Philippians 3:1-11
Everything I Had, Counted as Loss
Read the passage
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
4though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,
11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Paul tells the believers to rejoice in the Lord, then warns them sharply about teachers who put confidence in circumcision and human credentials. God's people worship by His Spirit, glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
Paul knows the credentials these teachers value. He was circumcised on the eighth day, an Israelite of Benjamin's tribe, a Hebrew of Hebrews and a Pharisee. His zeal went so far that he persecuted the church. By the measure of righteousness found in the law, he could present a faultless record.
Yet none of this could give him the righteousness he needed before God. What he once counted as gain he now counts as loss beside knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He calls it rubbish in comparison with gaining Christ and being found in Him.
This is not a purchase made by surrendering enough. Paul explicitly contrasts righteousness from the law with righteousness from God through faith in Christ. His standing rests in Christ, not in his ancestry, achievement or sacrifice.
He wants to know Christ, the power of His resurrection and fellowship in His sufferings, being conformed to His death. The path of knowing Him includes costly obedience, with resurrection from the dead as its hope. Paul has found a Lord worth more than everything on which he once relied.
How We Know
Paul's admission that he persecuted the church is also described in Acts. Acts 8:3 records imprisonment of men and women; Acts 22:4 and 26:9–11 preserve Paul's own accounts of his actions. These passages agree on the persecution and give it concrete detail. They do not independently establish every item in his list of credentials.
Questions
1 What identifies God's people in Paul's opening contrast?
AnswerThey worship by the Spirit of God, glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh or human credentials.
2 Why does Paul list his former credentials?
AnswerHe shows that he knows and once possessed the advantages others trust. Yet he now counts them as loss compared with Christ.
3 What righteousness does Paul seek?
AnswerHe seeks the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Christ, rather than a righteousness of his own from the law.
4 What does knowing Christ include for Paul?
AnswerIt includes His resurrection power, sharing His sufferings and being conformed to His death, with hope of resurrection from the dead.
What This Means for Us
Family background, religious knowledge and years of service can be good gifts. They cannot establish our righteousness before God. If we quietly rely on them to feel superior or secure, Paul's confession calls us back to faith in Christ.
Knowing Him also changes what we value. Faithfulness may cost approval, comfort or opportunity. We can bring that cost to the Lord who is worth more than what we give up.
Prayer
Father, turn our confidence from our own record to the righteousness You give through faith in Christ. Help us know Him, follow Him through suffering and hope in His resurrection. Amen.