Philippians 3:5
“Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul lists his impeccable heritage and rigorous devotion to the law as a Pharisee.
What Does Philippians 3:5 Mean?
Paul lays out his credentials one by one. He was circumcised on the eighth day exactly as the law required, born of the people of Israel, of the honored tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and as to the law a Pharisee, a member of the most rigorous and devout group of his day.
Each item represents the highest religious standing a person could claim by birth and devotion. Paul had the purest pedigree and the strictest training; no one could fault his heritage or his zeal for the law. He stacks them up deliberately, building an impressive resume of everything the world around him counted as spiritual capital. These were not small things, and Paul does not pretend they were. Yet he is preparing to show that all of it, weighed against knowing Christ, amounts to loss. The greatest human credentials cannot compare to the treasure he has found.