Paul writes to the Philippians encouraging them to rejoice in their faith and warning against overconfidence in their heritage or status. He explains that he once took pride in his Jewish heritage and status as a Pharisee, but now considers all of that as rubbish compared to knowing Christ. He urges the Philippians to pursue knowing Christ by imitating his example of suffering, forgetting the past, and striving toward the goal of life in heaven, where their bodies will be transformed to be like Christ's glorious body.

1. Paul’s letter of joy – CHAPTER 3

3. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
3:1-21
A. Warning against Confidence in the flesh, 1-9
B. Exhortation to Know Christ, 10-16
C. Warning against Living for the flesh, 17-21

4. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for
me to write the same things to you again, and it is a
safeguard for you.
 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those
2
mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the
circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who
glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the
flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such
confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in
the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of
the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal,
persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness,
faultless.

5.  But
7 whatever was to my profit I now consider loss
for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider
everything a loss compared to the surpassing
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose
sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that
I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness
that comes from God and is by faith

6. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
A. Warning against Confidence in the flesh, 1-9
Confidence in the flesh, v 4, this is what the Jews are
promoting: a righteousness based on heritage and
accomplishment, not on Christ Jesus.
4-6 Paul’s ―qualifications‖ as a Jew. Tribe of Benjamin was
an elite group within Israel. Pharisee, the spiritual elite.

7. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
A. Warning against Confidence in the flesh, 1-9
Why did Paul repeat essential truths to the Philippians?
Why did Paul view his former accomplishments as
―rubbish‖?
What was Paul’s status in Christ?

8. . 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like
him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the
resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I
press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold
of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward
the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.
 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of
things. And if on some point you think differently, that too
God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what
we have already attained.

9. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
B. Exhortation to Know Christ, 10-16
v. 10, ―becoming like Him‖, the idea that Paul and ALL believers
are caught up into Christ and are linked together with Him to
share with Him in all the events of His life including His death
and resurrection.
v. 13, ―forgetting what is behind,‖ cease looking at the past,
(persecuting the church in Paul’s case)
v. 14, ―goal‖, the word means the mark on the track that signifies
the end of the race, ―the prize‖, the moment at the end of the
race where the winner is called forward to receive the metal or
trophy
v. 15, ―mature‖, this is the same word that is translated ―perfect‖ in
verse 12.

10. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
B. Exhortation to Know Christ, 10-16
What was Paul’s testimony?
What was Paul’s goal?
What did Paul hope for the believers who disagreed with
him?

11. 17Join with others in following my example, brothers,
and take note of those who live according to the pattern
we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and
now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of
the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their
god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.
Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is
in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the
Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables
him to bring everything under his control, will transform
our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

14. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
C. Warning against Living for the flesh, 17-21
V. 17 ―follow my example‖. Paul is speaking of his example
to strive imitate Christ, not that he has somehow attained
perfection (from V 12)
V. 20 ―eagerly await‖, the Greek verb here is used in most
passages about the second coming and expresses the
idea of waiting patiently with great expectation.(Rom 8:23)
V. 21 ―lowly bodies‖ in contrast to those who thought
perfection was possible here on earth. Our bodies will be
transformed into a spiritual body.

15. OUTLINE
 III. Paul’s Appeal to Have the Knowledge of Christ
C. Warning against Living for the flesh, 17-21
How did Paul describe God’s enemies?
Where do we as Christians have our citizenship?
What characterizes citizens of heaven?

16. Key Verses
 Chapter 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to
die is gain.

17. Key Verses
 Chapter 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit, but in humility
consider others better than
yourselves.

18. Key Verses
 Chapter 3:8
What is more, I consider everything a
loss compared to the surpassing
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whose sake I have lost
all things. I consider them rubbish,
that I may gain Christ

19. Key Verses
 Chapter 4:13
I can do everything through Him
who gives me strength.