Philippians 3:8– Forfeit and refuse

But to be sure, I am also deeming all to be a forfeit because of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, because of Whom I forfeited all and am deeming it to be refuse, that I should be gaining Christ…

When Saul came into contact with Christ Jesus, all the fame he had hitherto vanished. Not because the qualities he had listed (such as being circumcised on the eighth day, Israelite, Benjamite, etc.) had become objectionable. It is not about sins here, but rather about achievements that Paul would have loved to boast of in the past. It is not those qualities themselves that Paul now reckons to be a forfeit, but boasting about them .

When Paul came into contact with Christ Jesus, he came to see that his righteousness from the law is completely irrelevant. For he discovered: I am righteous in God’s sight through the faith of Christ (see next verse)! That knowledge is superior to any own achievement. The focus on his own performance only distracted him from the only righteousness that really counts. He therefore now counts the fame of the past to be a forfeit. In fact: as refuse, or as garbage and excrement. Only one thing mattered to Paul: to gain Christ and to know Him!

Delen: