Filipljanima 3:8

Croatian Bible

Štoviše, čak sve gubitkom smatram zbog onoga najizvrsnijeg, zbog spoznanja Isusa Krista, Gospodina mojega, radi kojega sve izgubih i otpadom smatram: da Krista steknem

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

doubtless: Numbers 14:30, Psalms 126:6, Luke 11:20, 1 Corinthians 9:10, 1 John 2:19

I count: Acts 20:24, Romans 8:18

the excellency: Philippians 3:10, Isaiah 53:11, Jeremiah 9:23, Jeremiah 9:24, Matthew 11:25-27, Matthew 16:16, Matthew 16:17, Luke 10:21, Luke 10:22, John 14:7, John 14:20, John 16:3, John 17:3, John 17:8, 1 Corinthians 2:2, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Galatians 1:16, Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 3:8, Ephesians 3:9, Ephesians 3:18, Ephesians 3:19, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 2:3, 1 Peter 2:7, 2 Peter 1:3, 2 Peter 3:18, 1 John 5:20

my: Luke 1:43, Luke 20:42-44, John 20:13, John 20:28

for whom: Philippians 3:7, Matthew 19:27-29, 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, 2 Timothy 4:6

but dung: 1 Kings 14:10, 2 Kings 9:37, Job 20:7, Malachi 2:3

win: Matthew 13:44-46, Hebrews 3:14, 1 John 1:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:19 - buy us Exodus 37:9 - cherubims spread Numbers 6:9 - shave Numbers 18:30 - the best Numbers 24:11 - the Lord Joshua 5:14 - my lord 2 Kings 7:15 - had cast away 2 Chronicles 30:22 - the good Job 2:4 - all that Job 9:31 - mine Psalms 8:1 - our Psalms 45:11 - Lord Psalms 45:16 - Instead Psalms 73:25 - Whom Psalms 148:13 - for his name Proverbs 3:14 - General Proverbs 4:7 - Wisdom is Proverbs 8:11 - wisdom Proverbs 8:18 - and righteousness Proverbs 8:35 - whoso Proverbs 23:23 - Buy Ecclesiastes 3:6 - and a time to cast Ecclesiastes 7:12 - the excellency Song of Solomon 1:16 - thou art Song of Solomon 5:16 - most Song of Solomon 8:1 - I would Isaiah 2:20 - cast Isaiah 45:17 - Israel Isaiah 51:7 - ye that Hosea 2:20 - and Jonah 1:5 - and cast Matthew 18:8 - and cast Matthew 19:29 - or brethren Matthew 22:44 - my Lord Mark 1:18 - forsook Mark 9:47 - thine Mark 10:30 - an hundredfold Mark 13:15 - General Luke 2:11 - the Lord Luke 5:11 - they forsook Luke 9:29 - General Luke 14:26 - any Luke 14:33 - General Luke 17:10 - General Luke 17:31 - he which Luke 18:23 - he was very sorrowful John 10:14 - am John 13:13 - call Acts 27:18 - the next Romans 7:17 - it is no more 1 Corinthians 12:31 - show 2 Corinthians 5:16 - know we no Galatians 4:12 - be Galatians 6:14 - God Ephesians 4:5 - One Lord Ephesians 4:13 - the knowledge Philippians 3:13 - I count Philippians 4:11 - I have 2 Timothy 1:12 - for I Hebrews 7:14 - Our Lord James 1:10 - in

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss,.... Not only the things before mentioned, but anything, and everything else but Christ, or that stood in competition with him, or were short of him; as his natural and acquired parts; the whole compass of learning he had attained to; all that honour, credit, reputation, and popularity he was in for knowledge and devotion; all worldly substance, the comforts of life, and life itself; and all his righteousness since conversion, as well as before; of this no doubt could be made by those who knew him, his principles and his practices: and all this

for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: "by the knowledge of Christ" is not meant subjectively the knowledge that is in Christ, or which he has of others, either as God or man; but objectively, that knowledge which believers have of him, who know him not only in his person, as God over all, but as a Saviour and Redeemer, and as theirs; they know him in all his relations, and particularly as their Lord, not by creation only, but by redemption and grace, as the apostle did, putting an emphasis on these words, "my Lord"; thereby expressing his faith of interest in him, his great affection for him, and cheerful subjection to him. And this knowledge is not general, but special, spiritual, and saving; it is a knowledge of approbation of Christ above all others; a fiducial one, which has faith in him joined with it, and is both experimental and, practical, and, at least at times, appropriating; and though imperfect, it is progressive and capable of being increased, and will at last be brought to perfection. It is attained to, not by the light of nature, nor by the help of carnal reason, nor by the law of Moses, but by the Gospel of the grace of God, as a means; and the efficient cause of it is Father, Son, and Spirit; the Father reveals Christ in his saints; the Son gives them an understanding to know him; and the Spirit is a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; and this knowledge is very excellent: a spiritual knowledge of Christ is more excellent than a general and notional one, or than a knowledge of Christ after the flesh; and the knowledge of Christ under the Gospel dispensation, though the same in nature, is more excellent than that which was under the legal dispensation, by promises, prophecies, and the ceremonial law, in degree, extensiveness, and clearness; but the most excellent knowledge of Christ is that of the saints in heaven; yea, even there is an excellency in what the saints have here on earth, and a superior one to all other knowledge, if the author and original of it is considered: it is not of ourselves, nor by the assistance of men; it is not in the book of nature, nor in the schools of the philosophers; it is not of earth, nor earthly, but it comes from afar, from above, from heaven, from God the Father of lights; it is a free grace gift, a distinguishing one, and is very comprehensive, unspeakable, and unchangeable: and as to the object of it, it is Christ, the chiefest among ten thousands; who made the heavens, earth, and seas, and all that in them are, the sun, moon, and stars, men and beasts, birds and fishes, fossils, minerals, vegetables, and everything in nature; and therefore the knowledge of him must be superior to the knowledge of everything else; and, which adds to its excellency, it makes Christ precious, engages faith and confidence in him, influences the life and conversation, humbles the soul, and creates in it true pleasure and satisfaction; when all other knowledge fills with self-love, pride, and vanity, and increases sorrow; whereas this is not only useful in life, but supports, as under afflictions, so in the views of death and eternity; through it grace is received now, and by it glory hereafter; for it is the beginning, earnest, and pledge of eternal life. Well may the believer count all things but loss for it, as the apostle did; who adds, for further confirmation of what he had asserted,

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things; he dropped all confidence in his carnal privileges, and civil, ceremonial, and moral righteousness, for Christ and his righteousness; he parted with all for this pearl of great price; he lost his good name, credit, and reputation among men, and suffered afflictions and persecutions in various shapes; he lost the comforts of life, being often in cold and nakedness, in hunger and thirst, and was ready to suffer the loss of life itself for professing and preaching Christ:

and do count them [but] dung; or dog's meat; see Philippians 3:2; what is fit only to be cast to dogs, as the word signifies; and intends every thing that is base, mean, and worthless; as the faeces of men, the dregs and lees of liquor, the falling of fruit, chaff, stubble, the dross of metals, dung, and what not: so he esteemed his carnal descent; his form and sect of religion, and zeal in it; his ceremonial and moral righteousness before and after conversion; and everything of the creature, or what was his own, and but flesh; being of the same opinion with the church of old, who reckoned her righteousnesses, the best, and the whole of them, as "filthy rags". The apostle next expresses his end and views in this,

that I may win Christ; not get an interest in him, for this he had already, and he knew he had, and that he should never lose it; and besides, an interest in Christ is not a thing that begins in time, but commenced from all eternity; and is not gotten at all, not by good works, nor repentance, nor faith; for these, if right and genuine, are the fruits and effects of an interest in Christ, but is what is freely given. The apostle's meaning is, either that he might gain or acquire a larger knowledge of Christ; and he cared not what pains he took, what expenses he was at, nor what loss he sustained for what he esteemed the most excellent, and for which he had already suffered the loss of all things; and if he had had more to lose, he could willingly part with it for more of this knowledge; compare Philippians 3:10; or his sense is, that he might gain by Christ, or that Christ might be gain to him, as he found him to be, and as he is to every believer; who by parting with all for Christ, gains much by him, as a justifying righteousness, acceptance with God, peace, pardon, life, grace, and glory.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss - Not only those things which he had just specified, and which he had himself possessed, he says he would be willing to renounce in order to obtain an interest in the Saviour, but everything which could be imagined. Were all the wealth and honor which could be conceived of his, he would be willing to renounce them in order that he might obtain the knowledge of the Redeemer. He would be a gainer who should sacrifice everything in order to win Christ. Paul had not only acted on this principle when he became a Christian, but had ever afterward continued to be ready to give up everything in order that he might obtain an interest in the Saviour. He uses here the same word - ζημίαν zēmian - which he does in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 27:21, when speaking of the loss which had been sustained by loosing from Crete, contrary to his advice, on the voyage to Rome. The idea here seems to be, “What I might obtain, or did possess, I regard as loss in comparison with the knowledge of Christ, even as seamen do the goods on which they set a high value, in comparison with their lives. Valuable as they may be, they are willing to throw them all overboard in order to save themselves.” Burder, in Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgenland, in loc.

For the excellency of the knowledge - A Hebrew expression to denote excellent knowledge. The idea is, that he held everything else to be worthless in comparison with that knowledge, and he was willing to sacrifice everything else in order to obtain it. On the value of this knowledge of the Saviour, see the notes at Ephesians 3:19.

For whom I have suffered the loss of all things - Paul, when he became a Christian, gave up his brilliant prospects in regard to this life, and everything indeed on which his heart had been placed. He abandoned the hope of honor and distinction; he sacrificed every prospect of gain or ease; and he gave up his dearest friends and separated himself from those whom he tenderly loved. He might have risen to the highest posts of honor in his native land, and the path which an ambitious young man desires was fully open before him. But all this had been cheerfully sacrificed in order that he might obtain an interest in the Saviour, and partake of the blessings of his religion. He has not, indeed, informed us of the exact extent of his loss in becoming a Christian. It is by no means improbable that he had been excommunicated by the Jews; and that he had been disowned by his own family.

And do count them but dung - The word used here - σκύβαλον skubalon - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, dregs; refuse; what is thrown away as worthless; chaff; offal, or the refuse of a table or of slaughtered animals, and then filth of any kind. No language could express a more deep sense of the utter worthlessness of all that external advantages can confer in the matter of salvation. In the question of justification before God, all reliance on birth, and blood, and external morality, and forms of religion, and prayers, and alms, is to be renounced, and, in comparison with the merits of the great Redeemer, to be esteemed as vile. Such were Paul’s views, and we may remark that if this was so in his case, it should he in ours. Such things can no more avail for our salvation than they could for his. We can no more be justified by them than he could. Nor will they do anything more in our case to commend us to God than they did in his.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. I count all things but loss — Not only my Jewish privileges, but all others of every kind; with every thing that men count valuable or gainful, or on which they usually depend for salvation.

The excellency of the knowledge of Christ — That superior light, information, and blessedness which come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ; justification through his blood, sanctification by his Spirit, and eternal glory through his merits and intercession. These are the blessings held out to us by the Gospel, of which, and the law, Jesus Christ is the sum and substance.

I have suffered the loss of all things — Some translate δι ον τα παντα εζημιωθην, for whom I have thrown away all things-I have made a voluntary choice of Christ, his cross, his poverty, and his reproach; and for these I have freely sacrificed all I had from the world, and all I could expect from it.

And do count them but dung — The word σκυβαλα means the vilest dross or refuse of any thing; the worst excrement. The word shows how utterly insignificant and unavailing, in point of salvation, the apostle esteemed every thing but the Gospel of Jesus. With his best things he freely parted, judging them all loss while put in the place of Christ crucified; and Christ crucified he esteemed infinite gain, when compared with all the rest. Of the utter unavailableness of any thing but Christ to save the soul the Apostle Paul stands as an incontrovertible proof. Could the law have done any thing, the apostle must have known it. He tried, and found it vanity; he tried the Gospel system, and found it the power of God to his salvation. By losing all that the world calls excellent, he gained Christ, and endless salvation through him. Of the glorious influence of the Gospel he is an unimpeachable witness. See the concluding observations on the 9th chapter of the Acts, on the character of St. Paul. "Acts 9:43"