Philippians Chapter 3 Breakdown

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

Celebrate YHWH, it is not a boring task to write the same things to you, but it is for your safety.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

Be careful of men of impure mind, and those who commit evil deeds, and of those who disfigure themselves.

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

This is very interesting, Paul says “We” as in the believers and himself included, “are the circumcision”. It is the people who worship YHWH in the Spirit who are the circumcision. Remember, worshiping in the Spirit means keeping the commandments and/or Law of YHWH. We know this because we are told in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel YHWH will place His Spirit within us and that Spirit will cause us to walk in, or keep His commandments. Then Paul says we have no confidence in the flesh. He then states he does mess up and sometimes does show confidence in the flesh and feels he does this moreso than other believers, and goes on to explain why he thinks that way. He was circumcised according to the law, born from the tribe of Benjamin, making him a Jew. He was a Pharisee and he persecuted the believers who called themselves the church. Then he says concerning the righteousness from in the law, he is considered blameless.  

Ezekiel 36:27

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

There is no other prophecy about the Spirit of YHWH being placed within us that makes a separate claim.

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

The things I thought I was gaining for myself, before I believed in Christ, are now counted as a loss in terms of Christ.

8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for 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 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul claims everything is a loss for the gain of the knowledge of Yeshua. Everything lost should be considered trash. In the loss of these things, there was the gain of Christ because it led me to be found by Him. I am not righteous because I keep the law, or have kept the law as a Jew, but by the Grace of YHWH through the faith I have in Him. I have faith in that I know Him, by His word, which is the scriptures, and the power of His resurrection. I am a fellow sufferer with Him, and am conformed to His death. In this, I can have faith in my own resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

I have not already attained this salvation and I am not already perfect, but I continue to work toward that goal. To be perfect, we must avoid sin. To avoid sin, we must follow the Law YHWH has given to us.

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Brothers, I have not caught this salvation. What I do is forget the life I used to live, the things of the flesh, I leave those things behind me and reach forward to those things of YHWH. I strive to attain the goal, to be called up by YHWH.

15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

There are some who are striving to be perfected, be like them. Yeshua says we should do this as well. When you have thoughts that contradict this mindset, YHWH will reveal it to you.

Matthew 5:48

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

But, we already have a rule given to us to walk by. This law is the Law of YHWH. Let us be of the same mind.

17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.

Paul says follow his example, Paul claims himself that he keeps the law of YHWH. He also suggests we take not of others who also keeps His law. They are to be an example or the pattern in conformity to which you must be made.

Romans 7:22

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

There are a lot of men who claim to be believers, which makes Paul sad enough to cry, that are enemies of Yeshua. Their end will come about in destruction. These people find glory in shameful acts. They are only focused on thing of the flesh and earth.

I personally, know people just like this. I even think I can fall into this category once in a while.

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

We are not part of the citizenship of this current Earth. We are citizens of Israel from above. We wait eagerly to see our Savior. When He comes we will be transformed and obtain a new glorious body.