Philippians 3:20
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But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
our conversation--rather, "our state" or "country"; our citizenship: our life as citizens. We are but pilgrims on earth; how then should we "mind earthly things?" (Phi 3:19; Heb 11:9-10, Heb 11:13-16). Roman citizenship was then highly prized; how much more should the heavenly citizenship (Act 22:28; compare Luk 10:20)? is--Greek, "has its existence." in heaven--Greek, "in the heavens." look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ--"We wait for (so the same Greek is translated, Rom 8:19) the Lord Jesus as a (that is, in the capacity of a) Saviour" (Heb 9:28). That He is "the Lord," now exalted above every name, assures our expectation (Phi 2:9-11). Our High Priest is gone up into the Holy of Holies not made with hands, there to atone for us; and as the Israelites stood outside the tabernacle, expecting Aaron's return (compare Luk 1:21), so must we look unto the heavens expecting Christ thence.
Open source ↗He cautions them against judaizing seducers (Phi 3:1-3) and proposes his own example: and here he enumerates the privileges of his Jewish state which he rejected (Phi 3:4-8), describes the matter of his own choice (Phi 3:9-16), and closes with an exhortation to beware of wicked men, and to follow his example (Phi 3:17-21).
Open source ↗3:20 By contrast, believers who know their home is in heaven (see Eph 2:19) with the Lord Jesus Christ fill their minds with thoughts of heaven (see Col 3:1-2; cp. 1 Cor 15:19; 1 Pet 2:11) and Christ’s return (see 1 Cor 1:7; Titus 2:13).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.