Philippians · Majority Standard Bible
Philippians 3 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
1 Τὸ λοιπόν, ἀδελφοί μου, χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ. τὰ αὐτὰ γράφειν ὑμῖν ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὀκνηρόν, ὑμῖν δὲ ἀσφαλές.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
2 Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας, βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν·
3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
3 ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες,
4 though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
4 καίπερ ἐγὼ ἔχων πεποίθησιν καὶ ἐν σαρκί. εἴ τις δοκεῖ ἄλλος πεποιθέναι ἐν σαρκί, ἐγὼ μᾶλλον·
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
5 περιτομῇ ὀκταήμερος, ἐκ γένους Ἰσραήλ, φυλῆς Βενιαμίν, Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, κατὰ νόμον Φαρισαῖος,
6 as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
6 κατὰ ζῆλον διώκων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος.
7 But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
7 ἀλλ᾽ ἅτινα ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν.
8 More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
8 ἀλλὰ μενοῦνγε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου μου, δι᾽ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα εἶναι ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
9 καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ ἔχων ἐμὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ νόμου, ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ, τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει,
10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,
10 τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ, συμμορφούμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
11 εἴ πως καταντήσω εἰς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
12 οὐχ ὅτι ἤδη ἔλαβον ἢ ἤδη τετελείωμαι, διώκω δὲ εἰ καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφ ᾧ καὶ κατελήφθην ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
13 ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔπω λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι·
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
14 ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
15 All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.
15 ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει.
16 Nevertheless, we must live up to the standard we have already attained, being of the same mind.
16 πλὴν εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν κανόνι, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν.
17 Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.
17 Συμμιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί, καὶ σκοπεῖτε τοὺς οὕτω περιπατοῦντας, καθὼς ἔχετε τύπον ἡμᾶς.
18 For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
18 πολλοὶ γὰρ περιπατοῦσιν, — οὓς πολλάκις ἔλεγον ὑμῖν, νῦν δὲ καὶ κλαίων λέγω, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
19 ὧν τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια, ὧν ὁ θεὸς ἡ κοιλία καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντες!
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
20 ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν,
21 who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.
21 ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸ σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα.
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)