Philippians 3:10

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; THAT I MAY KNOW HIM - experimentally; not merely know the doctrine concerning Him: the aim of the "righteousness" (). This verse resumes and explains "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ" (). Believers are brought, not only to redemption, But to the Redeemer Himself. THE POWER OF (FLOWING FROM) HIS RESURRECTION - assuring believers of justification (; ): raising them up spiritually with Him, by virtue of identification with Him in this, as in all the acts of His redeeming...

10_That I may know him _He points out the efficacy and nature of faith — that it is the knowledge of Christ, and that, too, not bare or indistinct, but in such a manner that the power of his resurrection is felt. _Resurrection _he employs as meaning, the completion of redemption, so that it comprehends in it at the same time the idea of death. But as it is not enough to know Christ as crucified and raised up from the dead, unless you experience, also, the fruit of this, he speaks expressly of efficacy. (188) Christ therefore is rightly known, when we feel how powerful his death and resurrection are, and how efficacious they are in us. Now all things are there furnished to us — expiation and destruction of sin, freedom from condemnation, satisfaction, victory over death, the attainment of righteousness, and the hope of a blessed immortality. _And the fellowship of his sufferings _Having s...

1-11 Sincere Christians rejoice in Christ Jesus. The prophet calls the false prophets dumb dogs, Isaiah 56:10; to which the apostle seems to refer. Dogs, for their malice against faithful professors of the gospel of Christ, barking at them and biting them. They urged human works in opposition to the faith of Christ; but Paul calls them evil-workers. He calls them the concision; as they rent the church of Christ, and cut it to pieces. The work of religion is to no purpose, unless the heart is in it, and we must worship God in the strength and grace of the Divine Spirit. They rejoice in Christ Jesus, not in mere outward enjoyments and performances. Nor can we too earnestly guard against those who oppose or abuse the doctrine of free salvation. If the apostle would have gloried and trusted in the flesh, he had as much cause as any man. But the things which he counted gain while a Pharisee,...

Verse 10. _THAT I MAY KNOW HIM_] To be the true and promised Messiah, and _experience_ all that salvation which he has bought by his blood. _THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION_] In having this _body of my_ _humiliation_ raised from death, and _made like unto his glorious_ _body_. This seems to be the sole meaning of the apostle; for it is in virtue of Christ's resurrection that we are to be raised incorruptible and immortal. _AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS_] Christ died, not only as a _victim_ for sin, but as a _martyr_ to the truth. No creature can have _fellowship_ with him in his _vicarious_ sufferings; as a _martyr_ to the truth, St. Paul wished to imitate him. Not only in the apostle, but in the primitive Christians generally, there seems to have been a strong desire after martyrdom....

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM - That I may be fully acquainted with his nature, his character, his work, and with the salvation which he has worked out. It is one of the highest objects of desire in the mind of the Christian to know Christ; see the notes at Ephesians 3:19. AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION - That is, that I may understand and experience the proper influence which the fact of his resurrection should have on the mind. That influence would he felt in imparting the hope of immortality; in sustaining the soul in the prospect of death, by the expectation of being raised from the grave in like manner; and in raising the mind above the world; Romans 6:11. There is no one truth that will have greater power over us, when properly believe

EXPOSITION PHILIPPIANS 3:1 FINALLY, MY BRETHREN, REJOICE IN THE LORD. This word "finally" (τὸ λοιπόν is frequently used by St. Paul to introduce a practical conclusion after the doctrinal portion of his Epistles: thus it occurs again in Philippians 4:8, and also in 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 6:10; 1Th 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Some render χαίρετε_ _"farewell;" but "rejoice" seems more suitable here. The golden thread of spiritual joy runs through t

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM,.... The Ethiopic version reads "by faith"; and to the same sense the Syriac. The apostle did know Christ, and that years ago; he knew whom he had believed; he knew him for himself; he knew his personal interest in him; nor did he know any but him in the business of salvation: but his knowledge of Christ, though it was very great, it was, imperfect; he knew but in part, and therefore desired to know more of Christ, of the mystery and glories of his person, of the unsearchable riches of his grace, of his great salvation, and the benefits of it, of his love, which passes perfect knowledge, and to have a renewed and enlarged experience of communion with him. The apostle here explains what he means by winning Christ, for the sake of which he suffered the loss of all things, and counted them but dung; it was, that he might attain to a greater knowledge of the person and gr...

Philippians 3:1. _Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord._ As much as to say, «If this were the last sentence that I should write to you, I would say, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.' It is your privilege, it is your duty, to rejoice in God; not in your health, your wealth, your children, your prosperity, but in the Lord.» There is the unchanging and unbounded source of joy. It will do you no harm to rejoice in the Lord; the more you rejoice in him, the more spiritually-minded will you become. «Finally, my brethren.» That is, even to the end, not with you the bitter end; but even to the end of life, rejoice in the Lord. Make this the finis of everything, the end of every day, the end of every year, the end of life. «Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.» Blessed is that religion in which it is a duty to be happy....

III. CHRIST, THE OBJECT AND THE GOAL CHAPTER 3 __ 1. The true circumcision (Philippians 3:1) 2. Paul's past experience (Philippians 3:4) 3. The one passion (Philippians 3:8) 4. Pressing towards the mark (Philippians 3:12) 5. The goal of glory (Philippians 3:17) Philippians 3:1 Finally (or, for the rest), my brethren, rejoice in the “Lord.” Rejoicing in the Lord, not m

PHP_3:10-16. AIM AND ASPIRATION. In exchange for the proud Jewish privileges that he has renounced, Paul has a new pursuit. His aim is to know Christ and the power that comes from His resurrection, the energy of the glorified, risen Christ not the power which raised Him from the dead together with a sympathetic union with Christ in suffering by his own endurance of suffering like Christ's, so that he may hope also for a resurrection a privilege only for Christ's people. Writing towards the end of his career, he seems himself still imperfect and he presses forward to a better future. Comparing himself to a runner in the games, he fixes his gaze on the goal, where he sees the prize, to win which he had been called to aspire. Though actually imperfect, in another sense Paul claims for himself and for his readers that they are perfect. Here he uses the word as it is employed in the Greek mys...