Counted the Loss

“Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:4-7).

Introduction

This section of the epistle to the Philippians offers us some great insights into what governed the life and ministry of Paul. Religion is man’s way of trying to please God; and because he knows that there is something wrong with his soul, he seeks to gain eternal life through good works and religious practices, yet he rejects God’s way of salvation through faith alone. Therefore the religious man can never be confident that his sins are forgiven or that he is fully accepted by God. He will speak of “hoping to go to Heaven.” All his effort to make himself acceptable to God is only as good as if he had done nothing at all, for they will land him in Hell at the end of his life.

Confidence

As we saw in our previous study a believer must not place any importance in or on the flesh, that is, all of our so-called accomplishments are futile if we think they have any merit with God. This includes all ceremonies, rituals and religious observances, for the flesh will brag about their worth and how particularly they are put into action. Now we read Paul’s feelings about his pre-Christian life and upbringing. He reveals that, despite his Jewish background and training, he did not understand God’s plan of salvation until he met Jesus Christ. With his immense knowledge of Judaism he had completely missed the point of what the Scriptures taught. His religion, with all its feasts, rules and duties failed to bring peace to his soul. Peace reigned in his soul the moment he accepted that Jesus was the Saviour. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). His confidence was now in Christ rather than the religious efforts and works of the flesh.

If Paul achieved anything through his religious practices it was only the badge of self-righteousness. There were few men of that era that could have be elevated and put on a pedestal as a good example of what a good Jew was. Paul considered himself to be a spiritual person and had certain privileges simply because he was born a Jew. A brief list follows which he uses to reveal the areas where he thought he had it made with God.

Circumcision

Was Paul a real Jew because he was circumcised as a baby as the Law of Moses required? Circumcision proved that he was a member of the ‘Covenant People’ or in other words ‘the elect of God.’ He believed that this ceremony made him a true child of God. The religious churches have a similar notion; they think that infant baptism makes the child a Christian and dismiss what the Bible says on the issue. At his circumcision he was given the name Saul. This was a sign of his Jewish heritage, but it is possible that he was also called Paul at the same time because of his future interaction with the Greek world.

Culture

It is interesting that there are two Sauls mentioned in Scripture, though there are variations of the name, and both come from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes of Israel. Was he named Saul in honour of Israel’s first king?

He remained a true Hebrew despite the fact that his family moved to Tarsus, whereas many Jews ‘Hellenised’ by mixing their Jewishness with the culture of the Greeks. It seems that his family refused to do this but held firmly to their language and customs, nevertheless because of his interaction within that cosmopolitan city, Paul could speak Hebrew, Greek and Latin. He makes it abundantly clear that he saw himself as racially superior and religiously head and shoulders over everyone else. He considered himself to one of the elite and on that basis he thought that his salvation was secure.

Character

Now the apostle reviews his religious achievements. Paul used to be a Pharisee, the strictest sect with Judaism. The word ‘Pharisee’ means ‘separated one.’ He states this because he did not want anyone to connect him with the Sadducees, for they rejected huge portions of Scripture. We could call him a card-carrying Pharisee, an orthodox Jew. Even after his conversion Paul sought to distance himself from the Sadducees, whom he considered to be more heretical than the Pharisees. “When Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both” (Acts 23:6-8).

He considered himself to be zealous for God and thought that persecuting Christians pleased Him (Acts 8:3, Galatians 1:23). As the ringleader of the persecution he may have been zealous but he was hard-hearted with it. We read that he consented to the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1, 22:20), which literally means that he approved of it and took pleasure in the same. It was on one such campaign that he met the risen Lord Jesus as Saviour (Acts 22:2-21, 26:4-33, 1 Corinthians 15:8-10). “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it” (Galatians 1:13).

He thought of himself as righteous in the eyes of God, that is, utterly blameless. He lived and breathed his faith and aimed at being the best example of it. In reality he was simply trying to be ceremonially pure so that others would be impressed and call him a saint. He was immensely proud of his religion and education. “And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14). He was Judaism’s star and would have become the leader of his sect if God had not intervened. Some commentators suggest the Paul had already become a member of the Sanhedrin, but it does at least appear that he was destined to occupy that position. The Lord Jesus had an altogether lower estimation of the righteousness of the Pharisees. “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

Conversion

Paul uses the words “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” to express his view that his pre-Christian life was now of no value. Do we see how the Lord Jesus not only took Paul’s sin away, but all his boasting too? The word “loss” means ‘damage’. His old life was damaged and useless. Notice that Paul had a list of what he used to think were gains, but now he lumps them altogether as one big loss. God never repairs the old life but instead gives us a new one. “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:19-20) … “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). All the so-called glories of the past cannot be compared with what he had now in Christ.

Conclusion

After his Damascus Road experience Paul never allowed religious pride to hinder his relationship with Christ. His conversion was a radical transformation of his life and character. Now he sought to live a holy life God’s way rather than through religious observances. “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

In the next study we will continue with the apostle Paul’s comparisons between his old life in Judaism and his new life in Christ.