Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

origin, birth, and training; but when he became saved by grace he passed over onto new ground
where there is (Col. 3:11) “neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (L. Chafer) You can excel in religion by your
zeal for the system and, before you know it, reach the pinnacle of your religious group. But if it
makes me look good, it makes Christ look bad. If my religious endeavor and exercise turn attention
on me, then they turn people’s attention away from the cross of Christ and from the power of His
resurrection. (K. Lamb)
Having mentioned that Christians boast in Christ Jesus and “put no confidence in the flesh,” the
apostle proceeds to indicate what “trusting in the flesh” means. He does this through a personal
testimony, described as “one of the most remarkable personal confessions that the ancient world has
bequeathed to us.” By using himself as an example, and thereby drawing attention to the fact that he
possessed, before his conversion, all the advantages that his Judaizing opponents were claiming in
order to place confidence in the flesh, the apostle was able to show that boasting in Christ was all
that mattered. This was “the pith of Christianity,” it was true for every Christian, not simply for the
apostle, and thus vital for the Philippians themselves ... Not only can Paul match the grounds that the
Jew or Judaizer had for boasting in himself, he can even outstrip them. Paul’s grounds for boasting
in his own pedigree and achievements are in fact greater than the credentials any Judaizer could
produce. (P. O’Brien)
Paul opens Philippians by repeating a warning that he himself had disregarded in his Jerusalem
fiasco. Believers must beware of religion with all its emotional appeal, self-righteousness, coercion,
and potential violence. In particular, Paul cites his own aristocratic background, zeal, and fame in
Judaism. Religion had channeled his intellect and energy, had flattered and promoted him, had given
him tremendous confidence in the flesh … Paul renounced his old, misplaced confidence in man.
His power lust and his self-righteous zeal to impose his own legalism on others had been replaced by
spiritual autonomy. Instead of self, Christ was now the focus of his attention. Personal love for God
had superceded arrogance as the foundation of his attitude toward himself. (R.B. Thieme, Jr.)
Philp. 3:4 Although (concessive) in spite of that (και
emphasizes a surprising or unexpected fact), I myself (Subj.
Nom., emphatic) could also (adjunctive) have (e;cw, PAPtc.NSM,
Pictorial, Concessive) confidence (Adv. Acc.) in the flesh
(Loc. Sph./Instr. Means; religion had channelled Paul's
energy in the past). If (1st class condition, “and they do”)
anyone (Subj. Nom.) of the same category (Descr. Nom.; fellow
Jewish believers like Paul, aimed at the Judaizers) presumes
(doke,w, PAI3S, Static; thinks, believes, assumes) to have
complete confidence (pei,qw, Perf.AInf., Intensive, Conceived
Result with a substantive modifier) in the flesh (Loc. Sph.;
and they do), I myself (Subj. Nom.) have (ellipsis) more
(Acc. Measure; how much, Paul's superiority in legalism from
times past flattered and promoted him among men):