Philippians 3:4 - Robertson's Book Notes (NT)

Philippians 3:4

2 ^aBeware of dogs, beware of ^bevil workers, ^cbeware of the mutilation!

3 For we are ^athe circumcision, ^bwho worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

4 though ^aI also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I ^bmore so:

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, ^aof the tribe of Benjamin, ^ba Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, ^ca Pharisee;

6 concerning zeal, ^apersecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But ^awhat things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^afor the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in Him, not having ^amy own righteousness, which is from the law, but ^bthat which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Book Notes:

Robertson's Book Notes (NT)

Philippians

There is something to be said for the idea that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Philippians while a prisoner in Ephesus if he ever was a prisoner there. All that can be said for that view has been presented by Professor George S. Duncan in St. Paul's Ephesian Ministry (1930). But, when all is considered carefully in the light of the facts in the Acts and the Epistles, the best that one can say is that a possible case is made out with many difficulties remaining unexplained. The argument is more ingenious than convincing. It is not possible here to review the arguments pro and con that convince me that Paul was in Rome when he wrote this letter to Philippi. It is not clear whether it was written before the three that went together (Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians) or afterwards. Probably there was no great difference in time, but there was time for Epaphroditus to come to Rome, to fall sick, for the news to reach Philippi and for Epaphroditus to hear of their concern about him. The church in Philippi was Paul's joy and pride and they had helped him before as they did this time.

The Epistle is a beautiful expression of gratitude for the love and gifts of the Philippian saints. He is a prisoner of hope in Rome with possible death before him, but with the note of joy running through all that Paul says. He hopes to be set free and to see them again.

Meanwhile he tells the Philippians about the difficulties and triumphs in Rome. The Judaizers have followed Paul here and there is an echo in chapters 1; 3 of their opposition. But Paul rises to full stature in the great Christological passages in chapters 2; 3 which prepare the way for the controversy with the Gnostics over the Person of Christ in Colossians and Ephesians.

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