Philippians 3:8

3:8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! ¹  – that I may gain Christ,

Philippians 3:1

True and False Righteousness

3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, ²  rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Philippians 2:3

2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ³  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Philippians 2:5

2:5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, ⁴ 

¹ tn The word here translated “dung” was often used in Greek as a vulgar term for fecal matter. As such it would most likely have had a certain shock value for the readers. This may well be Paul’s meaning here, especially since the context is about what the flesh produces.

² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

³ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”

⁴ tn Grk “Have this attitude in/among yourselves which also [was] in Christ Jesus,” or “Have this attitude in/among yourselves which [you] also [have] in Christ Jesus.”