SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:20
Mas nuestra vivienda es en los cielos; de donde tambin esperamos el Salvador, al Seor Jess, el Cristo;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philippians 3:20
Verse 20. Our conversation is in heaven] hmwv-to politeuma? Our city, or citizenship, or civil rights. The word properly signifies the administration, government, or form of a republic or state; and is thus used by Demosthenes, page 107, 25, and 262, 27. Edit. Reiske. It signifies also a republic, a city, or the inhabitants of any city or place; or a society of persons living in the same place, and under the same rules and laws. See more in Schleusner. While those gross and Jewish teachers have no city but what is on earth; no rights but what are derived from their secular connections; no society but what is made up of men like themselves, who mind earthly things, and whose belly is their god, WE have a heavenly city, the New Jerusalem; we have rights and privileges which are heavenly and eternal; and our society or fellowship is with God the Father, Son, and Spirit, the spirits of just men made perfect, and the whole Church of the first-born. We have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts; and regard not the body, which we know must perish, but which we confidently expect shall be raised from death and corruption into a state of immortal glory.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. For our conversation is in heaven , etc.] The Ethiopic version renders it, we have our city in heaven; and the words may be truly rendered, our citizenship is in heaven; that is, the city whereof we are freemen is heaven, and we behave ourselves here below, as citizens of that city above: heaven is the saints' city; here they have no continuing city, but they seek one to come, which is permanent and durable; a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God, ( Hebrews 11:10): as yet they are not in it, though fellow citizens of the saints, and of the household of God; they are pilgrims, strangers, and sojourners on earth, ( Leviticus 25:23 Hebrews 11:13); but are seeking a better country, an heavenly one, and God has prepared for them a city, ( Hebrews 11:16); they have a right unto it through the grace of God, and righteousness of Christ, and a meetness for it in him; and their conversation is here beforehand, while their commoration, or temporary residence, is below; their thoughts are often employed about it; their affections are set upon it, ( Colossians 3:2); their hearts are where their treasure is, ( Matthew 6:21); the desires of their souls are towards it, and they are seeking things above, and long to be in their own city, and Father's house, where Christ is; and to be at home with him, and for ever with him. This is the work and business of their lives now, and what their hearts are engaged in. The Syriac version renders it, our work is in heaven; the business, the exercise of our lives, and of our graces, tend that way: from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ ; Christ is now in heaven, at the Father's right hand, ( Acts 2:33), appearing in the presence of God for his people, and making intercession for them, ( Hebrews 7:25); and so will remain, until the time of the restitution of all things; when he will descend from heaven, and be revealed from thence: and this the saints look for, and expect; they have good reason for it; from his own words, from the words of the angels at the time of his ascension, ( Acts 1:11), and from the writings of the apostles and they expect him not merely as a Judge, under which consideration he will be terrible to the ungodly, but as a Saviour; who as he has already saved their souls from sin, and the dreadful effects of it, from the bondage and curse of the law, from the captivity of Satan, and from eternal ruin and wrath to come, so he will save and redeem their bodies from the grave, corruption, mortality, and death, as follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-21 - This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not mentioned a if the apostle had gained the prize, or were already made perfect in the Saviour's likeness. He forgot the things which were behind, so a not to be content with past labours or present measures of grace. He reached forth, stretched himself forward towards his point; expression showing great concern to become more and more like unto Christ. He wh runs a race, must never stop short of the end, but press forward a fast as he can; so those who have heaven in their view, must stil press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and constan endeavours. Eternal life is the gift of God, but it is in Christ Jesus through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him There is no getting to heaven as our home, but by Christ as our Way True believers, in seeking this assurance, as well as to glorify him will seek more nearly to resemble his sufferings and death, by dying to sin, and by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts. I these things there is a great difference among real Christians, but all know something of them. Believers make Christ all in all, and set their hearts upon another world. If they differ from one another, and are no of the same judgment in lesser matters, yet they must not judge on another; while they all meet now in Christ, and hope to meet shortly in heaven. Let them join in all the great things in which they are agreed and wait for further light as to lesser things wherein they differ. The enemies of the cross of Christ mind nothing but their sensua appetites. Sin is the sinner's shame, especially when gloried in. The way of those who mind earthly things, may seem pleasant, but death an hell are at the end of it. If we choose their way, we shall share their end. The life of a Christian is in heaven, where his Head and his hom are, and where he hopes to be shortly; he sets his affections upo things above; and where his heart is, there will his conversation be There is glory kept for the bodies of the saints, in which they wil appear at the resurrection. Then the body will be made glorious; no only raised again to life, but raised to great advantage. Observe the power by which this change will be wrought. May we be always prepare for the coming of our Judge; looking to have our vile bodies changed by his Almighty power, and applying to him daily to new-create our soul unto holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to employ our bodie and souls as instruments of righteousness in his service __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ημων 2257 γαρ 1063 το 3588 πολιτευμα 4175 εν 1722 ουρανοις 3772 υπαρχει 5225 5719 εξ 1537 ου 3739 3757 και 2532 σωτηρα 4990 απεκδεχομεθα 553 5736 κυριον 2962 ιησουν 2424 χριστον 5547
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. Conversation (paliteuma). Only here in the New Testament. Rev., citizenship, commonwealth in margin. The rendering conversation, in the sense of manner of life (see on 1 Pet. i. 15), has no sufficient warrant; and that politeuma commonwealth, is used interchangeably with politeia citizenship, is not beyond question. Commonwealth gives a good and consistent sense. The state of which we are citizens is in heaven. See on ch. i. 27. Compare Plato: "That city of which we are the founders, and which exists in idea only; for I do not believe that there is such an one anywhere on earth. In Heaven, I replied, there is laid up the pattern of it methinks, which he who desires may behold, and beholding may settle himself there" ("Republic," 592).
Is in heaven (uparcei). The use of this word instead of ejsti is is peculiar. See on being, ch. ii. 6. It has a backward look. It exists now in heaven, having been established there of old. Compare Heb. xi. 16; John xiv. 2.
We look for (apekdecomeqa). Rev., wait for. See on 1 Cor. i. 7. Used only by Paul, and in Heb. ix. 28. Compare Rom. viii. 19, 23, 25; Gal. v. 5. It indicates earnest, patient waiting and expectation. As in ajpokaradokia earnest expectation, ch. i. 20, the compounded preposition ajpo denotes the withdrawal of attention from inferior objects. The word is habitually used in the New Testament with reference to a future manifestation of the glory of Christ or of His people.
The Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (swthra). Savior has no article, and its emphatic position in the sentence indicates that it is to be taken predicatively with Jesus Christ, and not as the direct object of the verb. Hence render: we await as Savior the Lord, etc. Compare Heb. ix. 28, "To them that wait for Him will He appear a second time unto salvation."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:20 {Our citizenship} (hemwn to politeuma). Old word from piliteu" (#Php 1:27), but only here in N.T. The inscriptions use it either for citizenship or for commonwealth. Paul was proud of his Roman citizenship and found it a protection. The Philippians were also proud of their Roman citizenship. But Christians are citizens of a kingdom not of this world (#Joh 18:36). Milligan (_Vocabulary_) doubts if commentators are entitled to translate it here: "We are a colony of heaven," because such a translation reverses the relation between the colony and the mother city. But certainly here Paul's heart is in heaven. {We wait for} (apekdecomeqa). Rare and late double compound (perfective use of prepositions like wait out) which vividly pictures Paul's eagerness for the second coming of Christ as the normal attitude of the Christian colonist whose home is heaven.
