Philippians 3.2–11 and the New Perspective on Paul

The goal of this study is to investigate whether or not Philippians 3.2-11 supports the New Perspective on Paul. Since Phil 3.2-11 deals with many issues that are connected to the debate surrounding the New Perspective on Paul, such as Paul’s experience of Judaism, his opponents and their religious/ethnic identity, and the use of certain vocabulary, such as “circumcision,” “righteousness,” “law,” and “faith in/of Christ,” it is an appropriate litmus test for the New Perspective on Paul. I administer this “test” by defining and investigating the New Perspective on Paul, paying special attention to rhetorical, grammatical, syntactical, lexical, literary, sociological, and theological matters found in Phil 3.2-11, contrasting the view of the New Perspective on Paul with the one I support, which has been developed in this study. In the final analysis, it is my view that Phil 3.2-11 does not fully support the New Perspective on Paul