Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

It is inevitable that when a man sets up an external standard for his conduct, he measures himself not
by the holiness of God or the holiness of the Word of God, but by those with whom he is associated.
If he is conforming to that external standard to the same degree as those with whom he associates, he
is perfectly satisfied. What this means is that if a man lives the same way the society in which he
moves lives in, then he is satisfied, and he feels that he has attained the standard which God has set
for him. That is the danger Paul faces here in the Philippian church. They are all doing the same
thing; they are all going to the same places; they are all conducting themselves by the same
standards. Even though those standards fall short of the standards of the Word of God, the
Philippians are perfectly satisfied; they are complacent; they are indifferent to the demands that the
holiness of God lays upon them. (J. Pentecost) I do not agree with that all the Philippians are in this
condition. The false teachers most certainly are, and some who are following them are as well; but
the majority of Philippians are following Paul’s lead and are progressing marvelously in the spiritual
life. (LWB)
Many people today think they are right with God simply because they have been born of Christian
parents or live in a so-called Christian country. But this saves no one. No one can become a child of
God by mere volition. No once conceives or gives birth to himself. Nothing will make a person a
child of God unless God Himself engenders spiritual life and brings about a new birth. Becoming a
child of God is a matter of God’s grace. We believe only because God has already taken the
initiative to plant His divine life within us. People only believe because God has quickened them.
New life comes before saving faith; it is never the other way around. And in this passage, you do not
become a child of God by physical descent from Abraham. (J. Boice)
Philp. 3:5 Circumcision (Dat. Adv.) on the eighth day
(Partitive Gen. or Adverbial Gen. of Time), from the race
(Abl. Source; descent) of Israel (Appos. Gen.; not a
proselyte), from the tribe (Abl. Source) of Benjamin (Gen.
Spec.), a Hebrew (Nom. Appos.) from the Hebrews (Abl. Source;
a conservative, part of the establishment, patriotism,
nationalism; born of Hebrew parents), with reference to the
law (Acc. Gen. Ref.) a Pharisee (Nom. Appos.; a separatist),
WHO
Philippians 3:5 peritomh/| ovktah,meroj evk ge,nouj VIsrah,l fulh/j Beniami,n ~Ebrai/oj evx
~Ebrai,wn kata. no,mon Farisai/oj
VUL
Philippians 3:5 circumcisus octava die ex genere Israhel de tribu Beniamin Hebraeus ex
Hebraeis secundum legem Pharisaeus
LWB Philp. 3:6 With reference to zeal [ruthlessness] having persecuted the church
[breathing out threatenings and slaughter], with reference to righteousness having myself
become blameless in the law [a model Jew],
KW Philp. 3:6 With regard to zeal, persecuting the Church, with reference to that kind of
righteousness which is in the law, become blameless.