Philippians

Chapter 3
{Verses 1-8 Priority perspective of SuperGrace - verse 1 command to remain in SuperGrace}

1~~For the rest {new subject},
my brethren {Royal Family of God},
keep on having inner happiness in the Lord
  {UltraSuperGrace in context here}.
To be writing these same things {doctrines}
to you on the one hand is not troublesome/irksome . . .
while on the other hand it is a security/safeguard
  {from falling into reverse process reversionism} for you.

{Note: The +H or Sharing the Happiness which belongs to God, here refers to the increased +H in UltraSuperGrace spiritual maturity.}

{Note: Paul repeats himself on purpose - emphasizing the importance of repeating and repeating doctrines when teaching . . . until the congregation is inculcated.}

2~~Beware of those dogs
  {Judaizers' personalities - scavengers of theology} . . .
beware of those evil workers
  {same Judaizers but their actions this time - human good} . . .
beware of that mutilation
  {katatome - refers to the Judaizers' false
  concept of having to be circumcised to be saved}.

{Note: At this time, dogs were figures of insignificance (Goliath to David, 'Am I a dog that you come at me with a stick?'). They are as unclean as pigs. They eat the flesh of dead animals. Legalists and false teachers are called dogs. They were scavengers, semi-wild, and held in low regard.}

{Note: 'Katatome' or 'to cut', 'to mutilate' is a play on words in the Greek with 'Peritome' or 'Circumcision' in next verse- very humorous. Paul is saying that circumcision is a cut to the body just as being lead astray by legalists mutilates or 'cuts the soul'.}

3-6~~ For we and only we {SuperGrace believers}
are the 'circumcision' {in this dispensation} . . .
who worship in the Spirit of God {filled with the Holy Spirit},
and glorying/boasting {in the good sense} in Christ Jesus,
and do not have confidence in the flesh
  {no confidence in human abilities/frailties - rely on God} . . . 4~~
even though I myself {Paul} might be having confidence in the flesh. If any other one of the same category
  {referring to when Paul was a legalist/Judaizer}
presumes to have confidence in the flesh . . . I MORE . . . 5~~
circumcism on the eighth day . . .
of the race of Israel . . .
of the tribe of Benjamin . . .
an Hebrew of the Hebrews . . .
with reference to the law, a Pharisee . . . 6~~
with reference to zeal, constantly persecuting the church . . .
with reference to self-righteousness
- which is in the sphere of the law -
having become blameless
  {as an unbeliever, Paul reached a new and unequaled peak in
  'keeping the law'}.

{Note: The Judaizers were mostly 'gentile converts'. They were criticizing Paul and were mostly not even racially a Jew. Paul is listing his Jewish credentials only to latter say how meaningless this really is. He was born a Jew, from a great warring tribe and reached the highest level of the religious sect of Pharisee at a very young age.}

7~~But what quality of category of things
were advantages/gains to me ?
These same things, I myself have concluded disadvantage/loss
because of The Christ.

{Note: All the 'human celebrityship items Paul listed above were categories of ADVANTAGES (plural) to Paul. Now he adds them all up into 1 ball of DISADVANTAGE (singular) - as he moves into SuperGrace he realizes it is only Grace that really counts for anything.}

8~~MORE EMPHATICALLY THEREFORE
EVEN I ALSO MYSELF CONCLUDE 'the all things'
  {of human achievement and celebrityship}
to always be LOSS/disadvantage
for the sake of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord . . .
for the sake of Whom I have been forfeited the all things
  {of human celebrityship mentioned above} . . .
and I myself keep on concluding them piles of DUNG . . .
in order that I may GAIN The Christ {occupation with Christ}.

{Verses 9-11 Parenthesis of Grace Orientation}
9~~(Also that I might be found in Him . . .
not having mine own righteousness
which is from the law {from keeping the Mosaic Law} . . .
but that righteousness which is acquired
by means of faith in Christ -
that righteousness from the source of The God
at the point of faith {at the point of faith in Christ} . . . 10~~
that I may come to know Him {by daily intake of doctrine GAP},
and the power of His resurrection,
and have participation in His {undeserved} sufferings . . .
taking on the same form of suffering
with reference to his death {the physical death of Christ} . . . 11~~ if, in some way I might cross the goal line to the resurrection
AWAY FROM the dead ones
  {after life, the believer and unbelievers go separate ways
  - dead ones are the spiritually dead unbelievers} ).

{Note: We only can participate in the physical sufferings Christ endured up to and including the cross. His spiritual sufferings and death on the cross, as a substitute for us, was purely unique and it was impossible for us to share in this burden with Him.}

{Verses 12-19 Final Objective in life- UltraSuperGrace}
12~~Not that I have already attained {UltraSuperGrace}
or before now have reached the objective {of UltraSuperGrace}
but I {Paul} keep pressing on . . .
that also I may arrive at/obtain the objective {UltraSuperGrace} . . . on account of which objective {UltraSuperGrace}
I was overtaken {salvation}
and seized and held by Christ Jesus.

{Note: Paul is saying spiritual growth should be your objective from the very point of salvation . . . as in Paul's salvation on the Road to Damascus.}

{Paul's estimate of the situation}
13~~Brethren {Royal Family of God},
I EVALUATE MYSELF TO HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED {UltraSG},
but, one thing on which I concentrate,
constantly forgetting those things which are behind {reversionism},
and straining/pressing toward what lies ahead
  {the objective in view - reaching the objective of UltraSuperGrace}.

14~~ I keep advancing toward the objective
for the purpose of reward
  {decorations on the resurrected body and lands, cities, planets,
  who knows what physical rewards accompany the top level of
  spiritual maturity}
belonging to that upward station
from that Self Same God {God the Father}
by means of Christ Jesus.

15~~Therefore as many as are mature ones {SuperGrace believers}, let us continue objective thinking {divine viewpoint of SuperGrace}. In fact if you have a different attitude in something {subjectively}, The God will reveal
  {as the Ultimate source - the immediate source is doctrines in the
  Bible communicated to you by your pastor/teacher}
even that to you {to your advantage}.

{Note: Doesn't necessarily mean you are thinking differently from doctrine. From the Greek two different words for 'thinking' we gather this is more like . . . if someone you do not LIKE states something is one way, then in subjectivity, you HAVE to take the other point of view - if I say night, you say day type of thing. In view here is a test to move to the top level of maturity, this test will appear again.}

{Command to Advance}
16~~However {plen},
the status/objective to which we have attained {SuperGrace} . . . by that same function of GAP,
let us keep advancing/marching in rank {to the next objective}
by means of that same rule/canon {Kanon}.

{Note: 'Plen' means 'enough has been said on that subject' move on. The 'marching in rank' indicates we advance 'in step with others'. This means a congregation being moved along together by their mature pastor/teacher. Once he moves into UltraSuperGrace, then the pastor can pull his congregation along with him. }

{Note: 'Kanon' is the Greek word from which we get 'Canon'. This literally means rules or standards. Therefore, Canon of Scripture was so named because it is the Absolute rule or standard under which we grow to maximum spiritual maturity and 'know the mind of Christ'}.

17~~Brethren {Royal Family of God},
be co-imitators of me
  {Paul in his advance to the highest level of spiritual maturity}
and be looking for/having respect for the same types
  {Communicators of doctrine - studying and teaching - advancing -
  and bringing along their congregations with them}
constantly walking {advancing} in this manner . . .
just as you have us {Paul and Timothy}
for a pattern/model/example.

{Opposition from Reversionists in moving to UltraSuperGrace}
18-19~~For many believers {reversionists and therefore evil}
keep walking . . .
concerning whom I have communicated to you all many times . . . and NOW continue communicating to you . . .
even though weeping . . .
that they have made themselves
the enemies of the cross of that Same Christ . . . 19~~
whose {refers back to the reversionistic believers} termination
keeps on being destruction {death - the Sin Unto Death by God} . . . whose god is their emotions,
and whose {human} glory/fame is by means of dishonor . . .
who keep on thinking earthly things {evil}.

{Note: Particularly in Galatians we see that Paul evangelized many people bringing them salvation. Only later to have Judaizers follow him and turn some believers away from Grace and into a program of 'works' - reversionism. It saddens Paul so much when this happens, that he literally comes to tears in writing this passage.}

{Verses 20-21 What is beyond SuperGrace for all believers - Surpassing Grace - Even for the Reversionists}
20~~ For our aristocracy {politeuma}
keeps on existing in the sphere of heaven . . .
even from which place {heaven}
we eagerly anticipate the Savior . . .
the Lord Jesus Christ.

{Note: 'Politeuma' was a word often used for where an actor would take a chance and accept a percentage of the gate instead of a salary. Here it is used as an analogy the Philippians would understand. They were mainly retired Roman soldiers who retired in the middle of non-Romans . . . but they were still Romans. In the analogy it means the Royal Family of God who are still alive in Phase II are physically in the devil's world but are still part of the citizenship of heaven.}

21~~Who {Jesus} will transform the body of our humble station . . . in conformity with the body of His glory {resurrection body} . . . according to the operational power
from which this Same One {Jesus Christ}
keeps on being able also to bring
under His authority all {all types of creatures}.