Philippians 3:20-21

20. For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21. who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.

Translation and Paraphrase

20. (We must not be like these,) for our state (wherein we have our citizenship) is in the heavens, from whence we also (steadfastly) look for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21. who (Christ) shall change our lowly (physical) body (so that it will be like in form to his glorious body), and this he will do (in a manner) in accord with the working which he powerfully exercises (all of the time), (even to the point of) subjecting all things to himself.

Notes

1.

Our citizenship (KJV conversation) is in heaven. This is given as another reason for our imitating men like Paul (Philippians 3:17). Paul lived by the laws of the kingdom of heaven; we are also citizens of heaven; therefore we should imitate Paul.

(The term conversation, as used in the KJV, does not mean speech. It has the meaning of conduct, or of turning to and fro in life's activities.)

2.

The word citizenship (Gr. politeuma) means a system of laws governing a state, or the state or commonwealth itself. Thus the translations in R.S.V. and A.S.V.m. render it commonwealth. Phillips-' version, and the New English render it We are citizens of heaven. James Moffatt has a famous translation of the verse: We are a colony of heaven. Our citizenship is not to be in heaven in the future; it's there now.

3.

The Philippians would find such terms as citizenship and colony meaningful, because Philippi was a Roman colony and the people there prided themselves on being Roman citizens.

As the Romans colonized and took over the world of their time, so Christians need to colonize and take over the cities and nations of the earth by gospel infiltration.

4.

From heaven, where our citizenship is, we look for a savior to come back, the Lord Jesus Christ.

To the Christian Christ will come as a savior; to the world he will come as the judge.
The word look (apekdechomai) means to assiduously and patiently wait for.

5.

The hope of Christ's second coming is a dominant theme in the New Testament. Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2; Hebrews 9:28; Titus 2:13. It should be the dominant hope of every Christian.

6.

Christ shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation. Fashion anew (KJV change; Gr. metaschematizo) means to -change the appearance of. (See p. 52). While the expression fashion anew does not in itself carry the idea of transforming the intrinsic nature of anything, it is here followed by the word conformed (KJV, fashioned; Gr. summorphos) which does indicate a basic transformation in the nature of the thing being referred to. Our bodies are to be thus changed.

Our bodies are now vile objects of humble character. (See note 7 below.) Christ will soon change them both externally and inwardly that they will become like his own glorious body. (See Romans 8:29 and note 8 below). We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

7.

Our vile body (KJV) is a description of our bodies as they now are, lowly and humble. This Biblical use of the word vile does not carry the connotation of evil that we now associate with it. It only means lowly.

Certainly our bodies now are lowly bodies of humiliation. They are subject to disease, to old age, to cancer, to infections, to allergies, to sores, to disfigurement, and to death. At the time of Christ's coming our bodies will become glorious, powerful, honorable, spiritual, and immortal. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

8.

Christ's own glorious body, which he now has, and which ours will be made like, is described (at least to a degree) in Revelation 1:13-16. He is no longer a disfigured root out of dry ground, with marred visage, and no beauty that we should desire him, the man of sorrows. (Isaiah 52:14-15; Isaiah 53:1-3).

9.

The transformation that Christ will make in our bodies will be done easily and powerfully. It shall be done in a manner corresponding to the working which Christ customarily does as he subjects all things in the universe unto himself.

Therefore the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of human bodies need not surprise us. These acts will be in perfect harmony with the power that Christ is now using, and shall continue to us as he triumphantly subjects all things unto himself. (1 Corinthians 15:25-27; Hebrews 2:6-9).

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Philippians 4:1 seems to be more of a conclusion to chapter three than an introduction to chapter four. Nevertheless, it will be discussed in the notes on the next chapter.