Philippians, Rightly Divided, Verse-by-Verse
Session 13 | Phillippians 3:8-10
Philippians 3:4-14 | Paul's Journey
Verses 4-6 -- see session 12
Verse 7 -- Green
Note: this verse was also included on session 12
Now, displaying the dispensational change, Paul notes that these things that were gain to me (and we must assume that they were), he has now counted loss for Christ. Paul had mentioned seven things that were gain in the previous two verses. Now, on account of the Messiah, he counts as loss.
Paul has certainly undergone a personal change of trust; from Law to Christ*. How did he come to this personal change? Was it from the teaching of Peter or the other apostles? Was it from a reconsideration of the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures? Nothing of any of Paul's writings would support either conclusion. His change of belief systems came when he received the mystery* of our new dispensation (Col. 1:25-26).
Verse 8 -- Green
Not only did Paul count the things of his Jewish obedience as loss, but now all things are counted as loss, because, in our dispensation, neither the law nor anything will enable one to win Christ. Though this sounds like works salvation, the next verse will disallow this. In fact, the versification causes us to see a works salvation that is not there. When removing the verse break, the phrase that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness (vv. 8-9) comes together as a whole. Thus, Paul celebrates that he has won Christ* *and is found in him apart from the Law.
The verb win (v. 8) is in the subjunctive tense (a potential) and is often translated gain.
Verse 9 -- Green
Paul moves from the subjunctive verb, win (v. 8), to the passive verb, be found (v. 9). Paul's experience of being found in him is recounted elsewhere, and 1 Timothy 1:15-16 would be a good summary of this experience. Paul's newly possessed righteousness was not of the law but of God by faith.
“pathway" of this righteousness. It was through the faith of Christ and of God by faith. Thus it required the faith of Christ and the faith of Paul.
A similar phrase is given in Galatians 2:16, which says that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.
Verse 10 -- Green
Paul's goal is to be found in him (v. 9) with a righteousness which is of God by faith (v. 9). If we were to diagram the sentence, we would see that Paul wanted to be found (v. 9) in order to know. The ultimate goal, therefore, is that I may know him.
One cannot claim to know him and never experience the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
The full experience of the Christian is to know the power of his resurrection. Since we are buried with him by baptism into death (Rom. 6:4) we are also raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father (Rom. 6:4). Thus, knowing the power of his resurrection is not to know some supernatural power over the forces of evil, but to someday know...the power of his resurrection because we ourselves have been resurrected. Paul uses the experiential word for knowledge, γινώσκω [ginosko], when he says that I may know him“that this might be my experience."
Though Paul certainly suffered, I am convinced that Paul's desired knowledge of the fellowship of his sufferings is not to suffer like He suffered, but rather to experience the shared benefit of his sufferings.
Paul's current experience was that he was being made conformable unto his death. This is in the passive tense, thus something that was happening within him and not something he was doing himself. The Greek word is συμμορφίζω [symmorphizo], to be changed into the same. Compare verse 21.
