Philippians 3:8-9

True Gain. That I May Gain Christ. Two Kinds of Righteousness.

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1. GAINS THAT ARE LOSSES

“⁸More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things– indeed, I regard them as dung!” (Philippians 3:8a)

I’m sure many people believe that “all things” refers to material possessions or the lust of the flesh that we commonly associate with the world. However, according to the context of chapter 3, particularly the verses preceding verses 8 and 9, “all things” include those that can make Paul proud of his Pharisaical past, his zeal when persecuting those he thought were against Moses’ law, the fact that he was circumcised on the eighth day, his righteousness by the law, and many other things.

In short, the “all things” are not typically advised to be avoided, but are those that garner praise from others and may even be considered noble.

2. THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST

“ ^8bthat I may gain Christ, ….” (Philippians 3:8b)

To “gain Christ,” Paul regarded all things highly regarded by his Jewish faith as “dung.” This means that if there is one condition for “gaining Christ,” it is to abandon reliance on the works of the law to achieve God’s righteousness. They are works that earn men’s respect and honor, but in reality keep them from knowing God. Because those who come to God can no longer rely on anything else to save them.

3. THE TWO KINDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

“ … ⁹and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.” (Philippians 3:9)

One is “my own righteousness”, and the other is the “righteousness of God.”

What is the standard for determining the value of each righteousness when there are billions of people in the world, each with their own version of righteousness? Furthermore, my own or others’ righteousness is “derived from the law,” which means it is dependent on my ability to fulfill the requirements of the law. Then each person’s righteousness differs from the next because their abilities to follow the law differ. But if God’s requirement for those who want to enter his kingdom is that they be perfect, who can perfectly keep the law? Where, on the other hand, does the “righteousness of God” come from? It is derived from “faith in Christ.”

For those who wish to come to God, God only requires a single payment to cover the cost of eternal life. As in the parable of the vineyard workers, some arrive early, while others arrive late, but everyone is paid equally. All believers receive the same singularly defined God’s righteousness.

Nghi Nguyen

- Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.