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Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

A reading plan that walks through the entire New Testament in 24 weeks of daily readings.

Duration: 168 days

Philippians 3-4

Chapter 3

¹Finally, 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.

²Beware of the dogs!^[b] Beware of evil-doers! Beware of those who mutilate the flesh! ³For 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— ⁴even 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! ⁵I 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; ⁶in regard to religious zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; in regard to righteousness under the Law, I was without fault.

⁷All these I once regarded as assets, but now I have come to regard them as losses because of Christ. ⁸Even 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 ⁹and 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. ¹⁰All 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, ¹¹so that I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Racing 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. ¹³Brethren, 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, ¹⁴I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Those 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. ¹⁶Only let us hold fast in our conduct to what we have already attained.

¹⁷Our 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. ¹⁸As I have told you before, and now remind you with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their end is destruction. Their god is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven,^[i] and from there we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹He 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.

Chapter 4

¹Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and for whom I long, my joy and crown: stand firm in the Lord, beloved.

Counsels and Thanksgiving

Christian Concord.^[j] ²I exhort both Euodia and Syntyche to come to a mutual understanding in the Lord. ³I also ask you, my loyal companion Syzygus, to help these women, for they have struggled alongside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice without Ceasing.^[k] ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say: Rejoice! ⁵Let your kindness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but present your needs to God in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. ⁷Then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

All That Is Truly Human Is Christian.^[l] ⁸Finally, brethren, let your minds be filled with whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent, whatever is worthy of praise. ⁹Do the things that you have learned, received, and heard from me and that you saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Acknowledgment of the Community’s Gift^[m]

¹⁰Contentment in Any Circumstances. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you have renewed your concern for me. You were, of course, concerned about me, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I do not say this because I have been in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.

¹²I know how to live with little, and I know how to live with plenty. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. ¹³I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

¹⁴Philippian Generosity. Even so, it was kind of you to share my difficulties. ¹⁵You Philippians are aware that in the early days of the gospel^[n] when I set out from Macedonia, not a single Church other than yours shared with me in giving and receiving. ¹⁶Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me something for my needs on more than one occasion.

¹⁷Do not think that it is the gift that I value most. What I desire is for the interest to mount up in your account. ¹⁸I have been paid in full and have more than enough. I am satisfied now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God.^[o] ¹⁹And my God will fully supply all your needs out of the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

²⁰Doxology. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Conclusion

²¹Final Greetings.^[p] Give my greetings to every one of the saints in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me send their greetings to you, ²²as do all the saints here, especially those in the emperor’s service.

²³Benediction.^[q] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

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 4:2 Lines of communication are established in all the new communities, and women play an important role in their life and apostolate. Doubtless, members at times experience the difficulty of living and working together, as is the case between Euodia and Syntyche. Paul is confident that these two good women will be reconciled to one another. Clement: it is possible, but not certain, that this is Clement, the first Roman Pope. Book of life: an image current at the time to evoke the collectivity of the saved (see Ex 32:32; Ps 69:29; Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Rev 3:5).
Philippians 4:4 Joy is the great secret of Christians, the sign that faith has triumphed over all fears, the normal fruit of a spiritual life that progresses. The peace of God is more profound than any kind of peace that the human spirit can attain solely by its own effort.
Philippians 4:8 Radically detached from earthly goods, a purified heart is able to recognize the gifts of Christ through all human values. In these verses, Etienne Gilson saw “the eternal charter of Christian humanism.”
Philippians 4:10 Even when in need, Paul did not want to depend on the communities for material help (see 1 Cor 9:14, 18; 2 Cor 11:7-10; 12:13-18; 1 Thes 2:5-9; 2 Thes 3:7-9), and he made no exception except for the Christians of Philippi with whom he had especially cordial ties. Like a true poor person, he remains free in any situation, enriched or deprived, ready to accept whatever will come—for the important thing is to serve the Gospel.
Philippians 4:15 Early days of the gospel: during Paul’s second missionary journey, when he first preached the Gospel in Europe at Philippi (Acts 16:9ff).
Philippians 4:18 A fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God: Paul sees the Philippians’ gift to him in terms of the Old Testament sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise (see Lev 7:12-15; Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2; Heb 13:15f).
Philippians 4:21 Paul mentions especially those who in some way ensure the service of the emperor: dignitaries and soldiers, freedmen or slaves. Hence, Christians are also part of these circles.
Philippians 4:23 Paul adds a typical closing benediction. Your spirit: i.e., the whole person viewed from his inner side (see Gal 6:18; 2 Tim 4:22; Philem 25).

New Catholic Bible (NCB)