Philippians 3:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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 from God that depends on faith —

NIV: and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

NASB: and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

CSB: and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ —the righteousness from God based on faith.

NLT: and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

KJV: 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:

NKJV: and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Paul wanted to both "gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8) and "be found in him." These words indicate the idea of receiving and being included with Jesus. Paul realized his works would never be sufficient to cover his sins. Instead, he could only know God by faith in Christ. This is part of Paul's reason for referring to works and rituals as "garbage," as in the prior verse. These things not only cannot save, they can actually impede our walk with Christ. Anything we rely on, or take pride in, more than Christ is a barrier to our fellowship with Him.

In fact, the second part of this verse notes the importance of faith twice. Only faith can make us right with God (Ephesians 2:8–9). Also, Christ gave Paul his faith and his faith depended completely on God. Paul saw no other source for salvation than Jesus. His view reflected that of the apostles, who noted in Acts 4:12 that the name of Jesus was the only way a person could be saved. Jesus Himself taught that He was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Philippians 3:1–11 warns Christians about the influence of false teachers, particularly those who add legalism on top of the gospel. Paul describes his impressive credentials, showing that he has the right to consider himself ''justified'' according to the traditional Jewish view. And yet, knowing what he does of Christ, Paul sees all of those accomplishments as garbage. Faith alone saves, and fellowship with Christ is all that truly matters.

Paul details his impressive Jewish resume. None of his critics or challengers could boast the pedigree carried by Paul. He mentions this only to emphasize how little such things mean, next to faith in Christ. Paul's language here is sharp and to the point. He then explains how a Christian's focus ought to be purely on Christ, just as a runner concentrates on their goal in order to run effectively. Rather than looking to the past, or to ourselves, we ought to look forward, to an eternity with the Lord.

In chapters 1 and 2, Paul explained how Christians should respond to hardships. Since Christ was willing to obey God, even to the point of death, we should do the same. Complaining and worry have no place in the life of a saved believer. Chapter 3 makes a bold contrast. Paul's credentials, according to Jewish tradition, were impeccable. And yet, for him, none of those accomplishments are worth anything next to fellowship with Christ. For this reason, Christ is to be the sole focus of the believer. This sets up Paul's final greetings and instructions in chapter 4.

Philippians is Paul's discussion of living the Christian life. In this letter to the church of Philippi, Paul highlights themes such as joy and glory. He also puts great emphasis on how a Christian's thinking—their attitude—affects the way they live out their faith. Paul is very thankful for the support of the Philippian church, but is also concerned about the influence of various false teachers. This letter is less theological than most of his other writings, and more practical.