Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

their own spiritual lives and those of their converts. True circumcision is a spiritual work, not a
ceremonial one … A Jew would be scandalized by the application of this priestly form of worship to
a Gentile … The word "boast" or "rejoice" shows the high spiritual level of the apostle's life. (K.
Wuest) Whatever outward forms and ceremonies may or may not be used, nothing can detract from
the indispensable qualification, “in spirit and in truth,” which should be the dominating feature of
worship, and the equally important “broken and contrite heart” of the individual worshipper. (R.
Martin)
The conjunction of worship and work is interesting, and should warn us not to make an unnatural
and unbiblical separation between what happens inside and outside our church meetings. All our life
is worship. Prayer is worship, and so is the consecrated life of a body presented to God ... Those who
“add to Christ” are still with us – sects like the Mormons who say nice things about Christ but in fact
make membership of their sect the real essential for salvation; ministers, who, whatever their own
personal trust in Jesus, yet by their ministry cause people to trust in rites and ceremonies and
sacraments; and others even who add to the work of Christ some additional experience of the Holy
Spirit as essential for full salvation. Similarly, those who corrupt the way of salvation are still with
us, especially the pathetic multitude whose only confidence is in their own earned merits. (J. Stott)
The divine ritual of Judaism is replaced, in our case, by real spiritual worship, acceptable to God
wherever it is offered. (A. Knoch)
They worshipped in the Spirit, in opposition to the carnal ordinances of the OT, which consist in
meats, and drinks, and divers washings, etc. Christianity takes us off from these things, and teaches
us to be inward with God in all the duties of religious worship. We must worship God in the strength
and grace of the Divine Spirit. Now that the substance has come the shadows are done away, and we
are to rejoice in Christ Jesus only. (M. Henry) We are the children, for we banquet on the spiritual
feast which God has spread before us; they are the dogs, for they greedily devour the garbage of
cardinal ordinances, the very refuse of God’s table. (J. Lightfoot) The Spirit is the influence whereby
our religious service is rendered. Legal worship consisted in outward acts, restricted to certain times
and places. Christian worship is spiritual, flowing from the inworking Holy Spirit; not restricted to
isolated acts, but embracing the whole life. (R. Jamieson) Paul has reached firm convictions on the
highest things. He knows what he believes and what he rejects. That is the real explanation of his
strong, exultant joy. (W. Nicoll)
Philp. 3:3 For (adversative) as for us (Nom. Appos.), we
(supergrace believers) keep on being (eivmi, PAI1P, Iterative)
the true circumcision (Pred. Nom.; we cut it properly), the
ones (Nom. Appos.) who continually worship (latreu,w,
PAPtc.NPM, Iterative, Substantival) in (or by) the Spirit
(Loc. Sph./Instr. Means; you must be in fellowship) of God
(Gen. Rel.; refers to supergrace status, not the holy-roller
heresy) and (continuative) who boast (kauca,omai, PMPtc.NPM,
Iterative, Substantival, Deponent; supergrace esprit de
corps, take pride in) in Christ Jesus (Loc. Sph.), and
(continuative) who have not (neg. particle) had in the past