New International Version
Philippians 3:21
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.
Philippians 3:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
- English Standard Version (ESV)who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
- New King James Version (NKJV)who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
- New Living Translation (NLT)He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
Context of Philippians 3:21
19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, 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.
Read all of Philippians 3Philippians 3:21 word by word
ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- shall changeμετασχηματίζωmetaschēmatizō · to transformG3345
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- vileὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- vileταπείνωσιςtapeinōsis · lowlinessG5014
- bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
- thatεἰςeis · towardG1519
- itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- may beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- fashioned like untoσύμμορφοςsummorphos · conformedG4832
- gloriousδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
- according toκατάkata · according toG2596
- the workingἐνέργειαenergeia · active energyG1753
- is ableδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- evenκαίkai · andG2532
- to subdueὑποτάσσωhupotassō · to subjectG5293
- all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
- unto himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
Cross-references for Philippians 3:21
- 1 Corinthians 15:42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
- Matthew 17:2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
- Colossians 3:4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
- 1 John 3:2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
- Revelation 1:13and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
- Isaiah 25:8he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
- Isaiah 26:19But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy— your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
- Hosea 13:14“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? “I will have no compassion,
- Matthew 22:29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
- Matthew 28:18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
- John 5:25Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
- John 11:24Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
- Ephesians 1:19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
- Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
Commentaries on Philippians 3:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Who shall change our vile body - ̔ ̔· Who will refashion, or alter the fashion and condition of, the body of our humiliation; this body that is dead - adjudged to death because of sin, and must be putrefied, dissolved, and decomposed. That it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body - ͅ · That it may bear a similar form to the body of his glory. That is: the bodies of true believers shall be raised up at the great day in the same likeness…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Who shall change our vile body - compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 15:44); and it is doubtless accompanied with all the circumstances of splendor and glory which are appropriate to the Son of God. The idea here is, that it is the object of the desire and anticipation of the Christian, to be made just like Christ in all things. He desires to resemble him in moral character here, and to be like him in heaven. Nothing else will satisfy him but such…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-21Verses 12-21 This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not mentioned as if the apostle had gained the prize, or were already made perfect in the Saviour's likeness. He forgot the things which were behind, so as not to be content with past labours or present measures of grace. He reached forth, stretched himself forward towards his point; expressions showing great concern to become more and more like unto Christ. He who runs a race, must never…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body: When Jesus returns, he will transform believers' physical bodies. Instead of weak, aging bodies that die, they will have perfect, eternal bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:42–54; compare Romans 8:23). enables Him to subject all things to Himself: This means that Jesus will have complete authority over all things. Everything in creation will be subject to his rule (see 1 Corinthians 15:24–27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Greek, "Who shall transfigure the body of our humiliation (namely, in which our humiliation has place, 2Co 4:10; Ep 2:19; 2Ti 2:12), that it may be conformed unto the body of His glory (namely, in which His glory is manifested), according to the effectual working whereby," &c. Not only shall He come as our "Saviour," but also as our Glorifier. even--not only to make the body like His own, but "to subdue all things," even death itself, as well as Satan…Read the comment
Topics related to Philippians 3:21
In the dictionaries
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
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