independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativeconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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Rejoice — and beware: the true circumcision and the old credentials 3:1–6
vv. 1–2 — the standing command and the triple warning
1
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.independent — Τὸ λοιπόν — the letter's refrain resumed
To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is safe.independent — verbless — repetition as a safeguard
2
Beware of the dogs,independent — warning 1 — the Jewish epithet for outsiders turned back
beware of the evil workers,independent — warning 2 — 'workers' with bitter irony
beware of the mutilation.independent — warning 3 — κατατομή, the pun on περιτομή
v. 3 — the counter-claim: we are the circumcision
3
For we are the circumcision,independent — the claim — the name reclaimed
who worship by the Spirit of Godparticipial — mark 1 — worship by the Spirit (θεοῦ read, not θεῷ)
and boast in Christ Jesusparticipial — mark 2 — the boast relocated
and put no confidence in the flesh —participial — mark 3 — confidence withdrawn from the flesh
vv. 4–6 — though I could boast: seven credentials
4
though I myself have grounds for confidence even in the flesh.participial — καίπερ concessive — the disclaimer before the boast
If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh,conditional — protasis — leans on the retort below
I more —independent — apodosis, elliptical — two words carry the whole list
5
circumcised on the eighth day,phrase modifier — credential 1 — covenant-born, not proselyte
of the people of Israel,phrase modifier — credential 2 — the covenant name
of the tribe of Benjamin,phrase modifier — credential 3 — the tribe of the first king
a Hebrew of Hebrews;phrase modifier — credential 4 — language and lineage unassimilated
as to the law, a Pharisee;phrase modifier — credential 5 — the strictest party
6
as to zeal, persecuting the church;participial — credential 6 — zeal proved by persecution
as to righteousness under the law, found blameless.participial — credential 7 — the climax: law-righteousness, blameless
The great reversal — everything loss for Christ 3:7–11
vv. 7–8 — the ledger rewritten: gain, loss, refuse
7
But whatever things were gain to me, these I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.independent — the reversal — the credential columns swapped, and it stands (perfect ἥγημαι)
8
More than that, I even count all things to be lossindependent — the escalation — μενοῦνγε: not just those things, everything
because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,cause — the ground — knowledge that outweighs the ledger
for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things,relative — on τοῦ κυρίου μου — the loss actually taken
and I count them refuse,independent — the second ledger-entry — σκύβαλα, refuse for the dogs
that I may gain Christpurpose — the one entry left in the gain column
vv. 9–11 — found in him: righteousness, knowledge, resurrection
9
and be found in him,purpose — the ἵνα chain's second verb — found in him at the audit
not having a righteousness of my own, the one from the law,participial — the manner of being found — v. 6's boast renounced
but that which is through faith in Christ,phrase modifier — the antithesis — πίστεως Χριστοῦ as faith in Christ (objective genitive)
the righteousness from God that rests on faith —phrase modifier — apposition — source ἐκ θεοῦ, basis ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει
10
so as to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings,purpose — τοῦ + infinitive — the aim restated (on εὑρεθῶ, not on τῇ πίστει)
being conformed to his death,participial — the knowing embodied — the σύμμορφος word-group opens (cf. v. 21)
11
if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.conditional — εἴ πως, backward — humility, not doubt: through his death to ἐξανάστασις
The runner — pressing on toward the prize 3:12–16
vv. 12–14 — not yet seized, still pursuing
12
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfected;independent — Οὐχ ὅτι — the elliptical corrective ('I do not say that…')
but I press on,independent — the runner's verb — the persecutor's διώκω converted
to see if I may indeed lay hold of it,conditional — εἰ καί, backward on διώκω — the pursuit's uncertain grasp
that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.relative — ἐφ' ᾧ read as goal, not 'because' — seized in order to seize
13
Brothers, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it;independent — the self-assessment — emphatic ἐγὼ ἐμαυτόν
but one thing I do:independent — aposiopesis — 'one thing' (the verb left unsaid)
forgetting the things behindparticipial — the runner's discipline — no looking back
and straining toward the things ahead,participial — ἐπεκτεινόμενος — the sprinter stretched full-length
14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.independent — the ἓν δέ resolved — goal, prize, upward call
vv. 15–16 — the mature mind, and holding the line
15
Let us, then, as many as are mature, think this way;independent — hortatory — τέλειοι with irony after οὐ τετελείωμαι (v. 12)
and if in anything you think otherwise,conditional — protasis — leans on the promise below
this too God will reveal to you.independent — apodosis — correction left to God
16
Only, to what we have attained — hold true to the same.independent — imperatival infinitive — keep in line with ground already won
Two ways to walk — enemies of the cross, citizens of heaven 3:17–21
vv. 17–19 — the pattern, and the counter-pattern mourned
17
Become fellow imitators of me, brothers,independent — the call — συμμιμηταί, imitation together
and observe those who walk this way,independent — σκοπεῖτε — the runner's word (v. 14) turned on models
just as you have us for an example.comparative — the οὕτω…καθώς correlation — 'us' the τύπος
18
For many walkcause — why the watching matters — the other walkers
of whom I often told you,relative — the old warning recalled
and now tell you even weeping —relative — the relative continued — the warning now in tears
the enemies of the cross of Christ,phrase modifier — the object named at last — enemies of the cross
19
whose end is destruction,relative — indictment 1 — their τέλος
whose god is the belly,relative — indictment 2 — appetite enthroned
and whose glory is in their shame,relative — indictment 3 — ὧν carried over: glory and shame inverted
those who set their minds on earthly things.participial — indictment 4 — nominative for accusative (ad sensum): the earthbound mind
vv. 20–21 — the commonwealth in heaven and the body transformed
20
For our citizenship is in heaven,independent — the counter-claim — emphatic ἡμῶν against the earthly-minded
from which we also eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,relative — ἐξ οὗ on ἐν οὐρανοῖς — the awaited σωτήρ
21
who will transform our lowly body to be conformed to his glorious body,relative — the hope — σύμμορφον answers συμμορφιζόμενος (v. 10)
according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.phrase modifier — the measure — power that subjects τὰ πάντα (Ps 8:6)
Analysis. Philippians 3 alternates between clipped commands on the margin and two long first-person chains, and the colors keep the two registers apart. Verses 1–6 are staccato: the rejoice command, the triple βλέπετε drumbeat, and the counter-claim ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή carrying three teal participles — worshiping, boasting, trusting-not — before Paul's old credentials pile up as a dashed verbless stack of seven, all hanging from the two words ἐγὼ μᾶλλον. Verses 7–11 are the great reversal: two ἡγοῦμαι ledger-entries on the margin, and from the second a single chain runs to the chapter's greatest depth — ἵνα κερδήσω and εὑρεθῶ, the righteousness antithesis, τοῦ γνῶναι, conformity to his death, and at the bottom the olive εἴ πως line reaching for resurrection. Verses 12–16 put the runner's verbs back on the margin (διώκω twice), with the ἓν δέ fragment carrying its two participles of forgetting and straining. In vv. 17–21 one cause line (πολλοὶ γὰρ περιπατοῦσιν) grounds the watch-command, and the enemies of the cross carry a four-line indictment column — end, god, glory, mind — before the citizenship sentence answers it and descends from heaven through σωτῆρα to the transforming power. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: πίστεως Χριστοῦ (v. 9) is read as faith in Christ (objective genitive), with ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει qualifying the righteousness itself; ἐφ' ᾧ (v. 12) is read as 'that for which' I was seized, not 'because'; τοῦ γνῶναι (v. 10) restates the aim of εὑρεθῶ rather than depending on τῇ πίστει; εἴ πως (v. 11) hangs on συμμορφιζόμενος — resurrection reached through shared death — and is humility, not doubt; οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντες (v. 19) is the nominative slipping loose from the accusative τοὺς ἐχθρούς (ad sensum); and ἐξ οὗ (v. 20) looks back to ἐν οὐρανοῖς.