3:3a
we: The word we in this verse includes the Philippians as well as Paul. In some languages it may be necessary to make it clear that the word does not include the Judaizers. For example:
It is we(incl.), not them, who are the circumcision….
the circumcision: When Paul was referred to himself and the Philippians as the circumcision, he meant that they were the true people of God.
3:3b
worship by the Spirit of God: There is a textual problem with this part of the verse. The two possibilities are:
(1) “worship by/in the Spirit of God”; (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Revised Standard Version)
(2) “worship God by/in the Spirit/spirit”; (Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004); probably Good News Translation, New Century Version)
There is no real difference in meaning. It is recommended that you follow the first option (1). Paul was saying that true believers worship with the help of God’s Spirit. However, in some languages it will be necessary to supply an object for worship. If this is true in your language, you should use “God” as the object of worship.
Some ideas for translating 3:3b are:
We worship ⌊God⌋ because his Spirit helps us.
-or-
God’s Spirit is the one who helps us to worship ⌊God/him⌋.
the Spirit of God: This refers to the Holy Spirit.
General Comment on 3:3a–b
One way to translate 3:3a–b is:
We are the true people of God, for by means of God’s ⌊Holy⌋ Spirit we worship ⌊God⌋.
3:3c
who glory in Christ Jesus: Here Paul was saying that true believers are proud only of Christ Jesus, and depend only on Christ Jesus to save them.
glory: In this context the Greek word kauchaomai, that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glory, means “to be proud of something,” “to boast about something” or “to rejoice about something.” The same Greek word was used in 2:16 though the form and context are slightly different.
Some ways to translate the whole phrase are:
We boast because Christ Jesus ⌊is the one who saves us⌋.
-or-
Christ Jesus is the one we are proud of.
and who put no confidence in the flesh: This says the same thing as the previous clause but in a negative way. The believer cannot depend on anything but Christ. He cannot trust traditional ceremonies, such as circumcision, or any achievements of his own.
put…confidence: In Greek this is one word, a verb that means “to trust ⌊in something⌋, to rely/depend ⌊on something or someone⌋.”
flesh: The Berean Standard Bible translates this from the Greek word sarx, which literally means flesh. This word sarx is an important term in the New Testament. However, it is used in different ways in different contexts. It is important, therefore, to make the meaning clear in each passage and not just translate it literally.
In this passage (3:3–6), sarx refers to human tradition, human effort, things to do with the earthly life, and more specifically, things that are outward or external. Paul made a clear contrast between the earthly (3:3–6) and the spiritual (3:7–11). See “flesh” in Key Biblical Terms.
Here are some ideas for how to translate the phrase “who put no confidence in the flesh”:
We do not depend on earthly/physical things.
-or-
We do not believe ⌊God will save us⌋ because of the things we do as humans.
-or-
We do not depend on earthly behavior ⌊like circumcision to save us⌋.
General Comment on 3:2–3
Some translations have avoided using the idea of “circumcision” in 3:2–3. See 3:2c and 3:3a in the Display. However, circumcision is a very important term in the Bible and at some point you will have to decide how to translate it. Some translations say “cutting ritual,” “cutting ceremony” or “body-cutting ceremony.” Others have tried to follow the Greek and use a word that means circular cutting or cutting around. If you have a glossary in your translation, make sure that you explain the term clearly there.
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