Philippians 3:20–21
Paul says we await the Savior, who will transform our body
Study it word by word20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus the Messiah,
21who will transform the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.
In its context
18For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now I tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of the Messiah,
19whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
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Its words in the original
- πολίτευμαpoliteuma· citizenship
Citizenship, the homeland one belongs to.
- οὐρανοῖςouranois· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- ὑπάρχειhyparchei· be, exist
Be, exist, be present; "what one has", one's possessions.
- σωτῆραsōtēra· Savior
Savior.
- ἀπεκδεχόμεθαapekdechometha· wait eagerly
Wait eagerly, long for what is to come.
- κύριονkyrion· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ἸησοῦνIēsoun· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ΧριστόνChriston· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
- μετασχηματίσειmetaschēmatisei· transform, disguise
Change the form or appearance of something, transform; also disguise oneself, and apply something to another in a figure.
- σῶμαsōma· body
Body.
- ταπεινώσεωςtapeinōseōs· humble state
Humble state, lowliness, humiliation.
- σύμμορφονsymmorphon· conformed
Conformed: having the same form as another.
- δόξηςdoxēs· glory
Glory: splendor, honor, the weight of God's presence.
- ἐνέργειανenergeian· working, power at work
Working: power when it is in action.
- δύνασθαιdynasthai· can, be able
Can, be able.
- ὑποτάξαιhypotaxai· subject, submit
Put under, subject; in the passive or middle, be subject, submit oneself, obey.