Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Philippians 3:15
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, etc.] Not absolutely, but comparatively, with respect to other believers, in a lower class of knowledge and experience; and not with respect to degrees, but parts; and regards such who were not children, but of riper age in divine things, unless the words are spoken ironically: be thus minded; as the apostle was, to count what were gain to him, loss for Christ; to reckon all things but loss and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ; to be willing to suffer the loss of all things, to win him, (<500308>Philippians 3:8); to desire to be found in him, and in his righteousness, and not a man's own, (<500309>Philippians 3:9); to know more of him in his person, righteousness, sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead, (<500310>Philippians 3:10); and to attain to such a state, and yet to disclaim all perfection, and acknowledge their imperfection, (<500311>Philippians 3:11,12); and to forget things behind, and reach to those before, (<500313>Philippians 3:13); and press towards the mark, Christ, for the prize of eternal glory, (<500314>Philippians 3:14): and if in anything ye be otherwise minded; as to seek for justification by the works of the law, or partly by Christ and partly by the law, and to imagine and expect perfection in this life: God shall reveal even this unto you; such errors will be made manifest sooner or later; the day will declare them, and such wood, hay, and stubble, will be burnt up by the fire, which will reveal every man's work, (<460312>1 Corinthians 3:12,13).
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