Philippians 3:7-11 A New Era of Righteousness

Elyse Sandberg

BITH 325: Biblical Interpretation & Hermeneutics

Dr. Green

Fall 2016
 Philippians 3:7-11

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss

because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss
because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard
them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found
in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from
the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ
and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his
sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I
may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Introduction

Philippians 3:7-11 is an enlightening and moving passage written by Paul

inspired by his own personal experiences. This passage is a summary of

Pauls testimony; his journey from being lost to being found. In order to fully

understand the importance of Pauls words in this passage, we must consider

Pauls life, the lives of the people he was writing to, the world in which they

were living, and the context of this passage within the whole letter of

Philippians. Paul writes from his own personal testimony to teach the

Philippians that the only true gain in life is to know Christ, and receive

righteousness through faith in Him.

Occasion of Philippians

The book of Philippians was originally a letter written by Paul to the Christian

church in Philippi.1 This letter is known as the most attractive Pauline letter,

and has been classified as an example of the rhetoric of friendship.2 Paul

1 Phil 1:1
2 Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (New York:
Doubleday, 1997), 483.
shared a very close relationship with the Christians at Philippi, as he had

founded their church through his missionary work there. He warmly writes

this letter with affection to his brothers and sisters, often referring to them as

beloved.3 The Philippian church is often said to have been Pauls favorite,

and therefore, this is the most personal and intimate of any of Pauls letters.4

Paul writes this letter primarily to thank the Philippian church for their

monetary gifts to him in support of his missionary work.5 He used this

opportunity to also address other issues in the church, as they needed

immediate attention and could not wait until his next visit. First, he writes to

promote unity in the church, as there had been quarreling.6 Second, he

writes to address the suffering they were undergoing for being Christians at

that time (which may be in relation to those referred to as enemies of the

cross in 3:18). And third, he writes to warn against those who are a danger to

the church.7 Philippians 3:7-11 falls within this last section of Pauls letter.

Immediate Literary Context

In order to understand the context of this passage, we must explore where

this passage is placed within Pauls letter/argument. In the previous chapter,

Paul writes what is known as The Christ Hymn. Theological scholars Karl

Donfried and Howard Marshall write that this hymn is present in Philippians

3 Phil 2:12, 3:13, 4:1

4 Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), 85.
5 Robert H. Gundry, A Survey of the New Testament (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan Pub. House, 1970), 314.
6 Phil 4:2-9
7 Karl P. Donfried and I. Howard. Marshall, The Theology of the Shorter
Pauline Letters (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 125.
to give a redefinition of greatness, to show that service is what really counts

and is vindicated by God. It amounts to a glorification of service and the

servant.8 This redefinition of greatness goes to support Pauls message in

3:7-11, as he is arguing that to share in Christs sufferings is to gain.

Following the Christ hymn, Paul begins the next chapter with a warning:

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who

mutilate the flesh!9 Paul is describing people who oppose him, who trust in

the flesh, who set their minds on earthly things. These rival missionaries

preached the message that righteousness through Christ must be

supplemented by circumcision and the Jewish law,10 teaching the Philippians

that they must be circumcised, and thus become true Jews, in order to be

true Christians.11 In order to show the Philippians that this is not true, Paul

says, If anyone has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more.12 He

then gives an account of his past, explaining that out of anyone, he was as

Jewish as they come.

Theologian Scott Ryan argues that he uses the Greco-Roman rhetorical

13
convention of an encomium here to make his final point stronger. In the

Greco-Roman world, this rhetorical convention was used to magnify ones

8 Donfried, Theology of Shorter Pauline Letters, 136.

9 Phil 3:2
10 Donfried, Theology of Shorter Pauline Letters, 125.
11 Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson,
Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology (Grand Rapids,
MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2001), 397.
12 Phil 3:4
13 Scott C. Ryan, "The Reversal of Rhetoric in Philippians 3:1-11,"
Perspectives In Religious Studies 39, no. 1 (2012): 76.
piety. However, Paul makes a bold statement here by building up his list of

Jewish accolades only to dismantle his encomium and draw the opposite

conclusion of what one would expect. He immediately turns his argument to

conclude that his once positively viewed Jewish standing is now viewed as

negative in comparison to knowing Christ. This is the context of our chosen

passage. Although Paul has more credentials than anyone, he gives an

account of his own conversion, explaining that it all means nothing to him in

light of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.14 Philippians 3:7-11 is the

most personal section of Pauls letter, as Paul is speaking about a salvation

and righteousness from Christ that he has experienced himself. This

salvation/righteousness is not something that has to be waited for, but

something that is available in the present moment.15 Paul shares his own

testimony with the Philippians in order to transform their way of thinking and

call them into a deeper, truer relationship with Christ, where they do not try

to earn their righteousness.

Cultural Background

The Philippians way of thinking would have been largely affected by their

culture and the world they were living in. In the ancient world, it was

believed that Gentiles had no part in the resurrection of the dead or the

world to come. The Jewish Tractate Sanhedrin states that only Israelites will

obtain eternal life.16 Ideas like this were drawn from verses in the Old

14 Phil 3:4-6, 7-8

15 Hawthorne, Philippians, 85.
16 Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Readings from the First-century
World: Primary Sources for New Testament Study (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Testament, such as, Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit

the land for ever.17 The Israelites were given the law by God himself, and

therefore, many Israelites would have rather died than violate it. It was

foundational to their understanding of themselves, and they took it very

seriously, believing that through the law, entrance into the world to come

could be gained.18 This perception of the law is seen in OT passages such as

Psalm 19, The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul,19 as well as in

Jewish literature such as the Tractate Aboth of the Mishnah, If he has gained

for himself words of the Law he has gained for himself life in the world to

come.20 The law was believed to bring the presence of God, be the way to

eternal life, and bring benefits to all who obeyed.21 Therefore, when Paul

preaches in this passage that all may obtain righteousness and resurrection

from the dead through Christ, not through the law, both Jews and Gentiles

alike, this would have been very counter-cultural.

Greek philosophy would have also influenced the Philippians way of thinking.

According to Greek philosophy, it was widely believed that the only answer to

rational questions was either silence or lies. For the Gnostic, the basic

assumption was that God and the world were entirely separate, and

therefore, knowledge could only be gained through methods such as

Books, 1998), 71.

17 Isaiah 60:21
18 Elwell, Readings from the First-century World, 100.
19 Psalm 19:7
20 J. Israelstam and Isidore Epstein, Hebrew-English Edition of the
Babylonian Talmud: Aboth (London: Soncino Press, 1988). Mishnah, Tractate
Aboth 2.7-8.
21 Elwell, Readings from the First-century World, 101.
sacramentalism, magic, mysticism, and semiphilosophical speculation. 22 For

Christian gnostics, this expressed itself in an attitude to life termed ,

or gnosis. This word means knowledge or understanding. Christian gnostics

held the belief that they were superior over all others, for they were the only

ones to truly know God. While Gnosticism didnt fully develop until the 2nd

century, it is believed by Biblical scholars, such as Moiss Silva, that the

apostles had to deal with false teachers who held beliefs similar to what

became Gnosticism, such as the belief that they held superior knowledge. 23 It

is probable that these were the types of people that Paul warned the

Philippians about in the beginning of chapter 3. Therefore, it can be

concluded that when he uses this same word , or gnosis, in verses 8

and10, he is making a direct contrast to a former way of thinking. Paul

argues that Christ is not to be known simply by theological speculation, as in

Greek philosophy and Gnosticism, but that Christ is to be known personally,

as one is met by Him and acknowledges Him as Lord.24

Philippians 3:7-11

7-8 With adequate background information on the context of this letter, we

can now study this passage verse by verse. Paul makes a highly bold

statement in this passage when directly following his claims of being a

circumcised Israelite who is blameless under the law, he states in verses 7 &

8, Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of

22 Moiss Silva, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology

and Exegesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 576.
23 Silva, New International Dictionary, 576.
24 Silva, New International Dictionary, 585.
Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing

value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of

all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Paul

considers his following of the law, what was of the highest importance to the

Israelites, to be rubbish! This is a bold and direct statement that Paul is

making, as he is directly opposing those who are falsely preaching that

righteousness and eternal life are gained through the law. He is making the

point that Christs coming has changed everything, so much so that

everything he once considered to be gain, he now considers loss compared

to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Jesus himself spoke of similar

ideas of giving up everything in order to follow him: So therefore, none of

you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.25

Paul himself left everything, including his credentials, career, and

connections26 behind because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ.

What did Paul mean by knowing Christ?

The word Paul uses for knowing here is , or gnosis, a word that

would have been very well understood by the Philippians. However, this

language of knowing Christ is rare in Pauls writing, and therefore, deserves

attention.27 His use of this word consistently remains within the limits of the

OT concept of knowledge. In the OT, knowledge of God is strongly linked with

his acts of self-revelation.28 For example, the phrase And you/they will know

25 Luke 14:33
26 Gal 1:14-16, Acts 9:1-2, 14
27 2 Corinthians 5:16, 2 Corinthians 2:14
28 Silva, New International Dictionary, 576.
that I am Yahweh is found over 50 times in Ezekiel and almost 30 times in

the rest of the OT.29 Therefore, knowledge of God comes from the revealing

acts of God and testimony to them. This knowledge of God is also linked to

the OT concept of knowing Gods will.30 However, here we see Paul take this

concept even further, as he refers to knowing Christ my Lord. Paul is

specifically speaking of a personal relationship with Christ here, where Christ

is regarded as the object of love and devotion in ones life. This relationship

is what is worth giving up everything for. To truly know him is to enter into a

personal, intimate relationship with him, that he himself makes possible. We

see Paul even clarify this in his letter to the Galatians, Now, however, that

you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God31 Knowing God

is not our own doing, but something that he himself initiates. Paul knows this

from his own personal experience of the Lord blinding him on his way to

Damascus.32 The Lord Jesus himself spoke to Paul, calling him out of his

former way of life to know and serve Him. Paul argues that to know Christ is

to be met by Him and acknowledge him as Lord. Silva explains that this

acknowledgement is the counterpart to being known by God, for God makes

himself known to us and we respond by acknowledging him as our Savior.33

This is Pauls personal experience with God, which led to Pauls obedience

and service. Paul ends this verse by saying that he suffered the loss of all

29 Exod 6:7, 1 Kgs 20:13, Isa 45:3, Ezek 6:7, 13-14; 7:4; 11:10-12; 28:26
30 Donfried, Theology of Shorter Pauline Letters, 147.
31 Galatians 4:9
32 Acts 9
33 Silva, New International Dictionary, 585.
things in order that he may gain Christ. Donfried and Marshall conclude that

Pauls message here is that to know Christ is to gain more than anything one

could possibly gain on this earth.34 This has future implications, and is

associated with the future hope Paul talks about at the end of this chapter,

where Christ will transform our earthly bodies to be like his glorious body.35

9 Paul goes on to talk about the righteousness he has received through

knowing Christ. He says that he regards everything as loss in order that he

may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own

that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the

righteousness from God based on faith. There is significant textual variance

around the phrase faith in Christ. There has been dispute whether the

original Greek should be translated, faith in Christ, or faith/faithfulness of

Christ. The phrase is speaking of this new righteousness that Paul has

found, not a a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one

that comes through faith in Christ. However, the KJV reads, but that which

is through the faith of Christ. This small difference in wording has huge

theological implications. To say in Christ is to speak of faith in the active

sense; believing, having trust and confidence. Donfried and Marshall

comment that this can be read as I want to be found to be in Christ,

meaning that Paul wants to be so united to Christ that what is true of Christ

is also true of him; as Christ is righteous, so he shares in his righteousness;

as Christ experienced the power of God which raised him from the dead, so

34 Donfried, Theology of Shorter Pauline Letters, 147.

35 Philippians 3:21
does Paul.36 However, to say of Christ is to speak of something entirely

different. This would be referring to Christs own believing or show of faith,

trust, and confidence in his obedient sacrifice.37 The Anchor Yale Bible

agrees with Donfried and Marshall, resting on the case that the correct

translation is faith in Christ, for although some scholars claim this is

repetitive, it is also claimed that this repetition was supporting Pauls very

point; that righteousness comes from having faith in Christ, not in the law.38

More on this debate can be found in the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary, as

well as Donfrieds Theology of the Shorter Pauline Letters.39

Paul is arguing here that righteousness is gained through faith in Christ, not

through the law. Considering the cultural background covered earlier in this

paper regarding the importance of the law, this would have been very

counter-cultural in this time. As the OT defined righteousness according to

the law,40 Paul proposes a new way of righteousness, through faith in Christ.

The law is incapable of providing people with true righteousness, for human

nature is too weak to follow the law perfectly, and is actually rebellious and

hostile towards God.41 Therefore, in this verse, Paul sets up the righteousness

of the law in direct contrast to the righteousness of God. Theologian George

Ladd notes that Paul does this in accordance with his theology that the era of

36 Donfried, Theology of Shorter Pauline Letters, 142.

37John Reumann, Philippians: A New Translation with Introduction and
Commentary (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008), 494.
38 Reumann, Philippians, 496.
39 Reumann, Philippians, 494-496; Donfried, Theology of Shorter Pauline
Letters, 141-143
40 Deut 6:25
41 Romans 8:3, 7
righteousness through the law has come to and end with Christ.42 In Romans,

Paul declares, For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be

righteousness for everyone who believes.43 This does not mean that the law

itself is abolished, but that Christ has brought an end the connection

between righteousness and the law because he himself has fulfilled the laws

demands. Paul speaks from personal experience in this verse, as he used to

be a Pharisee who lived under the law, following it perfectly.44 However, this

following of the law led him to be boastful and conceited in his own

righteousness, which turned it into no righteousness at all. Ladd reflects on

this, concluding this was precisely the problem that led Paul to write verses

7-11, for pursuing righteousness through works is refusing to submit to Gods

righteousness through faith, and is really no righteousness at all.45 This is

what Paul refers to when he says, not having a righteousness of my own

that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the

righteousness from God based on faith.

10-11 Paul finishes this passage by telling us that to truly know Christ is to

participate in his sufferings: I want to know Christ and the power of his

resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his

death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Jesus spoke

of this same concept to his disciples when he was on earth, explaining to

42 George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1974), 546.
43 Romans 10:4
44 Philippians 3:6, Galatians 1:13-14
45 Ladd, Theology of NT, 546.
them that they will receive the same treatment he did.46 However, there is a

running theme throughout the Bible that the suffering of Gods people is

never final.47 Joseph is thrown into a pit by his brothers, but ends up being

placed in authority over all of Egypt. Israel is sent into exile for 40 years, but

the exile ends in the Promised Land.48 All of this foreshadows the largest of

these examples, which is Jesus himself, whose suffering and crucifixion on

the cross is followed by his resurrection three days later. To know Christ is to

participate in his sufferings, by becoming like him in his death, which is

followed by participation in his glory: if somehow I may attain the

resurrection from the dead. Paul speaks of this when he writes to the

Romans as well, explaining, if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint

heirs with Christif, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be

glorified with him.49 This glorification is something that can be experienced

in the present, and is part of why Paul counts everything else loss in

comparison with knowing Christ. When one comes to truly know Christ and

his suffering, their own suffering takes on a completely different meaning.

This contributes to Pauls theology of the eschatological now,50 which

involves a wholly transformed perspective in which one has a new awareness

46 John 15:18-21
47 D.A. Carson, NIV Zondervan Study Bible: New International Version.
(Grand Rapids, MI, USA: Zondervan, 2015), 2420.
48 Gen 37:24, 41:40-44, Book of Exodus
49 Romans 8:17
50 James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids, MI:
W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1998), 319.
of God, a veil taken away, and a complete reassessment of values and

priorities.51

Contextualization & Conclusion

In Philippians 3:7-11, Paul draws on personal experience to prove that there

is no advantage of the chosen people, or any righteousness given for

observing the law, but that since Christ came, righteousness is now given

solely through faith in him. He recounts his own experience in order to

encourage the Philippians that all things are rubbish in comparison to the

surpassing value of knowing Christ personally. He explains that this is the

reason he has chosen the way of weakness and self-sacrifice52, for only by

sharing in Christs death will we share in his resurrection.53 Paul is calling the

Christians in Philippi into a deeper relationship with Christ, one that is based

on faith, and that beckons they give there all in order to obtain it.

This passage is significant for us today because we also live in a time where

many other things are considered gains apart from Christ. Whether it be a

successful career, a loving marriage, financial security, fame, etc., our

culture places a higher value on many other things besides knowing Christ.

We also often have the mindset that we must earn our standing before God,

following the rules of being a good Christian in order to gain his favor.

Therefore, Pauls words should speak just as loudly and clearly to us as they

did to the Philippians: all these things are loss in comparison with knowing

51 1 Cor 14:25, 2 Cor 3:14-18, Phil 3:7-11

52 Achtemeier, Intoducing the NT, 397.
53 Phil 3:10-11
Christ. They are rubbish compared to the surpassing value of a personal

relationship with Jesus! Pauls testimony should speak volumes to those of us

who try to earn Gods favor, for he proves that righteousness is based on

faith alone, not through the law, and therefore, not through those things we

do today in attempts to be a good Christian. Christ came so that we may

obtain righteousness by one way only, trusting in Him.54 This is a gift, and

cannot be earned. This gift of righteousness was counter-cultural in the time

of Pauls writing, and is still counter-cultural for us today. It is still too good to

be true. Therefore, I can echo Paul in saying that I also want to know Christ,

sharing in his sufferings and resurrection, in such a way that I consider all

other things loss in comparison to this surpassing value.

Bibliography

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54 Carson, NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 2420.

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Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

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