Philippians 3

brothers
Though some translations retain the older English plural, “brethren,” the translation “brothers” here remains perfectly accurate to the Greek text (ἀδελφοί; adelphoi) and is more natural to modern readers. This language describes the close familial union which all believers have with one another as children of God. Paul employs this term eight times in this letter to emphasize the unity that believers should have together as members of the same spiritual family. Here in chapter 3 (vv. 1, 13, 17) as well as in chapter 4 (vv. 1, 8), Paul appeals to the Philippians as “brothers,” showing his unity with them and their unity with one another, urging them to join together in unified obedience to the Lord.

mutilation
The translation “mutilation” here helps to bring out the shocking contrast Paul is making here with an ironic wordplay in Greek. The familiar word for “circumcision” is περιτομή (peritomē; “cut around”) and the word Paul uses here is κατατομή (katamonē; “cut off”). Thus, Paul is pejoratively calling those who claim that it is necessary to be circumcised “the mutilation” in contrast to true believers can truly be called “the circumcision” (v. 3), not because of physically fulfilling the Mosaic Law, but because they are approved by God who circumcised their hearts (cf. Deut 30:6; Rom 2:29). Though “mutilation” does not look or sound like “circumcision” in English, it better brings out the strong effect of Paul’s pejorative here, and the punctuation with an exclamation mark serves to heighten the effect further according to Paul’s intent.

boast
“Boast” translates καυχάομαι (kauchaomai) which literally refers to “boasting.” While Christians are never to boast in themselves, they are right to boast in the Lord. This word and its cognates are consistently translated with ‘boast’ in Philippians to so that the reader can recognize the same root word everywhere it appears in the letter (see 2:16 & 3:3). Here, Paul emphasizes that rather than boasting in any human means or putting any confidence in the flesh, true brothers are those who boast in Christ Jesus.

has a mind
The translation “has a mind” represents the Greek verb δοκέω (dokeō), which is often translated elsewhere as “think” or “suppose.” In this context, however, the present translation works well because δοκέω (dokeō) is a flexible term in Greek and because this distinguishes it from the other word for “think” (φρονέω; phroneō) used often in Philippians. Here, Paul emphasizes that he has more reason than anyone to put confidence in the flesh, though only to set himself up as an example that such is worthless to achieve righteousness.

because
The word “because” literally translates the Greek construction διὰ τὸ (tia to). Paul is basing his reason for counting all else as loss upon the truth that knowing Christ Jesus is of infinitely greater value.

rubbish
It has been popular in some circles to advocate that the Greek word σκύβαλον (skybalon) be translated as something like “dung” or “refuse.” However, the term itself is less specific than this, referring simply to something useless or undesirable and therefore thrown out (e.g., trash, garbage, or rubbish; cf. BDAG on σκύβαλον). While this could include excrement or refuse, the term itself does not necessitate such a meaning. Thus, it is given its more general sense here, as Paul simply means to compare something worthless to something of surpassing value.

Brothers
Refer to the discussion on verse 1 above.

think
The word “think” rather than “have [a certain] attitude” is used here to translate the verb φρονέω (phroneō), which literally carries the idea of thinking or considering—a faculty of the mind. This is a major theme in the book of Philippians, as the word occurs 10 times. Paul puts a great emphasis on how believers “think” because it is thinking the same way which leads to the unity the church is to display to honor Christ, and one of Paul’s main goals in the book is to urge for church unity. To help readers notice the emphasis on thinking in Philippians, φρονέω (phroneō) is translated using ‘think’ everywhere it appears (1:7; 2:2 [2x], 5; here [2x], 3:19; 4:2, 10 [2x]). Here, Paul urges the Philippians to think like he thinks, valuing knowing Christ above all else and striving toward greater holiness knowing that he has not been fully perfected yet.

Brothers
Refer to the discussion on verse 1 above.

thoughts
This is translated with “thoughts” rather than “minds” because the word used here is φρονέω (phroneō). Refer also to the discussion on verse 15 above.

working
“Working” translates ἐνέργεια (energeia), which, as part of the ἔργον (ergon; “work”) word group, often describes God’s activity in the world. The translation here provides consistency in portraying God’s work throughout the book of Philippians (cf. 1:6; 2:12–13). Paul also portrays people in Philippians as either working with or against God. Those who work with God contribute to the unity of the church (2:12, 25, 30; 4:3) while those who work against him disrupt that unity (3:2). Here, God’s working will result in the transformation of believer’s humble bodies into glorious ones, which is the final result of working out one’s salvation as God works within believers (cf. 2:12–13).

He is able
The phrase “He is able” translates the Greek infinitival construction τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν (tou dynasthai auton). The word δύναμις (dynamis) can refer to power, might, or ability depending on context. Here, the concept of ability provides the best sense, as Paul proclaims that God is fully able, not only to affect this great change in believers, but even to subject all things to Himself. This emphasizes how much greater it is to be a citizen of heaven (v. 20) than of Rome, as Christ will rule not just an earthly geographic region but all things. It is with such confidence that believers should anticipate Christ’s return when He will finally accomplish this.