August
August 1
Chapter 3, Verse 8, con’t, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
The idea of knowing Christ is throughout Paul’s writings, but this is the only place γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, gnōseōs Christou Iēsou, “knowledge (of) Christ Jesus” comes together in this construction. Meaning? For me, there are three types of knowledge/knowing. General knowledge says, “the sun comes up in the morning.” Specific knowledge says, “the sun doesn’t come up, the earth revolves.” Intimate knowledge says, “the rotational patterns of the earth change with the seasons and. . .” which might lead to the learner becoming an astrophysicist. The third knowledge is deeper and interpersonal. That’s what Paul is talking about. It is a knowledge that only comes from a strong desire to have a personal relationship that changes your thinking and our behavior.
August 2
Chapter 3, Verse 8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
A lot of people use “Christ” or “Jesus Christ” as a slang term to express their dissatisfaction with something. That is about as bad at the GD thing or the shorter from “dammit,” mostly unknowing they are seeking a curse from God. It is really just another attempt by evil to bring God into ungodliness. Christ is the title for who he is and what he had done. He is the “anointed one” and “Messiah.” Jesus is his name that identifies his lineage and connects him to the promise of God all the way back in Genesis 3. And Lord is what he is to all who believe. His is not just God and just Savior, he is Lord, my Lord. He saved me and has secured my soul to forever be part of his kingdom.
August 3
Chapter 3, Verse 9, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
What a powerful verse for every believer in Jesus. The obvious beginning point is being “found.” When I first look at this, I think about something being found that was lost—like my car keys or my phone. I get a little crazy when one of the dogs is outside and when I call for them they don’t come and I notice a gate open. But let it be one of my grandchildren at the beach and I will completely lose my mind. If they are lost, I want them found now. I imagine God, without my human fear, yearns for all of us to be found in Christ while there is still time. That is why it is so important to understand God’s righteousness and how to acquire it for our own lives.
August 4
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ, heurethō en autō, “be found in him;” when something lost is found, it was somewhere, either not where it belonged or where it was expected to be. Nevertheless, after the frustration of the search, there is likely always a little relief and jubilation. In this verse, the finding is not the important part. It is where it is found that is most important–in him, namely, in Christ. Semantically, it means to find by inquiry, thought, examination or scrutiny or, to see, learn, discover and understand. Theologically, it means I have a lasting relationship with Jesus based on enduring faith; it is a relationship that cannot be broken, one forged on the Cross and established by my surrender to God.
August 5
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
Most everyone I know, including myself, at one time thought they were good enough to get to heaven on their own because they never did anything really bad. The problem is there is nothing remotely righteous about me or anyone else apart from knowing Jesus. When I read Romans 3:9-18, I discover that anyone who believes they can be good without God’s intervention through Christ is deceiving themselves and in peril of hell. Modern culture and religion stokes that thinking and will cause million to die with no hope. Thank God I learned to rely only on Jesus and his righteousness for my salvation and sure hope of eternity with God.
August 6
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
In verse 6, I talked about what righteousness is, the divine, judicial approval of God. But what about the result of righteousness in my life? How does it change me? The first thing is it takes a load of pressure off because I do not have to try to prove myself anymore. I am not trying to do enough to be right with God. I am right with him because he says so. My trust in Jesus takes care of that. Here is the real key for me. I no long try to produce righteousness on my own. I only seek to reflect the righteousness of God that he gifted to me when I accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord some 40+ years ago. This has not been an overnight success, either. My flesh always gets in the way. But God is way bigger than any of my shortcomings.
August 7
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
When I set down to watch a movie or read a book, I almost never choose a story that is historical, like a docudrama. Inevitably, I chose fiction, to be more precise, science fiction. Why? I suppose escapism. Reality–there is a loaded word in today’s entertainment world. Those stories usually just stink on a level and they have nothing to do with reality. I believe that is why most everyone prefers a righteousness of their own; self-righteousness as over against God’s righteousness. Self righteousness is a fiction you create in your mind based on your own character and script, like the so-called reality shows. It doesn’t answer to anyone but you, or so you think. Ultimately, it has to face God, but for now it just seems right. And that is the way that leads to hell.
August 8
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
Paul equates self righteousness with the law. We know something about the law. It is the ten commandments, plus everything that followed in Exodus 20-22, much of Leviticus and scattered throughout Numbers. By Paul’s time, much of what would become Mishnah and Talmud was already in the works. In other words, the Jews had a lot of rules to live by. And if you didn’t follow the rules, there was no way you could be found righteous before God. Rules are what crippled Judaism. It blinded them to the truth about Jesus. His grace could have freed them, but they wanted no part of it. I am glad I have his grace and freedom to follow him through the truth of his word.
August 9
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
The fourth and fifth use of the word faith in Philippians occur in this verse. In all his New Testament writing, Paul uses some form of the word πίστις, pistis, which is properly persuation or come to trust, hence faith, and it appears about 175 times. Paul never assumed anyone had faith and urged everyone to find it–in Christ. It is used to describe belief or believing, trust, confidence, fidelity and faithfulness. In the present context, he means faith is the conviction that God exists and is the creator, sustainer, and ruler of all things, and the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through the sinless sacrifice and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
August 10
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦδικαιοσύνην, tēn en Theou dikaiosynēn, “the of God righteousness;” Why did Paul say this yet again, albeit in a bit different form? Clarity! In his world, his Jewish brothers found righteousness in doing the law according to their myriad prescribed rules. In Rome, the Imperial cult recognized the deity of the setting emperor. And in the countryside, many of the people were polytheists, meaning they prayed to all sorts of inanimate gods–the sun, moon, and others, hoping to gain favor for crops, animals, and family. Still, it required work. Paul wanted to make it crystal clear that the biblical and true God, YHWH, Elohim, Jesus Christ, does not require works or rules. Righteousness from God is a gift in response to repentance and faith.
August 11
Chapter 3, Verse 9, con’t, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.”
Paul said the righteousness that comes from God depends on faith [ESV]; most other translations say “on the basis of” faith which more closely aligns with the Greek ἐπὶ, epi. Properly, epi is a preposition meaning on or upon, so depends on accurately reflects the intent. So, getting God’s righteousness requires faith. You have to have it! That is why Paul repeats it over and over. But, faith in what or whom? Both. First, you must believe that God is who he says he is and that he rewards those who do (Hebrews 11:6). Then you must believe the gospel message as in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Finally, you trust (have faith in) Jesus and his word by believing that when you accept him as Savior, he will give you eternal life. That is what having faith is about.
August 12
Chapter 3, Verse 10, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Sometimes, more often than not, the technical issues of language intrigue me. Such is the case here, with “that.” Why? Because it is not exactly in the Greek text and because many English translations leave it out. The word in the text is τοῦ, tou, a form of the definite article, “the.” So what? When you study language, any language, be careful to study words. Obvious? If you speed read, as I often do, or highlight read, even a familiar passage, you may miss important details. Do not do that when reading the bible. Here, tou, sitting beside an infinitive, γνῶναι, gnōnai, “to know” almost always means “so that.” The context will provide clarity. So, I understand the importance of verse 9. . .so that I may know him.
August 13
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
γνῶναι, gnōnai, “to know,” comes from γινώσκω, ginóskó, to come to know, to recognize, to perceive. Generally, it is used to mean, “I am taking in knowledge” and that from personal experience. In my life, I have been asked many times, “How can I be sure I know him?” meaning Jesus. One preacher/professor used to say in his evangelistic messages, “Do you know that you know that you know him?” Again, meaning Jesus and, of course, in regard to being saved. Once again, look back to verse 9 to discover that knowing does not equate to doing. Jesus gave his life on the Cross, died and was buried, and rose from the grave so that all who believe and trust him, may know him in a very personal way.
August 14
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
I have heard it said many times, “What you know is not nearly as important as who you know.” And I have found that to be true. If you want the best cut of meat at the grocery store, get to know the butcher. If you want to get the best payday on your job, get to know the one who is responsible for giving you a raise and what they expect from your work. In almost every aspect of life, personal relationship is the most important part of going about day by day. Personal relationships that are important to you may grow over time. They rarely happen instantly–unless true love is involved. And that is exactly the case with Jesus. Believing faith instantly brings you into an eternally lasting relationship with God’s love.
August 15
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
The word “may” is in the majority of English texts but nowhere to be found in the Greek manuscripts. I understand it being there in the context but one thing must be made clear. “May” can be construed as possibly, denoting an uncertainty; as in “I hope so, but I don’t know for sure.” Here, “may” is pointing to privilege, as in result. I do not accept Jesus into my life merely hoping that will be enough to save me. I accept Jesus into my life on the basis of faith in what he did for me (death, burial, & resurrection) so that I have the privilege of knowing him in a personal way that grows and grows the longer I know him, talk to him in prayer, and study his word.
August 16
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
αὐτὸν, auton, “him,” also αὐτός, αὐτή, αὐτό; very simply, a pronoun pointing to a specific person to emphasize an idea in regular discourse. I know a lot of good people, he’s and she’s, who have had incredible influence in my life. My parents, of course, stand at the top of the list as do my grandparents. My in-laws are right there, too. The person who has impacted my life the most, though, at least in everyday life, is my precious wife. It was/is her godly influence that helped point me to him. Him being Jesus. He is the one who makes life worth living. He is the one who makes problems bearable. He is the one who saves and satifies. He is Lord, Savior, Master, and King.
August 17
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
δύναμιν, dynamin, “power,” from δύναμις, dunamis, is the regular New Testament word denoting force, strength, and physical might. Just about everyone wants some, power, that is. Some want enough power to perform or complete a task. But, most of the time, people want power over other people. Both religion and politics, and a lot of businesses work that way. That is not God. δύναμαι, dunamai, the root, meaning “abide” or “having ability” or, more properly, “ability to perform” is, for a believer power to achieve by applying the Lord’s abilities to any situation. This power is essential for personal growth aimed at overcoming the temptations of the world and focusing on God’s will for life.
August 18
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
ἀναστάσεως, anastaseōs, “resurrection,” for me, is a marvelously mysterious word. It comes from ἀνάστασις, anastasis, which is a compound of ἀνά, ana, a preposition meaning upwards or up, and ἵστημι, histemi, a verb meaning to stand. In this, the assumption is that which is getting up is doing it under its own power. I grew up around farming, putting a lot of seeds in the ground. They do not just lay there, they germinate–die, break open, and sprout. Then they break through the soil with new life and grow, producing whatever the farmer planted them for. For our benefit, and to produce God’s planned outcome, Jesus had to die, be buried (planted), and then miraculously come back to life. Without the resurrection, the gospel becomes moot. Thank God he did and I am saved.
August 19
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Sharing is a good thing, right? Sharing a sweet treat is a good thing, I suppose, unless it is Oreos–I do not like to share those. But sharing something like the flu–not so good. The word used here, κοινωνίαν, koinōnian, is “fellowship,” or joint participation. It is also used to describe/identify the idea of church. Certainly, the idea of fellowship includes sharing, like after church dinner-on-the-grounds. But it is so much more. Fellowship, that is real/true, includes the rejoicing that comes when someone is saved, but also the mourning when someone messes up in their walk with Christ, and, yes, when death comes knocking. This sort of fellowship includes every aspect of life, both the good and the bad.
August 20
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Share/fellowship in this verse means to participate. How exactly, do I take part in the sufferings of Christ? παθημάτων, pathēmatōn, “suffering,” means “that which befalls one, a suffering, or a passion.” Its root, πάθημα, páthēma, means the capacity and privilege of experiencing strong feelings like deep emotion, agony, desire, suffering, etc. While I may never be called upon to physically suffer like Jesus did at Calvary, I can genuinely experience the mental anguish he did from time to time, or something close to it, when I see and hear the trouble of people I know and do not know while feeling great compassion for them because Jesus lives in me and shows me these things.
August 21
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Becoming, as translated here, is συμμορφιζόμενοςm, symmorphizomenos, which properly is “being conformed.” This word is used only here–nowhere else in the New Testament. The idea is that as we are becoming more like Christ as we walk through life with him, we actually learn to embody the same inner reality of Jesus in our minds, thus conformed. What does that mean in a practical sense? As our thought life more resembles that of Jesus, our conduct follows suit. That is the really hard part–acting like Jesus in the face of a world that increasingly despises all that he stands for, and doing it daily.
August 22
Chapter 3, Verse 10, con’t, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Literally, from Greek, “being conformed to the death of him,” this is referring to the punishing death Jesus suffered at Calvary which began at his trial with the scourging and the walk up Golgotha to the place of the Cross. Jesus died! He did not swoon. And his death was not actually caused by the treatment of the soldiers. It was the sin of mankind that killed him. How do I conform to that? Can I? I can, only if I am willing to live like Jesus did and that is not easy–loving everyone, forgiving all the scorn, and having real character. In addition, I have to be willing to die like Jesus died–not saying I want to or it would likely ever happen that way. But, am I actually willing to suffer a gruesome death for the cause of Christ? Sometimes I wonder. I do know this. Whatever means of death awaits me, God’s grace will be sufficient to lead me through it.
August 23
Chapter 3, Verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Did Paul say, “by any means possible?” What the heck? Actually he said, “if by any means I may attain.” So what’s the difference? Since Paul, in many places, is very clear that salvation is a free gift offered to all who in repentance and faith accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, and not by works, this passage cannot be addressing the subject of regeneration. Something else must be afoot. And it is. καταντήσω, katantēsō, “I may attain,” clearly is about doing something to get something (works), so what is it that Paul must do to get (earn) whatever this is? The simple answer is discipleship, faithful service to God’s kingdom as the result of being saved.
August 24
Chapter 3, Verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
We already know this phrase is not about working our way into heaven. It is about being a solidly committed servant of the Cross because we are already saved. So what would Paul say about the “any means?” To me, thee are a few thing that stand out. First, particpation in the local church. Almost all of Paul’s letters were addressed to local congregation. He never ever said it is OK to go it alone. Second, perusal of the bible. To peruse means to read something in a careful and thorough way. Third, passion for the lost. Telling others about Jesus is our most important task. The truth is–if we just get these things right, the rest of discipleship like giving, etc., will fall into place.
August 25
Chapter 3, Verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
The obvious thing here is that Paul expects to be resurrected, right? Actually, the verbage suggests Paul wasn’t sure. So what’s up? He didn’t use the regular word for resurrection, “anastatis,” Instead, he used “ex-anastasis,” which would be translated “the out-resurrection.” So it is something different from that which is guaranteed to all born again people after death. Also, the context show this to be conditional–faithfulness is required. And, it is a prize to be gained, not the free gift of grace. Since Paul is very clear elsewhere about grace and salvation, this must be, as I have already said, about discipleship. It concerns rewards and this one is reserved for those believers who exhibit radical faithfulness as part of living a clearly abundant and fruitful life.
August 26
Chapter 3, Verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
If I follow the regular meaning of resurrection from other passages, what does this mean? Obviously, everyone who dies is resurrected at some point. But brought back to life for what purpose? There are two. Those who dies in faith, “absent from the body. . .present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8), will be resurrected with a new perfected body to spend eternity with God on a recreated earth. Those who die without God, who have existed in hell since dying, will be resurrected as well, only to be thrown into a lake of fire to suffer forever with no hope of escape. This is why it is so important for people of faith to share their story of meeting Jesus so others can escape that fate.
August 27
Chapter 3, Verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Verse 11 has intrigued me as never before. In 1:21, Paul said, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” For Paul, death is not a scary thing. For me, I am not afraid to die, but I think the actual event might be a little unsettling. Why? I have never done it before. But here is the thing. That word dead, νεκρῶν, nekrōn, that indicates a person is lifeless, inoperative, subject to decay, gone from existence, only applies to me concerning my already well-worn body. And it is not going to get any better. As soon as I die, I am going to be with Jesus. What could be better than that? The resurrection, that is what. I do not know exactly how it works, but it will be a wonderful time for every believer.
August 28
Chapter 3, Verse 12, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
Is this verse a humble admission or just a statement of the stark reality of Paul’s life when he thinks about being a disciple of Christ? He is looking back to the “any means possible” idea of verse 11. And in this, apparently, he realizes that even though he has dedicated his life to serving Jesus since his conversion on the road to Emmaus, he has not “arrived.” The Greek word for “receive, take hold of,” is λαμβάνω, lambano. The form of the word here is ἔλαβον, elabon, “I have obtained [it]” and is used with Οὐχ, ouch, “not;” it is a clear indication that he does not feel–believe-consider himself ready for such reward. So here is my question: where does that leave the rest of us? Paul suffered over and over for the cause of Christ. He was jailed and never stopped proclaiming the Gospel. What have we done for Jesus that can be considered sacrificial service of a dedicated disciple?
August 29
Chapter 3, Verse 12, con’t, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
When I was a kid, I set a lot of fires on the farm–to clean up area of field for planting. Occasionally, after I started a fire, I would throw on a gas “bomb” just for the thrill. It got everyones attention. In this verse, ἢ, ē, “or,” should get your attention. It is sort of like putting alcohol on an open wound. Paul admitted he had not obtained the level of discipleship he wanted and now he adds fuel to that fire by admitting, as we all should, his lack of perfection. τετελείωμαι, teteleiōmai, means “have been perfected.” Why say this? Humility for sure. But more to the point, he wanted us to understand that no matter how hard we try to serve Christ, with accolades and all, we will never be perfected in the flesh.
August 30
Chapter 3, Verse 12, con’t, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
Realizing there was still much work to do as a disciple of Christ, Paul said, διώκω, diōkō, “I am pursuing.” While “press on” is adequate and used in the majority of English translations, “I am pursuing” seems to me to have more force behind it. Pressing on sounds a little like boring drudgery. In that, I hear, “Well, if I have go, I’ll keep moving.” Pursuing, on the other hand, sounds like “I’m moving as fast as I can to get where I’m going.” Frankly, as believers, there is no time to waste. Advancing the gospel by sharing our faith is essential to carry out the call of God on our lives. As one commentator put it, this pursuing is “to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing.” Going after the lost is the race that should drive us day after day, moving along without caution to reach as many of our friends and family as we can.
August 31
Chapter 3, Verse 12, con’t, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
καταλάβω ἐφ’, katalabō eph’, “[so that] I may lay hold of;” Paul was saved, called, serving, and from all available evidence, being an exemplary disciple. So what is it Paul was after in his life? Before I answer that, I need to be reminded of something: being/becoming an example to others. In high school, I was a sprinter–never lost a race. Other kids asked me how I got so fast. . .I was the smallest kid in my neighborhood play group so I was always either running from someone or trying to catch up. The other thing was practice. When I started racing, the others guys were trying to beat me to the finish line. To be the best, I had to work the hardest. That is what Paul was doing. His goal was simple but not easy; Christlikeness.
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