Philippians 3
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 3
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
Warning against False Teachers
Worship by the Spirit.[a] I do not mind writing the same things to you again; it is for your safety.
2 Beware of the dogs![b] Beware of evil-doers! Beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 3 For we are the circumcision,[c] we who worship by the Spirit of God and who boast in Christ Jesus and do not place any confidence in the flesh— 4 even though I too have reason for confidence in the flesh.
Joyous Sacrifice of All Things for Christ.[d] If anyone thinks that he has reasons to be confident in the flesh, I have more! 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day of my life. I was one of the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin.[e] I am a Hebrew and the son of Hebrews. In regard to the Law, I was a Pharisee; 6 in regard to religious zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; in regard to righteousness under the Law, I was without fault.
7 All these I once regarded as assets, but now I have come to regard them as losses because of Christ. 8 Even more than that, I count everything as loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all other things, and I regard them as so much rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him.
I do not wish to have any righteousness of my own based on the Law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness given by God in response to faith. 10 All I want is to come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings by becoming conformed to his death, 11 so that I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12 Racing toward the Goal.[f] It is not that I have already attained this or have yet reached perfection. But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ once took hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not claim to have taken hold of it as yet. Only this one thing: forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus.
15 Those of us who are mature should adopt this same attitude. If on any matter you have a different point of view, this too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us hold fast in our conduct to what we have already attained.
17 Our Citizenship Is in Heaven.[g] Brethren, join in imitating me,[h] and take note of those who conduct themselves in accord with the model you have in us. 18 As I have told you before, and now remind you with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction. Their god is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven,[i] and from there we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be conformed to his glorified body by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Footnotes
- Philippians 3:1 In a Letter that seemed to be coming to an end, a new subject is introduced. Paul is opposing the Jews or Jewish Christians who regard the practice of certain rites as indispensable, notably circumcision, even for those who believe in Christ. Christianity is total union with Christ in the greatest spiritual freedom. It cannot consist—like Judaism—in meticulous practices that lead to formalism. There is no salvation except in Jesus Christ, as the Letters to the Romans and to the Galatians demonstrate at length. Anything else is a human practice that pertains to the order of the flesh.
If the word “circumcision” must be used, it can refer only to the circumcision of the heart; if there is need to speak of worship, it can only be a spiritual worship. Christ has now become the sole focus of Paul’s interest; his entire life will be dedicated to knowing Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world, and making him known to others. - Philippians 3:2 Dogs: this is the name given to Gentiles by Jews (see Mt 15:26); here it is applied ironically to the Judaizers (see Gal 5:12). Those who mutilate the flesh: i.e., the Judaizers who insist that the Gentile Christians must agree to submit to circumcision (see Gal 5:12).
- Philippians 3:3 We are the circumcision: Christians are the true People of God and offspring of Abraham (see Gal 3:7, 29; 6:15).
- Philippians 3:4 Paul had everything needed to forge for himself a brilliant career in Judaism, and he dreamed about it. He was a Jew of the most elite tribe and the most rigorous sect as well as a zealous advocate and defender of his religion. His encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus—a Jesus who identified himself totally with his followers and who loved him unconditionally—turned everything upside down for Paul.
Henceforth, Christ becomes his sole interest. His very existence will be the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, that is, communion in his Paschal Mystery of dying and rising to new life, and participation in his work for the salvation of the world. One thing is evident for Paul: human beings can become fully realized only by giving themselves to Christ without reservation. - Philippians 3:5 The tribe of Benjamin was descended from the one son of Jacob who was born in Palestine (Gen 35:16f), and it had always been faithful to the Davidic dynasty. The Jerusalem temple was in the territory of Benjamin.
- Philippians 3:12 Grasped by Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul strains toward him with his whole being, and this aim of his life energizes all his forces. The Christian life is inner growth, deepening, and development, and Paul loves to describe it as a course to be run. Once anyone has begun the race, there cannot be any stopping: “If you say ‘Enough,’ you are already dead” (St. Augustine). Those who have already “reached perfection” are Christians whose faith can be termed “mature.”
- Philippians 3:17 Paul stresses that the Christian life is carried along by a profound hope. We turn that hope away from its goal when we fix its fulfillment in the realities of earth and even more when we polarize it on failed religious practices. Paul was probably thinking of the Jewish dietary customs and the circumcision that some Jewish-Christian preachers wanted to impose on new communities.
- Philippians 3:17 Join in imitating me: since Paul’s wholehearted imitation of Christ is well known to his readers (1 Cor 4:6; 11:1; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:6; 2 Thes 3:7, 9), he encourages them to follow his example in that respect.
- Philippians 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven: Christians are, as it were, aliens in this world, for their real home is heaven. They are not of the world but fully involved in it (see Jn 17:14-16; 1 Cor 7:29-31; 1 Pet 2:11).
Philippians 3
King James Version
3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 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, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Filipos 3
Ang Biblia (1978)
3 Sa katapustapusan, mga kapatid ko, (A)mangagalak kayo sa Panginoon. Ang pagsulat ko nga sa inyo ng mga gayon ding bagay, sa akin ay tunay na hindi nakangangalay, nguni't sa inyo'y katiwasayan.
2 Magsipagingat kayo sa mga aso, (B)magsipagingat kayo sa masasamang manggagawa, (C)magsipagingat kayo sa mga sa pagtutuli:
3 Sapagka't tayo (D)ang pagtutuli, (E)na nagsisisamba sa Espiritu ng Dios, at nangagmamapuri kay Cristo Jesus, at walang anomang pagkakatiwala sa laman:
4 Bagama't ako'y makapagkakatiwala sa laman: na kung ang iba ay nagaakala na may pagkakatiwala sa laman, ay lalo na ako:
5 Na tinuli ng ikawalong araw, (F)mula sa lahi ng Israel, (G)mula sa angkan ni Benjamin, Hebreo sa mga Hebreo; tungkol sa kautusan, ay (H)Fariseo;
6 Tungkol (I)sa pagsisikap, (J)ay manguusig sa iglesia; (K)tungkol sa kabanalan na nasa kautusan, ay walang kapintasan.
7 Gayon man ang mga bagay na sa akin ay pakinabang, ay inari kong kalugihan, alangalang kay Cristo.
8 Oo nga, at lahat ng mga bagay ay inaari kong kalugihan (L)dahil sa dakilang kagalingan ng pagkakilala kay Cristo Jesus na Panginoon ko: na alangalang sa kaniya'y tiniis ko ang kalugihan ng lahat ng mga bagay, at inari kong sukal lamang, upang tamuhin ko si Cristo,
9 At ako'y masumpungan sa kaniya, na walang katuwirang (M)aking sarili, sa makatuwid baga'y sa kautusan, kundi (N)ang katuwirang sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya kay Cristo, ang katuwiran ngang buhat sa Dios sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya:
10 Upang makilala ko siya, at (O)ang kapangyarihan ng kaniyang pagkabuhay na maguli, at (P)ang pakikisama ng kaniyang mga kahirapan, na ako'y natutulad sa kaniyang pagkamatay;
11 Kung aking tamuhin sa anomang paraan ang pagkabuhay na maguli sa mga patay.
12 Hindi sa ako'y (Q)nagtamo na, o ako'y nalubos na: kundi nagpapatuloy ako, baka sakaling maabot ko yaong ikinaaabot naman sa akin ni Cristo Jesus.
13 Mga kapatid, hindi ko pa inaaring inabot: datapuwa't isang bagay ang ginagawa ko, (R)na nililimot ang mga bagay na nasa likuran, at (S)tinutungo ang mga bagay na hinaharap,
14 Nagtutumulin ako sa hangganan sa ganting-pala (T)ng dakilang pagtawag ng Dios na kay Cristo Jesus.
15 Kaya nga, kung ilan tayong (U)mga sakdal, ay magisip ng gayon: at kung sa anoma'y nangagkakaiba kayo ng iniisip ay ipahahayag naman ito sa inyo ng Dios:
16 (V)Lamang, ay magsilakad tayo (W)ayon sa gayon ding ayos na ating inabot na.
17 Mga kapatid, (X)kayo'y mangagkaisang tumulad sa akin, at tandaan ninyo ang mga nagsisilakad ng gayon, ayon sa halimbawang nakikita ninyo sa akin.
18 Sapagka't marami ang mga nagsisilakad, na siyang madalas na aking sinabi sa inyo, at ngayo'y sinasabi ko sa inyo na may pagiyak, na sila ang mga (Y)kaaway ng krus ni Cristo:
19 (Z)Na ang kanilang kahihinatnan ay ang kapahamakan, (AA)na ang kanilang dios ay ang tiyan, (AB)at ang kanilang kapurihan ay nasa kanilang kahihiyan, na (AC)nagiisip ng mga bagay na ukol sa lupa.
20 Sapagka't ang ating pagkamamamayan (AD)ay nasa langit; mula doon ay (AE)hinihintay naman natin ang Tagapagligtas, ang Panginoong Jesucristo:
21 Na (AF)siyang magbabago (AG)ng katawan ng ating pagkamababa, (AH)upang maging katulad ng katawan ng kaniyang kaluwalhatian, (AI)ayon sa paggawa na (AJ)maipagpapasuko niya sa lahat ng mga bagay sa kaniya.
Ang Biblia Copyright © Philippine Bible Society 1905, 1915, 1933, 1978
