Since no conjunction is used between any of these three clauses, they must refer to the same class of people. Dogs are unclean (Lev. 11:27), the evil workers are evil, and the concision are those deserving of contempt. (Concision meaning mutilation, is a contemptuous term for circumcision. See note Gal. 5:12¹.) The dogs here are the Judaizers. In nature the Judaizers are unclean dogs, in behavior they are evil workers, and in religion they are the concision, people of shame. In such a book concerning the experience and enjoyment of Christ, the apostle warned the Gentile believers to be wary of such unclean, evil, and contemptible people.

I.e., ever keep a watchful eye on. On the one hand, the apostle advised the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord; on the other hand, he warned them to ever keep a watchful eye on the Judaizers.

To rejoice in the Lord is a safeguard, a security.

Or, wearisome, tedious, troublesome.

The things mentioned in vv. 5-6.

Verses Phil. 3:7-8 are the heart of this book. Here we are initiated into the experience of Christ.

I.e., found or proven blameless. This was in the eyes of man, according to man's judgment. In the eyes of God, according to His righteous law, no flesh is blameless (Gal. 2:16b).

Zeal for the law of Moses and for the Jewish religion (Gal. 1:14 and note Gal. 1:14^1c).

The Pharisees were the strictest sect of the Jewish religion (Acts 26:5; 23:6), a sect exceedingly zealous for the law of Moses. See note Matt. 3:7^1a.

The law of Moses, which is respected by all orthodox Jews.

A Hebrew born of Hebrew parents with Hebrew ancestry on both sides.

A lovely and faithful tribe, among whom was the royal city of Jerusalem with the temple of God (Deut. 33:12).

God's called race, the genuine seed of Abraham (Rom. 11:1; 2 Cor. 11:22). Paul was not a descendant of the proselytes, who were grafted into the race of God's covenant.

The day for a genuine Israelite to be circumcised (Gen. 17:12). Being circumcised on that day distinguished him from the Ishmaelites (Ishmael was circumcised thirteen years after his birth — Gen. 17:25) and proselytes, who were circumcised on a later day.

The power of Christ's resurrection is His resurrection life, which raised Him from the dead (Eph. 1:19-20). The reality of the power of Christ's resurrection is the Spirit (Rom. 1:4). To know, to experience, this power requires identification with Christ's death and conformity to it. Death is the base of resurrection. To experience the power of Christ's resurrection, we need to live a crucified life, as He did. Our conformity to His death affords the power of His resurrection a base from which to rise up that His divine life may be expressed in us.

The flesh here comprises all that we are and have in our natural being. The fact that the Judaizers had confidence in their circumcision was a sign that their confidence was in their flesh, not in the Spirit.

In vv. 2-3 there is a threefold contrast: believers who serve by the Spirit of God, in contrast to the dogs; believers who boast in Christ, in contrast to evil workers; and believers who have no confidence in the flesh, in contrast to the concision.

The Greek word for serve here and the word for service in Phil. 2:17 refer to the priestly service.

New Testament believers, genuinely circumcised by Christ's crucifixion (see note Gal. 5:11^1a and note Col. 2:11¹). They are absolutely different from the Judaizers. They serve as priests by the Spirit of God, not by the ordinances of law; they boast in Christ, not in the law; and they do not have confidence in the flesh but in the Spirit.

All the different gains were counted as one loss by Paul because they all issued in one thing, that is, the loss of Christ, as indicated by on account of Christ.

All the things that were once gains to Paul hindered him and held him back from participating in and enjoying Christ. Hence, on account of Christ all the gains were a loss to him.

Verses 8-11, being one long sentence, are like the ascending steps of a staircase, bringing us higher and higher until we reach the peak in v. 11.

Paul counted as loss on account of Christ not only the things of his former religion listed in vv. 5-6 but all other things as well.

The phrase as to, which may be rendered according to, is used three times in vv. 5-6, with the law, zeal, and righteousness. The phrase on account of, which may be rendered because of, is used three times in vv. 7-8, with Christ (twice) and with the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Christ stands in contrast to the law, the zeal for it, and the righteousness in it. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ and Christ Himself are in contrast to all things and to the law. On account of Christ and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Paul gave up the law, his zeal for it, the righteousness in it, and all other things. This indicates that Christ and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ are far superior to the law and all things.

Referring to dregs, rubbish, filth, that which is thrown to the dogs; hence, dog food, dung. There is no comparison between such things and Christ.

To know Christ is not merely to have the knowledge concerning Him but to gain His very person. Christ is the embodiment of the fullness of the Godhead (Col. 2:9) and the reality of the shadows of all positive things (Col. 2:16-17). To gain something requires the paying of a price. To gain Christ is to experience, enjoy, and take possession of all His unsearchable riches (Eph. 3:8) by paying a price.

Paul had been altogether in the Jewish religion under the law and had always been found by others in the law. But at his conversion he was transferred from the law and his former religion into Christ and became "a man in Christ" (2 Cor. 12:2). Now he expected to be found in Christ by all who observed him — the Jews, the angels, and the demons. This indicates that he aspired to have his whole being immersed in and saturated with Christ that all who observed him might find him fully in Christ. Only when we are found in Christ will Christ be expressed and magnified (Phil. 1:20).

"Not having my own righteousness...but...the righteousness which is out of God" was the condition in which Paul desired to be found in Christ. He wanted to live not in his own righteousness but in the righteousness of God, and to be found in such a transcendent condition, expressing God by living Christ, not by keeping the law.

The righteousness that comes from man's own effort to keep the law, as mentioned in v. 6.

Lit., faith of Christ. See note Rom. 3:22¹. The faith with which we believe in Christ issues from our knowing and appreciating Christ. It is Christ Himself, infused into us through our appreciation of Him, who becomes our faith — the faith in Him. Hence, it is the faith of Christ that brings us into an organic union with Him.

The righteousness that is God Himself lived out of us to be our righteousness through our faith in Christ. Such righteousness is the expression of God, who lives in us.

I.e., on the basis or condition of faith. Faith is the basis, the condition, on which we receive and possess the righteousness that is out of God, the highest righteousness, which is Christ (1 Cor. 1:30).

Paul lived in a condition of having not his own righteousness but the righteousness that is out of God, in order to know (to experience) Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. In v. 8 to have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ is by revelation. But to know Him here is by experience — to have the experiential knowledge of Him, to experience Him in the full knowledge of Him. Paul first received the revelation of Christ, then sought the experience of Christ — to know and enjoy Christ in an experiential way.

To be called upward is for the obtaining of the prize to which God has called us from above, from the heavens. This heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1) corresponds with the heavenly commonwealth in v. 20. It is not an earthly calling like that given to the children of Israel in the flesh. This upward calling is to take possession of Christ, whereas the earthly calling to the children of Israel was to take possession of the physical land.

I.e., mature, perfect. Maturity is a stage. We may be mature but not mature in full. Full-grown here is used in a relative sense — relatively mature, neither childish nor fully mature. Hence, further pursuing, further growth, is needed.

The participation in Christ's sufferings (Matt. 20:22-23; Col. 1:24), a necessary condition for the experience of the power of His resurrection (2 Tim. 2:11) by being conformed to His death. Paul was pursuing to know and experience not only the excellency of Christ Himself but also the life power of His resurrection and the participation in His sufferings. With Christ, the sufferings and death came first, followed by the resurrection; with us, the power of His resurrection comes first, followed by the participation in His sufferings and conformity to His death. We first receive the power of His resurrection; then by this power we are enabled to participate in His sufferings and live a crucified life in conformity to His death. Such sufferings are mainly for producing and building up the Body of Christ (Col. 1:24).

To take Christ's death as the mold of one's life. Paul lived a crucified life continually, a life under the cross, just as Christ did in His human living. Through such a life the resurrection power of Christ is experienced and expressed. The mold of Christ's death refers to Christ's experience of continually putting to death His human life that He might live by the life of God (John 6:57). Our life should be conformed to such a mold by our dying to our human life to live the divine life. Being conformed to the death of Christ is the condition for knowing and experiencing Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.

The pursuing of Christ must be our goal. We should not be otherwise minded. God reveals to us that we need such a mind, a mind focused on the pursuing of Christ. He desires to continually adjust our mind, turning it toward Christ as the center.

This word concludes the preceding verses, charging us with only this one thing: to walk by the same rule.

Whereunto we have attained modifies walk.

Same line, same path, same steps. Paul's use of this word indicates that by the same path we should walk according to the elementary principle.

I.e., arrive at. This requires us to triumphantly run the race for the prize (1 Cor. 9:24-26; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).

The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is derived from the excellency of His person. The Jews consider the law of God given through Moses the most excellent thing in human history; hence, they are zealous for the law. Paul participated in that zeal. But when Christ was revealed to him by God (Gal. 1:15-16), he saw that the excellency, the supereminence, the supreme preciousness, the surpassing worth, of Christ far exceeded the excellency of the law. His knowledge of Christ issued in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. On account of this, he counted as loss not only the law and the religion founded according to the law, but all things.

At his conversion Paul was grasped, taken possession of, by Christ in order that he might grasp, take possession of, Christ. Christ gained him that he might gain Christ (v. 8).

Gained, grasped, taken possession of, seized. So in v. 13.

Paul had experienced and gained Christ tremendously, yet he did not account of himself to have experienced Christ in full or gained Him to the uttermost. He still endeavored to pursue toward the goal — the gaining of Christ to the fullest extent.

In order to gain Christ to the fullest extent, Paul not only forsook his experiences in Judaism but also would not linger in his past experiences of Christ. He forgot the past. Not to forget but to linger in our past experiences, however genuine they were, frustrates our further pursuing of Christ.

Physical things, material things, matters of eating and drinking. We need things such as food and clothing; however, we should not indulge ourselves in these things.

Or, citizenship. The Greek word denotes commonwealth, associations of life.

In contrast to earthly in the preceding verse. Those who practiced the Epicurean philosophy set their mind on earthly things, but our commonwealth is in the heavens.

The transfiguration of our body is the ultimate consummation of God's salvation. In His salvation God first regenerated our spirit (John 3:6), now is transforming our soul (Rom. 12:2), and consummately will transfigure our body, making us the same as Christ in all three parts of our being.

Our natural body, made of worthless dust (Gen. 2:7) and damaged by sin, weakness, sickness, and death (Rom. 6:6; 7:24; 8:11).

Christ is unsearchably rich. There is a vast territory of His riches to be possessed. Paul was stretching out to reach the farthest extent of this territory.

See note Phil. 3:12^5c.

The fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ.

The uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom as a reward to the victorious runners of the New Testament race.

In this book the dealing with the Philippian believers is focused on the mind, the leading part of the soul. This book charges them to strive together with one soul along with the personified gospel (Phil. 1:27), to think the same thing, to be joined in soul, even to think the one thing (Phil. 2:2; 4:2), to let the mind that was in Christ be in them (Phil. 2:5), and to have this one mind, a mind focused on the pursuing and gaining of Christ to the uttermost. When our mind is thus occupied, we have the same mind, thinking the same thing, even thinking the one thing — the fullest gaining of Christ — being joined in soul, like-souled (Phil. 2:20), and made one soul.

I.e., the outstanding resurrection, the extra-resurrection, which will be a prize to the overcoming saints. All believers who are dead in Christ will participate in the resurrection from the dead at the Lord's coming back (1 Thes. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:52). But the overcoming saints will enjoy an extra, outstanding portion of that resurrection. See note Heb. 11:35^2b.

To arrive at the out-resurrection indicates that our entire being has been gradually and continually resurrected. God first resurrected our deadened spirit (Eph. 2:5-6); then from our spirit He proceeds to resurrect our soul (Rom. 8:6) and our mortal body (Rom. 8:11), until our entire being — spirit, soul, and body — is fully resurrected out of our old being by and with His life. This is a process in life through which we must pass and a race that we must run until we arrive at the out-resurrection as the prize. Hence, the out-resurrection should be the goal and destination of our Christian life. We can reach this goal only by being conformed to the death of Christ, by living a crucified life. In the death of Christ we are processed in resurrection from the old creation to the new.

Paul had already obtained the believers' common salvation by the believers' common faith (1 Tim. 1:14-16), but he had not obtained the extra portion of resurrection. To obtain that portion he had to pursue, to run, and to finish his course triumphantly.

At his conversion.

In his present seeking.

Or, completed, mature (in life).

The same Greek word as for persecute, meaning also to press toward, to follow after. In such a way Paul ran the race to obtain the prize and reach maturity. Before he was saved, he persecuted Christ. After he was saved, he pursued Christ to such an extent that he persecuted Christ, but in a positive way.

Gain, grasp, take possession of, seize.

The cross of Christ terminated the indulgence of the lusts of the physical body (Gal. 5:24).

The Epicureans, who worshipped their belly and served their stomach. In promoting the enjoyment of eating and drinking, they were more concerned with physical indulgence and enjoyment than with ethics or morality. Their stomach was their god.

Christ's resurrected body, saturated with God's glory (Luke 24:26) and transcendent over corruption and death (Rom. 6:9).

The transfiguring of our body is accomplished by the Lord's great power, which subjects all things to Himself (Eph. 1:19-22). This is the almighty power in the universe.

Gk. stoicheo, meaning to walk orderly, derived from steicho, which means to range in regular line, to march in military rank, to keep step, to conform to virtue and piety. The word is also used in Rom. 4:12 and Gal. 5:25; 6:16. It is different from the word walk in vv. 17-18, which means to live, to deport oneself, to be occupied with, to walk about, as used in Rom. 6:4; 8:4; 13:13; 1 Cor. 3:3; Gal. 5:16 and Eph. 4:1, 17. By this word the apostle charged us to walk and to order our lives — whereunto we have attained, at the state to which we have attained — by the same rule, in the same line, in the same path, in the same footsteps. Whatever state we have attained to in our spiritual life, we all must walk, as the apostle did, by the same rule, in the same path; that is, we must pursue Christ toward the goal that we may gain Christ to the fullest extent as the prize of the upward calling of God. See note Gal. 5:25^2a.

Probably those who practiced the Epicurean philosophy, which promoted indulgence in the pleasure of eating and drinking and encouraged self-gratification in other things, all of which are contrary to the cross of Christ. Verse 2 shows that the Judaizers were a damage to the Philippian believers, and this verse, that the Epicureans were another kind of damage to them. The former was of Jewish origin; the latter, of a heathen source.

Basically, the exhortation in this chapter was prompted by these two groups of people. In speaking of the Judaizers, it edified the Philippians concerning the matter of dealing with the soul (vv. 1-16), especially with the mind; and in alluding to the Epicureans, it instructed the believers concerning the matter of dealing with the body (vv. 17-21). To deal with the soul we must count as refuse all religious, philosophical, and cultural things. In dealing with the body, we should take care of our physical need but should not indulge in excessive physical enjoyment.