Thank you for joining me today as we dig into this week’s Bible study lesson that comes from Philippians 3:1-11. May the Lord bless you and lead you to know and love him more dearly throughout today and this week. Blessings, Dale
From Credentials to Christ
As I meditate on Philippians 3:1-11, I’m reminded of John Newton’s famous observation that “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once was, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” Like Paul, Newton understood the radical transformation that occurs when we encounter Christ. Paul begins this passage with a warning about those who would put confidence in religious credentials and human achievement – a temptation as relevant today as it was in first-century Philippi.
Consider Paul’s impressive religious resume: a Pharisee of Pharisees, zealous beyond measure, blameless according to the law. Yet he declares all these achievements “rubbish” (skubala) compared to knowing Christ. As Richard Baxter wrote in The Reformed Pastor, “All our work must be done in sincerity for God… When we have done all, we are but unprofitable servants.” This echoes Paul’s dramatic reversal of values – from trusted achievements to trusted Christ alone.
The Modern Challenge
Today, we face similar challenges in new forms. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism offers a watered-down faith that reduces God to a cosmic vending machine of good feelings. The prosperity gospel promises wealth and success through religious performance. Both heresies, like the Judaizers of Paul’s day, misplace confidence in human effort rather than Christ’s finished work. As C.S. Lewis astutely observed in Mere Christianity, “The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You.’”
What could make a successful religious leader count everything as loss? Like Christian in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress dropping his burden at the cross, Paul discovered that true righteousness comes not through the law but through faith in Christ. This righteousness, as Thomas Chalmers beautifully expressed, creates an “expulsive power of a new affection” – love for Christ drives out love for lesser things.
Knowing Christ
What does it mean to “know” Christ? This knowledge transcends mere intellectual assent or religious routine. Dorothy Sayers remarked that the dogma is the drama – the living, breathing reality of relationship with the living God. Paul desires to “know him and the power of his resurrection, and share his sufferings.” This echoes George Herbert’s poetic understanding in The Pulley:
“Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast.”
The Path Forward
This transformation isn’t instantaneous but progressive. As J.C. Ryle noted, “Gradual growth in grace, like gradual growth in nature, is the rule of God’s kingdom.” Paul presses on to know Christ more deeply, to experience both his resurrection power and fellowship in suffering. In our comfort-seeking age, this sounds strange. Yet T.S. Eliot captured this paradox in Four Quartets: “The only wisdom we can hope to acquire / Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.”
Key Principles:
1. The righteousness that saves and transforms comes not through our religious performance but through faith in Christ. This faith isn’t mere mental assent but a complete trust that revolutionizes our values, priorities, and pursuits.
2. Knowing Christ intimately and experientially transcends all religious achievements and worldly gains. This knowledge involves both the joy of his resurrection power and the fellowship of his sufferings, creating what Owen Barfield called a “participatory knowing” – we know by participating in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
3. The Christian life is a continuous journey of counting all things loss for Christ’s sake. Like Christian in Bunyan’s allegory, we must daily choose the narrow path, embracing both its costs and incomparable rewards. This progressive sanctification, as John Wesley taught, leads us toward perfect love of God and neighbor.
Bible Study Questions
1. Examine Philippians 3:1-2. How does Paul’s command to “rejoice in the Lord” relate to his warnings about false teachers? What does this teach us about the relationship between joy and doctrinal vigilance?
2. In verses 4-6, Paul lists his impressive credentials. Compare these with modern “spiritual resumes” people trust in today. What parallels do you see between ancient and contemporary forms of works-righteousness?
3. Study verses 7-8 alongside Matthew 13:44-46. How does Jesus’s parable of the treasure in the field illuminate Paul’s willingness to count all things as loss?
4. Consider verse 9’s contrast between righteousness from the law and righteousness through faith. How does this relate to Romans 3:21-26? What practical implications does this have for our daily walk with Christ?
5. Analyze verse 10’s desire to know “the power of his resurrection.” How does this connect with Ephesians 1:19-20? What should this power look like in believers’ lives?
6. Reflect on Paul’s desire to share in Christ’s sufferings (v.10). Compare this with 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. How should this shape our view of hardship in the Christian life?
7. Looking at verse 11’s hope of resurrection, examine 1 Corinthians 15:35-49. How does future hope shape present priorities?
8. Consider the progressive nature of Paul’s knowledge of Christ (v.10). How does this compare with 2 Peter 3:18 and the concept of growing in grace?
9. Study Paul’s use of accounting terms (“counted,” “loss,” “gain”) throughout the passage. What does this reveal about the rational nature of Christian faith?
10. Examine the role of joy in this passage (v.1) alongside John 15:11. How does true joy in Christ differ from both stoic duty and prosperity teaching?
Questions for Discussion and Personal Reflection
1. What current “religious credentials” are you tempted to trust in rather than Christ alone?
2. How has your understanding and experience of knowing Christ grown over time? What catalyzed the deepest growth?
3. What would it practically look like in your life to “count all things as loss” for Christ’s sake?
4. Where do you see moralistic therapeutic deism or prosperity gospel thinking influencing your own faith journey?
5. How does your experience of Christ’s resurrection power compare with your participation in his sufferings?
6. What specific things in your life need to be “counted as loss” for you to know Christ more deeply?
7. How does Paul’s transformation challenge your own journey from religious performance to authentic relationship with Christ?
8. In what ways might your pursuit of Christ be too comfortable or risk-averse?
9. How does your view of suffering need to be reformed in light of this passage?
10. What practical steps can you take to deepen your experiential knowledge of Christ this week?
Action Steps
1. Take 30 minutes this week to list your own “religious credentials” and achievements. Pray through each item, explicitly surrendering it to Christ and affirming your trust in his righteousness alone. Write down specific ways you can live this out.
2. Create a specific plan for growing in knowledge of Christ this week through: (a) 15 minutes daily in focused Scripture meditation, (b) memorizing Philippians 3:7-8, and (c) journaling about how you experience both Christ’s power and fellowship in suffering each day.
3. Identify one specific area where you need to “count as loss” something you’ve been clinging to (career advancement, financial security, human approval, etc.). Make a concrete plan to surrender this area through both symbolic and practical actions this week.
Thank you for joining me today in our study of God’s Word. If you’ve found this study helpful, please share it with others who might benefit. Remember, you can find more resources like this daily here at Ailbe as well as my personal website, Walking Points. Together, let’s press on to know Christ more deeply and make him known more widely.
