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Paul: a journey of faith. In Christ. Philippians 3:5-6. …circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. The Old. Pharisaic
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Paul: a journey of faith In Christ
Philippians 3:5-6 • …circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
The Old • Pharisaic • Traditions • Culture • Old Testament Law (religious truths) • Zeal (zelos) • “intense effort to reach a goal” • Jealousy (Acts 13:45); matched with Strife • Legalism (“in the law”)
Philippians 3:7-8a • But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
Philippians 3:8b-9 • I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
The New • Knowing Christ (relational concept) • Gain him • All I had was rubbish, Literally: “it’s all crap”
Skubalon (skybalon) refuse, dung • In secular Greek this depressing word means rubbish and muck of many kinds: excrement, rotten food, bits left at a meal as not worth eating, a rotting corpse. Nastiness and decay are the constant elements of its meaning. It is a course, ugly, violent word implying worthlessness, uselessness, and repulsiveness. • DNTT, vol. 1, page 480
The New • Knowing Christ (relational concept) • Gain him • All I had was rubbish, Literally: “it’s all crap” • Be found in him • Righteousness • From God • By faith in Jesus Christ
Table Talk • What is the difference between being religious and being relationally connected to God? • Why is righteousness based on faith to be preferred over legalistic righteousness?
Philippians 3:10-11 • I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Three Goals • Know • Christ • Power of resurrection • Fellowship of sharing in suffering • Become like him in his death • Attain to the resurrection from the dead
Philippians 3:14-16 • I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Table Talk What do you want to… • Know • Attain • Become