Philippians 3:7-11- 'To Know Him'

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'But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know Him,
and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being made conformable unto His death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.'
(Php 3:7-11)

Hello there,
Reading this, in responding to another thread this morning, I was drawn to consider the words used more closely. For, in verse 10, I had spotted what I knew to be a figure of speech, in the use of the word, 'and' repeatedly, though only twice in this case:-

'That I may know Him,​

and the power of His resurrection,​

and the fellowship of His sufferings,​

being made conformable unto His death;'​

This figure emphasises both clauses, and demands that we consider both carefully.
Yet when I looked up the book on figures of speech used in Scripture**, the one figure referred to in verse 10 (above) was not in reference to the word, 'and', but the word, 'know':- 'That I may know Him.'

* Looking at what was said in connection with it, I read (quote):-

'Here the one verb 'know' properly refers to 'Him'. The verbs suited to the other subjects (within the verse) are not expressed, in order that we may not be diverted by other action from the one great fact of our knowledge of Him, "That I may know Him" (is the one great object, but to know Him I must experience) "the power of His resurrection, and" - (to feel this I must first share) "the fellowship of His sufferings" (How? By) "being made like Him in His death, " i.e., by reckoning myself as having died with Christ (Rom. 6:11), and been planted together in the likeness of His death (v. 5). So only can I know the power of that new resurrection life which I have as 'risen with Christ," enabling me to 'walk in newness of life," and thus to "know Him."
The order of thought is introverted in verses 10 and 11.

Resurrection.​

Suffering.​

Death,​

Resurrection. (v11)​

And resurrection, though mentioned first, cannot be known until fellowship with His sufferings and conformity to His death have been experienced by faith. Then the power of His resurrection which it exercises on the new life can be known; and we can know Him only in what God has made Christ to be to His people, and what He has made His people to be in Christ. '

**https://figuresofspeechinthebible.n...ECH-INTRODUCTION-TO-E.-W.-Bullinger-BOOK1.pdf

* Praise God!

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

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'we can know Him only in what God has made Christ to be to His people, and what He has made His people to be in Christ. '

'.... That I may know Him,
and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being made conformable unto His death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.'
(Php 3:10-11)

Hello again,

Thinking about the quotation above, taken from the OP in relation to verses 10-11 of Philippians chapter 3, which states a truth: that we can know Christ only in what God has made Christ to be to us who believe on Him, and what He has made us to be in Christ. That is worth pondering on, isn't it?

1) What is it that God has made Christ to be to us who believe? and
2) What has God made the believer to be in Christ?

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[B-A-C]

and the fellowship of His sufferings,

I have heard a few sermons on this passage. One of the more memorable went something like this.

Just about all of us have felt pain at some point in our lives. Skinned knees, broken bones, 3rd degree burns, migraine head-aches, severe tooth-aches, and the emotional pain of losing a loved one.
A death in the family, a divorce, ... whatever it might be. Now of course these are just few examples, there are dozens more I could have mentioned. But why? Why do we feel pain sometimes?

I think knowing what pain feels like, helps us appreciate the price Jesus paid for us.

Isa 53:2; For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
Isa 53:3; He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isa 53:4; Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5; But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Isa 53:6; All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
Isa 53:7; He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
Isa 53:8; By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
Isa 53:9; His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
Isa 53:10; But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
Isa 53:11; As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12; Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Matt 27:29; And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
Matt 27:30; They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.

Mark 15:29; Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
Mark 15:30; save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"
Mark 15:31; In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself.

John 19:34; But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

John 19:1; Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.
Matt 27:26; Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Isa 52:14; Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.

And Jesus knew the emotional pain of being rejected by those you love.

Luke 13:34; "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

Jesus did this for you... for all of us. It seems some people hear this and they say.. oh that's nice. I guess it sucked to be Him.

But I believe that people who have felt pain, really felt pain at some point in their lives.... those are the ones who really know the price Jesus paid for them.
This is how much He loved us.... now, how much do you love Him?

 

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Thank you @Twistie and @B-A-C for your responses.

 

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'.... That I may know Him,
and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being made conformable unto His death;
If by any means I might attain unto
the resurrection of the dead.'
(Php 3:10-11)

1) What is it that God has made Christ to be to us who believe? and
2) What has God made the believer to be in Christ?

- What is it that God has made Christ to be to us who believe?

- A Saviour from sin's bondage (Gal. 5:1), and the fear of death (Rom. 8:2, Heb. 2:15)
- A Saviour from the power of sin (Acts 26:18)
- A Saviour from the penalty of sin ( Rom. 6:23) and from condemnation (Rom.8:1).
- A Saviour from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9).
- A Saviour from the darkness of this world (Colossians 1:13; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5)
- A Saviour from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2 & 22)

- A Saviour unto the law of the spirit of life (Rom. 8;2)
- A Saviour unto liberty (Rom. 8:21; Gal. 5:1 & 13)
- A Saviour unto freedom (John 8:36; Rom. 6:22; Rom. 8:22)
- A Saviour unto righteousness (Rom. 3:25-26; Rom. 8:10)
- A Saviour unto life eternal (John 3:36; John 5:24; John 11:25)
- A Saviour unto Sonship (Rom. 8:15; Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:5)

- He is our access to the Father (John 14:6),
- He is our life (Col. 3:4),
- He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. (1 Cor. 1:30-31).
- He is our Advocate before the Father (1John 2:1)
- He is our Intercessor at God's right hand (Rom. 5:34; Heb. 7:25)

2) What has God made the believer to be, 'in Christ'?

* He has made us in Christ Jesus to be:-
- 'Redeemed', 'Forgiven', 'Holy and without blame' - before God,
- 'Accepted in the Beloved'
- We are Adopted as Sons, by God, through Christ Jesus'
- We are Complete in Christ Jesus'
- The church which is the Body of Christ, have an inheritance in Christ, being God's Own inheritance in Heavenly Places, as redeemed Israel will be in the New Earth.
(see Ephesians chapter one)

* You will probably think of other things that I have not, please add them.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris