Philippians 3:3a and Worshiping the Spirit: Revisiting a Forgotten Reading in Light of Nicaea

This article revisits Philippians 3:3, proposing a reconsideration of the phrase οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες as meaning “who worship the Spirit of God” rather than the more common rendering “who worship by the Spirit of God.” While most modern translations take πνεύματι as an instrumental dative associated with John 4:23-24, this study argues for taking it as the dative object of λατρεύω. This interpretation, though largely neglected today, finds support in the writings of Ambrose, Augustine, and Aquinas, who use it in arguing for the Holy Spirit’s deity being “worshiped and glorified” together with the Father and the Son, as confessed in the Nicene Creed. A close examination of the Greek grammar, the textual variants, and the broader Pauline context supports the viability of this reading. This study invites renewed reflection on a forgotten reading of this verse and its meaningful implications for biblical pneumatology and contemporary theology.