“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;” (Philippians 3:10)
Paul proclaims all he has done, accomplished and fame as dung to have Christ that by the righteousness of Christ, he might know Him, know the power of His resurrection, know the fellowship of His sufferings so that he could be made like Him in death. Paul offers three things he considers far more desirable than any gain in this world. We know Paul was a zealot when it came to Christ. Wouldn’t we be also if as a zealot Jew, Jesus saved us in such a dramatic way as he saved Paul. When Paul followed Jesus, he followed Him 100% with all his spirit, soul and body.
To know Christ was far more valuable than anything he had attained. He considered the time, effort, energy and suffering to achieve his world credits as loss and not worth it compared to knowing Christ. Those of us who have received Jesus as adults feel the same way. We lament the time lost striving for accomplishments that perish, the time we could have been sitting at the Savior’s feet, in fellowship, in instruction and being filled with Him and His Goodness.
Paul knew that it was God’s power that raised Jesus, but what he wanted to know along with the other two things he mentioned, was the power in His resurrection. It’s the power to change man, spirit, soul and body. Paul calls it newness of life. “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4) The resurrection of Jesus brings eternal life. (John 11:25) Peter called it born again into a hope that is alive. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Peter 1:3-5) The resurrection of Christ is sacred to us because all of God’s promises rest on the resurrection of Christ.
One thing that man runs from is pain and suffering. But Paul wants to know the fellowship of His sufferings. He wants to be a participant and partner with Christ in His sufferings. The word fellowship means partnership. The work wrought through the suffering of Christ, only He could do to accomplish the Father’s Will in man. So, what did Paul mean? He did not mean that He would share in Christ’s suffering for the salvation of man, but that he wanted to know the partnership of His suffering, not know about it, but knowing it. Paul accepted and welcomed suffering for the Gospel and the Name of Jesus. Peter wrote: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.” (1Peter 4:12-14) In our sufferings Jesus is glorified. Peter also explains that if we suffer having done nothing to deserve it, we are following in the steps of Jesus, Who was guiltless, yet suffered even death for us. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” (1Peter 2:20-21)
Bible scholars speak of being made “conformable unto His death” to mean dying to oneself daily. But it can also mean the death of the old sinful nature and in that death being made alive unto righteousness. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:5-7) The way I read it is that Paul wanted to know the three things he listed so that he would be obedient and willingly yield to dying for the Gospel and the Name of Jesus. And it is in dying to self daily that we embrace dying for the Gospel and the Name of Jesus.
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