(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Parallel translations
- WEB For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,
- BSB For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
- NKJV For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
- NASB For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,
- NLT For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Many live as enemies of Christ's cross, and Paul warns of them with tears. False or fleshly living grieves the apostle's heart.
Overview
Paul weeps because these are not mere abstractions but people whose lives oppose the cross, possibly professing believers or false teachers. The cross demands self-denial and dependence on grace; to live for the flesh is to set oneself against it. His tears show that doctrinal warning flows from pastoral love, not harshness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 27
- Eph 4:17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
- Isa 8:11For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
- Gal 6:12As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
- Jer 13:17But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock is carried away captive.
- Gal 2:14But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
- Gal 1:7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
- 1 Th 4:6That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
- 2 Pet 2:10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
- Eph 5:5–6For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- Phil 1:4Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
- Phil 1:15–16Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
- Acts 20:30–31Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
- Gal 2:21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
- Dan 4:37Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
- Luke 19:41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
- 1 Cor 1:18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
- Gal 5:21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
- 2 Cor 2:4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
- 2 Cor 11:13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
- 1 Cor 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
- Rom 9:2That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
- 2 Cor 11:29Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
- Acts 20:19Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
- 2 Th 3:11For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
- Jer 9:1Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
- Jude 1:13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
- Ps 119:136Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The one who, being in the form of God, emptied himself to the point of death on a cross and was exalted to the name above every name — the joy and prize of the believer.
How Philippians 3:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.