (our) high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” “Let, therefore, as many as be perfect”—that is, all who have attained to any proficiency in the Christian life, “be thus minded”—thus earnest in persevering, thus eager to gain the prize.—Nevertheless, (or however whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, (mark, or line,) till we complete our race, and seize the prize of immortality, the resurrection of the dead.” Before we close this chapter, there is one thing on which we beg leave to remark, that many Christians lose time, by stopping to survey the ground they have passed, instead of eagerly reaching forward to the end; we mean, (without a figure,) they trust too much to past experiences, instead of keeping the eye steadily looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith, ((Hebrews 12:2).) There is also another point of view in which this expression may be understood and improved. The racers never stopped to look back after their competitors, whom they had distanced and left behind: so Christians, when they appear to have gained an advance, and got before their brethren, should not employ themselves in depreciating their slow advances, or in commending their own superior progress; but each should still keep pressing on, while there is but one before them. Chap. III. Ver. 1—25. The Colossians exhorted to set their affection upon Christ and things above—to mortify their carnal appetites, and to practise every Christian virtue.—In the preceding chapter, the Colossians had been reminded [that] by their baptism and public profession of Christianity, they had followed the Lord Jesus through his sufferings and death,—had been by the power of his Spirit quickened from a death of trespasses and sins—and been virtually raised with him to heaven, in whom all the treasures of grace and glory were de-

Ver. 15. Having spoiled principalities, &c.—Compare (Ephesians 4:8); vi. 12.

Notes on the verses

Given him.—Macknight, “bestowed on him;” Ver. 10. At (Gr. “in”) the name of Jesus—i. e. to him, as the Saviour of men—every knee should bow—i. e. all creatures should worship him. See (Revelation 5:13-14); and compare (Romans 14:11). Ver. 13. Which worketh.—Macknight, “Who inwardly worketh.” Ver. 15. Yeshine.—Margin, “Shine ye.” So Theophylact. Compare (Matthew 5:14, 16). But Sawrin explains this in reference to light-houses, and particularly the famous tower of Pharos, in which lights were always kept burning, as a guide to mariners. Be poured forth as in martyrdom. [Parkhurst well remarks, that the Apostle compares the faith of the Philippians to the sacrificial victim, and his own blood shed in martyrdom to the libation—i.

e. the wine poured out, on occasion of the sacrifice.]—Bagster. Ver. 19. Your state—i. e. the state of the church and of the cause. Ver. 25. Messenger.—Gr. “apostle.” The pastors were the apostles—messengers, or angels of the churches: St. Paul and the eleven were apostles of Christ. “Chap. III. Ver. 1. To write the same things.—To repeat what he had said in the preceding chapter, verses 17, 18. Ver. 2. Beware of dogs.—L’Enfant states, that the Romans used to chain their dogs at their house-doors, and write over a caution to strangers to beware of them; to which he thinks the apostle here alludes.—Of the concision.—Macknight, “excision;” a term framed and used satirically for the bigoted advocates of circumcision.

Ver. 5. A Hebrew of the Hebrews.—See (Romans 11:1). Ver. 7. I counted loss—i. e. “I threw them away, as mariners (often) do their goods, lest they should endanger their lives. See (Acts 27:21).” —Dodd. Ver. 8. The loss of all things.—Doddridge thinks it not improbable (we think it almost certain) that Paul had been laid, by his unbelieving brethren, under the great excommunication, which forfeited all his property. Ver. 9. The power of his resurrection—See (Romans 6:4-5). (2 Corinthians 1:9). Ver. 11. Resurrection of the dead.—Macknight, “from the dead;” i. e. the first resurrection, which is of believers only; (1 Corinthians 15:23). (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Ver. 12. Already perfect.—Some think this may refer to the initiated in the heathen mysteries who were so called; others, with more probability, refer it to the public games alluded to.

Those who obtained a prize were said thereby to be made perfect; that is, to have gained their object.—Apprehended of Jesus Christ.—Some think this may refer to those who were taken by the hand, and introduced to the games by persons of repute and Ver. 13. Forgetting those things which are behind.—This is commonly understood as referring to the ground passed over in the course; but Hammond quotes from Horace a striking passage, which, speaking of a competitor in the chariot-races, says—“He presses to overtake those horses which are before him, but contemns and looks not back after any that he has left behind.”——And reaching forth.—Macknight, “Exceedingly stretching myself forward.” Ver.

14. I press toward—Macknight, “I follow along”—the mark—i. e. the white line chalked out to guide their course. Ver. 19. Whose God is their belly—Or “the belly;” for the pronoun is unnecessary. These were evidently gluttons and drunkards, and gloried in their vices, of which they ought to be ashamed. Our conversation, &c.—Doddridge, “We converse as citizens of Ver. 21. Who shall change our vile body.—Literally, “Who shall transform the body of our humiliation.” —Doddridge,