Philippians 3:6

Philippians 3:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
• New International Version (NIV)as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
• English Standard Version (ESV)as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
• New King James Version (NKJV)concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Context of Philippians 3:6

4although I could have confidence in my physical qualifications. If anyone else thinks that he can trust in something physical, I can claim even more. 5I was circumcised on the eighth day. I’m a descendant of Israel. I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. I’m a pure-blooded Hebrew. When it comes to following Jewish laws, I was a Pharisee. When it comes to being enthusiastic, I was a persecutor of the church. When it comes to winning God’s approval by obeying Jewish laws, I was perfect. 7These things that I once considered valuable, I now consider worthless for Christ. 8It’s far more than that! I consider everything else worthless because I’m much better off knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. It’s because of him that I think of everything as worthless. I threw it all away in order to gain Christ

Philippians 3:6 word by word

κατὰ ζῆλος διώκων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Concerningκατάkata · according toG2596
• zealζῆλοςzēlos · zealG2205
• persecutingδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• the churchὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• the righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• isγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• blamelessἄμεμπτοςamemptos · blamelessG273

Cross-references for Philippians 3:6

• 2 Samuel 21:2(The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. Although the Israelites had sworn ⌞to spare them⌟, Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah.) The king called the Gibeonites
• 2 Kings 10:16Jehu said, “Come with me. See how devoted I am to the Lord.” So he had Jehonadab ride on his chariot.
• Acts 21:20When the spiritual leaders heard about everything, they praised God. They said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews are now believers, and all of them are deeply committed to Moses’ Teachings.
• Romans 10:2I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided.
• Galatians 1:13You heard about the way I once lived when I followed the Jewish religion. You heard how I violently persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.
• Acts 8:3Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.
• Acts 9:1Saul kept threatening to murder the Lord’s disciples. He went to the chief priest
• Acts 22:3“I’m a Jew. I was born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia and received my education from Gamaliel here in Jerusalem. My education was in the strict laws handed down by our ancestors. I was as devoted to God as all of you are today.
• Acts 26:9“I used to think that I had to do a lot of things to oppose the one named Jesus of Nazareth.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9I’m the least of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God’s church.
• 1 Timothy 1:13In the past I cursed him, persecuted him, and acted arrogantly toward him. However, I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in my unbelief.
• Matthew 5:20I can guarantee that unless you live a life that has God’s approval and do it more faithfully than the experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Matthew 23:25“How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires.
• Mark 10:20The man replied, “Teacher, I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”
• Luke 1:6Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly.
• Acts 26:5They’ve known me for a long time and can testify, if they’re willing, that I followed the strictest party of our religion. They know that I lived my life as a Pharisee.

Commentaries on Philippians 3:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Concerning zeal - As to my zeal for Pharisaism, I gave the fullest proof of it by persecuting the Church of Christ; and this is known to all my countrymen. Touching the righteousness - And as to that plan of justification, which justification the Jews say is to be obtained by an observance of the law, I have done every thing so conscientiously from my youth up, that in this respect I am blameless; and may, with more confidence than most of them; expect…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church - Showing the greatness of my zeal for the religion which I believed to be true, by persecuting those whom I considered to be in dangerous error. Zeal was supposed to be, as it is, an important part of religion; see 2 Kings 10:16; Psalm 69:9; Psalm 119:139; Isaiah 59:17; Romans 10:2. Paul says that he had shown the highest degree of zeal that was possible. He had gone so far in his attachment for the religion of his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6as to zeal, persecuting the church (see Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2, 21; Galatians 1:13): Paul's actions showed his strong support for Judaism, which saw the good news about Jesus as a threat. Paul’s righteousness, as judged by human standards, also showed his dedication to the law (see also Galatians 1:14; for Paul’s later Christian view, compare Romans 3:23; 7:14–25).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Concerning--Translate as before and after, "As touching Zeal" (compare Ac 22:3; 26:9). blameless--Greek, "having become blameless" as to ceremonial righteousness: having attained in the eyes of man blameless legal perfection. As to the holiness before God, which is the inner and truest spirit of the law, and which flows from "the righteousness of God by faith," he on the contrary declares (Php 3:12-14) that he has not attained perfection.Read the comment

Topics related to Philippians 3:6

• Bigotry
• Formalism
• Testimony
• Works
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Belly
• Concision
• Count
• Earthly
• Gain
• God
• Mean
• Paul
• Press
• Safe

Commentaries on Philippians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings