“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;”
Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more — the conditional 'if anyone thinks he has' (ei tis dokei) is sarcastic: Paul's opponents trust fleshly grounds; Paul outdoes them in such grounds but rejects them. The build-up establishes his credentials before dismissing them.
Church Fathers on Philippians 3:5
Dejection and care, whenever they strain the soul beyond due measure, bereave it of its native force. And therefore Paul relieves the Philippians, who were in great despondency, and they were in despondency because they did not know how matters were with Paul; they were in despondency because they thought that it was already over with him, because of the preaching, because of Epaphroditus. It is in giving them assurance on all these points that he introduces the words,…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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