Knowing Jesus Christ aka Gaining in Jesus Christ
Philippians 3:1-11 or 3:7-11
International Sunday School Lesson
January 20, 2013
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Verse 1: Having filled his letter thus far with instructions Paul takes a moment here to sound a happy note: Rejoice in the Lord! And then without pause he starts in again with a reminder that the things he is sharing with them are not something new. There are no surprises in what he has been saying and in what he is about to say. In fact it is necessary for him to repeat the same things. And if it is necessary to repeat again it is good and right that he do so. In doing that Paul is being sure it is in the forefront of their mind and ours thus it is a safe guard for them and us. Clearly not a bad suggestion just for the existing Christian but the new one for whom these instructions are less familiar.
Verse 2: This verse sounds harsh but I feel strongly that we can take this as an example for how serious we should consider and react to those that are sowing confusion among us. Passivity has a place but clearly not in this area.
Verse 3: One of the things that was incorrectly being taught was that circumcision was still a necessity. Paul made it clear that this outward physical mark was not what counted but rather that the Father be worshiped in Spirit and in truth.
Verses 4-6: Paul knew from experience that being literally circumcised as he had been according to the Law, born into one of the tribes of Israel, pharisaical in the zealousness of how he pursued the Law was without merit. This is how we first come to know him as Saul when we see him persecuting early Christians. Paul found out as we saw his conversion that despite all his physical and mental efforts in pursuing these things from having been circumcised to his being thoroughly legalistic, that all these over the top efforts that exceeded those of an average Jew the confidence was without merit.
Verse 7: It was when Paul saw with clarity Christ’s sacrifice that he realized all those efforts of his own were pointless.
Verse 8: In fact he could assign no value to any of those things at all, they were rubbish. All that mattered to him now was that he knew Jesus!
Verse 9: Paul wasn’t able to achieve righteousness despite all those efforts but he received the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. And the thing we must not miss is that this came from God.
Verse 10-11: Paul is so adamant in wanting to know Christ and everything about him he even expresses a desire to suffer as Christ suffered even unto death.
Don’t you suppose that for many of us today these strong words of instruction, these strong expressions of passion of so desiring Christ might sound foreign?
Much of what is heard today is instruction in how to give generously, how to be faithful to their roles in life or how to be happy. If they heard from the pulpit that their faith should be as Paul described I dare say they might get a bit scared at such hard teaching. But if their faith was as Paul’s all the social preaching wouldn’t be needed.
There is more to being a Christian than being good it means really knowing Jesus. Paul shows that the more he knew the less he valued or counted everything else and the more he wanted to be like Him even unto the most difficult.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss how necessary that such teaching as what Paul covered in Philippians be repeated regularly.
2. Discuss how people react and should react to false influence.
3. Discuss how Christians both great and small from individual to church can just as easily have too much confidence in their own efforts.
4. Discuss how Paul’s early endeavors may have still come out in who he was at the time of this scripture.
5. Discuss whether Paul is being completely literal. I for one believe he was.
6. Find within the Psalms a verse or two that might mirror what Paul is expressing in verse 10-11.
7. Discuss how truly knowing Christ can transform someone as Paul was and as he describes.
8. Discuss verse 11.
Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries
1-27-13: Standing Firm in Christ aka Stand Firm Philippians 3:12-4:1 or 3:12-16
2-3-13: Focused Solely on Christ aka The Supremacy of Jesus Christ Colossians 1:12-23 or 1:15-20
2-10-13: Raised with Christ Full Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15
2-17-13: Clothed with Christ Colossians 3:5-17
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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