PHILIPPIANS—NOTE ON Philippians 3:1 Opponents of the Gospel: Where Does Righteous­ness Come From? Paul calls on the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord (v. Philippians 3:1). He then warns them about the Judaizers who oppose the gospel (vv. Philippians 3:2). Paul’s conflicts with the Judaizers can be seen in greater detail in Acts 1:1 and Galatians 1:1 (e.g., Acts 15:1; Galatians 2:15; Galatians 3:6), as well as in the rest of his letters. Paul rejected their teaching that Gentiles must first become Jews and obey all the OT laws in order to be saved. In contrast, Paul has given up his spiritual and ethnic privileges for the sake of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:4). His righteousness comes through Christ, not the law (vv. Philippians 3:12). He then calls the Philippians to follow his example of commitment to Jesus as Lord (vv. Philippians 3:17).

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising