Philippians 3:3-8a
Chapter 3
I, myself, do not lack those human qualities in which people have confidence. If some of them seem to be credited with such qualities, how much more am I!
I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I was born of the race of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrews. Concerning the law, I am a Pharisee,
and my zeal for the law was so strong that I persecuted the Church. As for being righteous according to the law, I was blameless.
But once I found Christ, all those things that I might have considered profit, I now see as a loss.
More than that, everything seems to me as nothing compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have let everything fall away, and I now consider all as garbage, if I may gain Christ in return.
Commentaries
The Merits of the Christian.
In the same joyful tone with which he begins the letter, Paul starts to dictate his final greetings: “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord” (1). But suddenly he interrupts himself and takes a harsh turn: “Be on guard against the dogs… of evil workers… of mutilators” (2), as if reacting to serious news he has just received that threatened the community of Philippi. What can be said about this sudden shift in tone? If, as is likely, the present letter to the Philippians is a combination of several letters addressed to the same community, a later editor would probably have included here the subject of another letter, now lost, without any lead-in or explanation. With the word “dogs,” Paul seems to be referring to the Judaizing preachers trying to force circumcision on the Philippians, who had converted from paganism.