Philippians 3:3
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For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
"We are the (real) circumcision" (Rom 2:25-29; Col 2:11). worship God in the Spirit--The oldest manuscripts read, "worship by the Spirit of God"; our religious service is rendered by the Spirit (Joh 4:23-24). Legal worship was outward, and consisted in outward acts, restricted to certain times and places. Christian worship is spiritual, flowing from the inworkings of the Holy Spirit, not relating to certain isolated acts, but embracing the whole life (Rom 12:1). In the former, men trusted in something human, whether descent from the theocratic nation, or the righteousness of the law, or mortification of "the flesh" ("Having confidence," or "glorying in the flesh") [NEANDER] (Rom 1:9). rejoice in Christ Jesus--"make our boast in Christ Jesus," not in the law: the ground of their boasting. have no confidence in the flesh--but in the Spirit.
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 ↗3:3 Circumcision was understood as identifying the true people of God (see Gen 17:10-14), but those who put their trust in Christ are the ones who are truly circumcised in heart (see Rom 2:28-29; cp. Jer 4:4; Eph 2:11; Col 2:11-13).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all the inhabitants of the desert who clip the hair of their temples. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”