Filipljanima 3:6

Croatian Bible

po revnosti progonitelj Crkve, po pravednosti zakonskoj besprijekoran.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

zeal: 2 Samuel 21:2, 2 Kings 10:16, Acts 21:20, Romans 10:2, Galatians 1:13, Galatians 1:14

persecuting: Acts 8:3, Acts 9:1-19, Acts 22:3, Acts 22:4, Acts 26:9, Acts 26:10, 1 Corinthians 15:9, 1 Timothy 1:13

touching: Matthew 5:20, Matthew 23:25, Mark 10:20, Mark 10:21, Luke 1:6, Acts 26:5, Romans 7:9, Romans 9:31, Romans 9:32, Romans 10:2-5

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:16 - General Judges 6:30 - Bring Ecclesiastes 7:16 - Be not Song of Solomon 5:7 - they smote Matthew 19:20 - All Luke 15:7 - which Luke 18:11 - as Luke 18:21 - General John 1:24 - were of John 16:2 - the time Acts 13:39 - from which Romans 1:1 - a servant 2 Corinthians 9:1 - touching Galatians 3:21 - righteousness Philippians 3:9 - not

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church,.... The Vulgate Latin version adds, "of God", as in Galatians 1:13. The apostle was very zealous of the traditions of the elders, and for the law of God, and towards God also; though his zeal was not according to knowledge, but blind, ignorant, and furious; which pushed him on to persecute the followers of Christ, and the church of Christ at Jerusalem more especially, in a very violent and outrageous manner; he held the clothes of those that stoned Stephen, Acts 7:58; he consented unto his death, Acts 8:1; he made havoc of the church at Jerusalem, haling men and women to prison, Acts 8:3; he continued breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ, Acts 9:1; gave his voice against them when put to death, punished them frequently in the synagogues by scourging them, Acts 26:10, and compelled them to blaspheme the name of Christ; was exceeding mad against them, pursued them to strange cities, Acts 26:11, and persecuted the church of God exceedingly, more than anyone single person besides.

Touching the righteousness which is in, the law, blameless. This he mentions last, as including the whole of his righteousness, civil, ceremonial, and moral; and which he fancied was so perfect, that whatever righteousness was in the law, or required by it, he had it, and to such a degree, that he was blameless before God and men; that he was justified by it in the sight of God, and could not justly be found fault with by any, or be charged with any defect in his obedience, either to the moral or ceremonial law; which must arise from great ignorance of the righteousness of God, and the strictness of his justice, and of the law of God, and the purity, spirituality, and extent of it, which reaches to the thoughts of the heart, and the first motions of sin; and of himself, the plague of his own heart, of the sin of lust, and of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, in every instance of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Concerning 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; Psalms 69:9; Psalms 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 fathers, as to pursue with purposes of death those who had departed from it, and who had embraced a different form of belief. If any, therefore, could hope for salvation on the ground of extraordinary devotedness to religion, he said that he could.

Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless - So far as the righteousness which can be obtained by obeying the law is concerned. It is not needful to suppose here that he refers merely to the ceremonial law; but the meaning is, that he did all that could be done to obtain salvation by the mere observance of law. It was supposed by the Jews, and especially by the Pharisees, to which sect he belonged, that it was possible to be saved in that way; and Paul says that he had done all that was supposed to be necessary for that. We are not to imagine that, when he penned this declaration, he meant to be understood as saying that he had wholly complied with the law of God; but that, before his conversion, he supposed that he had done all that was necessary to be done in order to be saved by the observance of law he neglected no duty that he understood it to enjoin. He was not guilty of deliberately violating it.

He led a moral and strictly upright life, and no one had occasion to “blame” or to accuse him as a violator of the law of God. There is every reason to believe that Paul, before his conversion, was a young man of correct deportment, of upright life, of entire integrity; and that he was free from the indulgences of vice and passion, into which young people often fall. In all that he ever says of himself as being “the chief of sinners,” and as being “unworthy to be called an apostle,” he never gives the least intimation that his early life was stained by vice, or corrupted by licentious passions. On the contrary, we are left to the fair presumption that, if any man could be saved by his own works, he was that man. This fact should be allowed to make its proper impression on those who are seeking salvation in the same way; and they should be willing to inquire whether they may not be deceived in the matter, as he was, and whether they are not in as much real danger in depending on their own righteousness, as was this most upright and zealous young man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. Concerning 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 that justification which the law appears to promise.