PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3 PHILIPPIANS 3:1 Paul exhorteth to rejoice in the Lord, and to beware of the false teachers of the circumcision, PHILIPPIANS 3:4 showing that as a Jew he had better grounds of confidence than they. PHILIPPIANS 3:7 But that he disclaimed them all, trusting only to the justificati... [ Continue Reading ]
BEWARE; he cautions all, both officers and people: and though the original word doth signify to look with mind and eye, yet it is also frequently rendered, to take heed, MARK 8:15, MARK 12:38 8:9,23,33 1 CORINTHIANS 16:10 3 JOHN 1:8. OF DOGS; of those dogs, (with the article emphatically proposed),... [ Continue Reading ]
In opposition to and confutation of THE CONCISION, he speaks of himself, and all true believers in the fellowship of the gospel, partakers of the same grace and Spirit with him, PHILIPPIANS 1:5,7 PHP 2:1; and saith, _we._ ARE THE CIRCUMCISION; using a metonymy, are the circumcision now acceptable, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH I MIGHT ALSO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH: to prevent any cavil about what he said, as if he did magnify Christ, and forbear glorying in those external privileges they did so much bear themselves upon, out of envy to them for what they had; he here argues upon supposition, (as elsewhere, to c... [ Continue Reading ]
CIRCUMCISED THE EIGHTH DAY; or, there was, or I had, the eighth day circumcision; so it may by a usual supply of the verb be read, (as also what follows), without a metonymy. He begins with his birth privilege, intimating that he was not proselyted, but born within the pale of the church, and dedica... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING ZEAL; not lukewarm, but exceedingly fervent in the strictest observances of the Pharisaic order, which was much in external devotion, LUKE 18:12, very solicitous for proselytes, MATTHEW 23:15,25. Herein he was above his equals for years, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Having argued how he might have had as great a plea for confidence of his acceptance with God as any, if it would have held from the recited particulars, he now shows, how advantageous soever they had, in the judgment of others as well as himself, been reckoned to be, before he was effectually calle... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA DOUBTLESS; he very emphatically, in the Greek, expresseth his stronger resolution upon further deliberation. AND I COUNT ALL THINGS; as he had reckoned and rated when he was first wrought upon to entertain Christ, so at present he did not alter his judgment, in the valuation of any thing he had... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE FOUND IN HIM; a learned interpreter reads it actively, and may find, or recover, in him, all my losses. But following our own translation: by winning of Christ, the apostle doth not only mean the profession of the faith of the gospel, but his union with Christ, and participation of him, which... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT I MAY KNOW HIM; as consequent upon the former he had by winning of Christ, he doth here insist upon sanctification, which would result from faith's exerting itself in a further saving, experimental knowledge of Christ, to be found in whom, he undervalued all besides coniformity to Christ in hol... [ Continue Reading ]
Being found in whom, after justification and sanctification, he doubts not to be glorified, (by a figure of a part, resurrection of the body, for the whole), though he expresseth himself as one that must pass through difficulties ere he attain not only to a spiritual resurrection from sin, but a glo... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT AS THOUGH I HAD ALREADY ATTAINED, EITHER WERE ALREADY PERFECT: by an elegant anticipation and correction, lest any should conclude from what he had written, as if he were now arrived at the height he aimed at in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and a full and perfect stature in that bo... [ Continue Reading ]
BRETHREN, I COUNT NOT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED; he repeats, in somewhat a different manner of expression, what he had written in the former verse, with a friendly compellation, gently and kindly to insinuate a caution against the false teachers suggestion about perfection in this state, from the i... [ Continue Reading ]
I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK; he did not look back, LUKE 9:62, nor was lazy, but did follow hard, with an eager pursuit, _\MATTHEW 11:12\_ after the perfection that was in his eye; not erring from, his main scope; considering what he had received was but in part, he did still press for more, upon that gr... [ Continue Reading ]
A learned man reads it from the Greek to this purpose: As many therefore as are perfect, let us think this; and if ye think any thing otherwise, even this also God will, or may, reveal to you, (besides what we have attained to), to walk by the same rule, to think the same thing: conceiving it not co... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, WHERETO WE HAVE ALREADY ATTAINED; however, let us, or we ought to, walk in obedience to Christ, love to him and each other, according to the light we have already received, trusting he would make known his mind more clearly to us. Our using the light we have well, is the ready way to h... [ Continue Reading ]
BRETHREN, BE FOLLOWERS TOGETHER OF ME; he doth here not only propound his own single example to the brethren at Philippi, as he doth to others elsewhere, 1 CORINTHIANS 4:16, implying the limitation there expressed, viz. as he and others were followers of God and Christ, 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 EPHESIANS... [ Continue Reading ]
He doth, as in a parenthesis, according to our Bibles, allege reasons for his proposals. FOR MANY WALK; there were not a few who did at present walk otherwise, being _evil workers,_ PHILIPPIANS 3:2, not to be imitated or followed, MATTHEW 7:22,23. OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD YOU OFTEN; of which, as a faithf... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE END IS DESTRUCTION; their condition will at last be miserable, as he had limited above, PHILIPPIANS 1:28, of their being under the dismal _token of perdition; _ their end will be _according to their works,_ 2 CORINTHIANS 11:15. However they may live delicately at present, in gratifying their s... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OUR CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN; he here adds a further reason why he would have them to be fellow followers of him, and such-like as he, because though they were not already in heaven, yet their citizenship was there, the privileges of that city did belong to them, who, according to the municipal... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL CHANGE OUR VILE BODY; who shall transform the body of our humility, or our lowliness, i.e. our lowbrought body, the singular for the plural, our humble and mean bodies, which depend upon and are beholden to our eating and drinking, and the actions which follow thereupon, that do humble and... [ Continue Reading ]