Verse 1. "For the rest," may be understood from one subject to another, common with the Apostle. "To write the same things," may mean, the same things of which he discoursed among them, or the same things he had written to others, (v.g.) the Galatians, &c., whom he cautioned against the false teachers (as in next verse).

Verse 2. "Dogs," a term of reproach which he applies to the false teachers, on account of their impudence and their endeavors to destroy the preachers of the gospel. It may be also, that he called them " dogs," to convey that they were unclean and not belonging to the holy people of God. For, the Jews, by whom dogs were reckoned among the unclean animals, applied this opprobrious epithet to the idolatrous Gentiles, to denote that they were not belonging to the people of God, as being profane and impure. " Concision." It is thus he reproachfully designates their circumcision, which was no longer the religious and honorable rite it formerly was, having now become a mere cutting of the flesh. The abstract term " concision," is employed for the concrete, circumcised. The Apostle designates the same class of false teachers in the words "dogs," "evil workers," and " concision," and the repetition of the word "beware," shows the strong feelings from the impulse of which the Apostle denounces them. It may be asked to what class of heretics does the Apostle refer? Some say, he refers to those who were known under the general denomination of Gnostics, of whom one class—the followers of Cerinthus and others—taught, that Christ never died on the cross, and that the Son of God left the son of Mary at the crucifixion. Hence, he calls them " enemies of the cross," and " dogs," on account of their immoral teaching and conduct. Others, however, think, with more probability, that he refers to the Judaizantes, or Jewish zealots, who crept in, and were privately sowing the seeds of Judaism, maintaining the necessity of observing the Mosaic law, for justification. The motives adduced here by the Apostle in refutation of their errors, favor this latter opinion. These motives regard circumcision, his extraction, the justice of the law, which latter error constituted them " enemies of the cross." For, " if justice be from the law, then Christ died in vain."—(Gal. ii. 4). Then, the " scandal of the cross is made void.' —(Gal. v. ii). Moreover, the teachers in question gloried in the same things, as appears from the words of the Apostle here, that the Judaizantes are charged (2 Cor. xii.) with making a subject of boasting.

Verse 3. Although the external sign of circumcision is abolished, still the thing signified, viz., the cutting away the vices of the heart, exists. " In the flesh," means the external advantages of the Jewish religion, such as circumcision, being a Pharisee, &c., as appears from next verse. The words might also be understood of the works performed by the aid of the law without grace.

Verse 4. Lest any person should, for an instant, suppose that he depreciates and rejects the Mosaic ceremonial law from feelings of envy, in consequence of not possessing such privileges himself, as men often undervalue in others the accomplishments which they have not themselves, he says that in his case no such feelings can exist. "Though I might also.'' ''Also" is not in the Greek.

Verse 5. "Being circumcised on the eighth day," shows that he was not a Jewish proselyte, like many of the Jewish zealots, who, as mere proselytes, received circumcision only after arriving at matured years. He received it on the eighth day, like Isaac and his descendants. "Of the stock of Israel." Neither was he descended of parents merely, as proselytes, admitted into the Jewish religion, but, not of the race of Israel. "Of the tribe of Benjamin," which was the only tribe with Juda that did not apostatize under Jeroboam. "An Hebrew of the Hebrews." All his ancestors were Jews, or, it might mean, as some understand it, a Hebrew in language, retaining the knowledge of this sacred tongue, which many of the Jews, scattered, as his parents were, among the Gentiles, had altogether lost. These four prerogatives just mentioned were not his own, but were derived from birth, and were common to him with many others. The three following are of his own choice ; and hence, a matter of greater commendation for him. "According to the law," by religious profession, "a Pharisee," the most respectable religious sect among the Jews, and externally the most observant of the law.

Verse 6. "According to zeal, persecuting the Church of God." So ardently zealous in defense of the laws and institutions of his fathers, that he persecuted everything opposed to them, even the Church of God, from a false and erroneous conscience, thinking he was thereby advancing the cause of God.

Verse 7. "The things that were gain to me." Some Expositors understand these words to mean, these things which might be a recommendation to honor., preferment, and emolument. "I counted as loss for Christ." I rejected as noxious and injurious, as obstacles in the way of my salvation, which comes from Christ

Verse 8. "For the excellent knowledge." In Greek, for the excellence of the knowledge, i.e., in comparison with the excellence, &c. "For whom I have suffered the loss of all things," may also mean, that he deprived himself of all earthly advantages for Christ, to become partaker of his grace and merits.

Verse 9. "In him," may also signify, that I may be found in his judgment, who judges truly. This verse does not prove the sufficiency of faith for justification. All that follows from it is, that faith is one of the disposing causes for justification. The Apostle is only opposing the system of justification, of which faith is the foundation, to the system of justification through natural works, or works performed by the aid of the Mosaic law devoid of faith, which faith the unconverted Jews, continuing in their unbelief, could not have. " But that which is of the faith of Christ," i.e., that justice which is gratuitously acquired through the faith of Christ, which justice " is of God," comes from God the Father, as its efficient, from Christ, as its meritorious cause, and is infused by the Holy Ghost—hence, altogether divine, and founded and based on the faith of Christ as its foundation.

Verse 10. This verse is more probably connected with verse 8, I have sacrificed all worldly advantages, &c., " That I may know him," i.e., ail things appertaining to his nature, all his mysteries, but particularly the power t)f his resurrection, that glorious state of Christ resuscitated, to which we will be likened in our resurrection to glory, and know this practically at a future day, " and the fellowship of his sufferings," and that I may know by experience how sweet and meritorious it is to suffer in union with Christ and for his sake, " being made conformable," &c., by conforming myself to his sufferings and death, by my own actual sufferings.

Verse 11. "The resurrection from the dead." The word "resurrection," in the Greek, εξαναστασιν, means a complete, perfect resurrection, that glorious resurrection which will be followed by no evils, and which is in store for the just. The Apostle almost invariably forbears referring to the resurrection of the reprobate, which is rather a misfortune than an advantage. " If by any means I may attain to the resurrection," &c. Then, St. Paul was not quite sure of his salvation. He feared also lest he should become a reprobate (i Cor. ix.) and if he was not certain, although "a vessel of election," who else can be secure?

Verse 12. This verse is to be connected with the passage, where the Apostle speaks of the sacrifices which he made for Christ, and the advantages he received therefrom. He does not wish to imply, by saying these things, that he attained the goal of perfection in this life, or acquired a perfect degree of knowledge and Christian virtue, but he is eagerly stretching forward to arrive at it; for, it was for this end that Christ, by the abundance of grace, almost forced him into his service, on his way to Damascus; on which occasion he exclaimed: " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" In the Greek word for " apprehended," κατεληφθην, there is an allusion to the practice of pressing soldiers and sailors into service.

Verse 13. One thing he endeavors to do, like men engaged in a running match, never to look to the part of the course he has gone over, but only to look to the part that yet lies before him. There is an allusion in the words of the Apostle to the exercise of the race course, with which he frequently compares our passage through this life towards the goal of eternity, where the prize is held out by God himself inviting us to struggle earnestly in pursuit of it. The words of the Apostle in this verse show, that in the performance of good works, that is to say, in running the course of the Christian stadium, we should not be puffed up with our past, merits, but should only look forward to the future, and fear for our final perseverance in reaching the goal; hence, no one can stand still in the way of Christian perfection; not to advance is to lose ground, and recede farther from the goal.

Verse 14. "The mark," i.e., the goal or winning post, at which God, the master of the race, holds out the prize, and invites me from heaven to secure it, by running in the race, as I should. It is to be obtained through the merits of Christ.

Verse 15. As many as are perfect," may also mean: as many as aspire to perfection. But even in the sense given in the Paraphrase, there is no opposition between this and the preceding, in which he speaks of himself as not being perfect; because, here he speaks of a lower degree of perfection, which both he and they attained ; whereas, in the preceding, he speaks of a more exalted degree of perfection in this life, perfection being quite a relative thing. The word " perfect," has the same meaning here that it has in the First Epistle to Corinthians (c. ii.): "We speak wisdom among the perfect," i.e., those who are well instructed in the faith. " God will reveal," implies merely the ordinary exercise of the intellect aided by divine grace; it does not imply any extraordinary revelation.

Verse 16. Others, with St. Chrysostom and Theophylact, interpret this verse thus: In the meantime (πλην) let us in our onward course proceed according to the mode of perfect life at which we have arrived, and not deflect from it in any way.