1 To sum up: my dear friends, delight in the Lord! It's not a burden for me to repeat these things to you—it's to keep you safe! 2 Watch out for those dogs! Watch out for those who do evil! Watch out for those mutilators! 3 For it's we who are truly circumcised, worshiping by the Spirit of God, placing our assurance in Christ Jesus. We have no confidence in human abilities— 4 for if there was a way to rely on human nature then I myself could have that confidence! If anyone thinks they have confidence in such human things, then I outdo them: 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, I'm an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, a true Hebrew. Regarding legal observance I'm a Pharisee; 6 as for religious dedication I was a persecutor of the church; while in regard to doing right according to the law I was blameless! 7 But in whatever way such things gained me anything, I count them as a loss for Christ. 8 Truly, I count everything as loss in exchange for the incredible benefit I've gained through knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I've thrown away all these things for him, and consider them trash, so that I might gain Christ. 9 I want to be found in him, not being right because of what I've done, or what the law requires, but made right through confidence in Christ, set right by God through trusting in him. 10 I want to really know him, and the power of his resurrection—to take part in his suffering and become like him in his death, 11 so that somehow I might be part of the resurrection from the dead! 12 Not that I've already got it all, or that I'm already perfect—but I run so that I might win what was won for me by Christ Jesus. 13 My friends, I don't consider that I've already won, but this is my one objective: disregarding what is behind me, I strain forward to what is in front of me. 14 I run towards the finish line to win the prize of God's invitation to heaven through Christ Jesus. 15 Those of us who are spiritually mature should think like this, and if you think anything different, then God will reveal this to you. 16 We just need to make sure that we follow what we already have understood. 17 My friends, copy my example as others do and take note of the way to behave since you have us as a model. 18 The way some people live makes them enemies of the cross of Christ—as I've often told you before and repeat again though it pains me so much I want to weep. 19 They will end up being completely lost, these people whose “god” is their physical desires and who are proud of what they should be ashamed of, thinking only about the things of this world. 20 But our homeland is heaven, and we're waiting for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from there too. 21 He will re-create our defective human bodies so that they will be made like his glorious body using the power by which he brings everything under his control.
Philippians · Free Bible Version
Philippians 3 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Philippians 4:4; Romans 5:11; Ephesians 6:10; Joel 2:23; Psalm 37:4
- 2 2 Corinthians 11:13; Titus 1:16; Revelation 22:15; Isaiah 56:10–11; 2 Timothy 3:1–6
- 3 Colossians 2:11; Deuteronomy 30:6; Romans 7:6; Galatians 6:13–15; Romans 8:15
- 4 2 Corinthians 11:18–22
- 5 2 Corinthians 11:22; Romans 11:1; Acts 23:6; Acts 26:4–5; Genesis 17:12
- 6 Galatians 1:13–14; Acts 8:3; Acts 26:9–10; Acts 22:3–4; Matthew 5:20
- 7 Luke 14:33; Matthew 16:26; Matthew 13:44–46; Luke 14:26; Proverbs 13:8
- 8 Jeremiah 9:23–24; Romans 8:18; Acts 20:24; Philippians 3:7; John 17:3
- 9 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 2:16; Romans 4:5–6; Romans 4:13–15
- 10 Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 4:1–2; 2 Timothy 2:11–12; Romans 8:17; Romans 6:3–11
- 11 Luke 20:35–36; Revelation 20:5; Acts 23:6; Acts 26:7; Hebrews 11:35
- 12 1 Timothy 6:11–12; 2 Peter 1:5–8; Psalm 138:8; Hosea 6:3; 1 Peter 3:11–13
- 13 Luke 9:62; Hebrews 12:1–2; Philippians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Psalm 27:4
- 14 1 Corinthians 9:24; 1 Peter 5:10; Revelation 3:21; 2 Timothy 4:7–8; Romans 8:28–30
- 15 John 7:17; Galatians 5:10; James 1:4–5; 1 Corinthians 2:6; Proverbs 2:3–6
- 16 Colossians 2:6; Revelation 3:3; Revelation 2:4–5; Hebrews 10:38–39; Romans 15:5
- 17 Philippians 4:9; 1 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Timothy 4:12; Hebrews 13:7
- 18 Ephesians 4:17; Isaiah 8:11; Galatians 6:12; Galatians 1:7; Jeremiah 13:17
- 19 Romans 16:18; Romans 8:5–7; 2 Peter 2:3; Colossians 3:2; Jude 12–13
- 20 Ephesians 2:19; Colossians 3:1–3; 2 Corinthians 4:18–5:1; Hebrews 12:22; 1 Peter 1:3–4
- 21 1 John 3:2; Colossians 3:4; 1 Corinthians 15:42–56; Romans 8:29; John 11:24–26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Dejection and care, whenever they strain the soul beyond due measure, bereave it of its native force. And therefore Paul relieves the Philippians, who were in great despondency, and they were in despondency because they did not know how matters were with Paul; they were in despondency because they thought that it was already over with him, because of the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
Of which resurrection the apostle speaks in the Epistle to the Philippians: "Having been made conformable to His death, if by any means I might attain to the resurrection which is from the dead." In what other mortal flesh, therefore, can life be understood as being manifested, unless in that substance which is also put to death on account of …
We then were conversing alone very pleasantly; and, "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," we were seeking between ourselves in the presence of the Truth, which Thou art, of what nature the eternal life of the saints would be, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Yet they were at least ashamed when they were naked, but ye take a pride in it; "having," according to that saying of the apostle, "your glory in your shame." How then will thy wife thenceforward look upon thee, when thou art returned from such wickedness?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord alway; again I will say, Rejoice: for your redemption hath drawn nigh, and the heavenly host of the Angels is waiting for your salvation.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)