Philippians 3:8
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
More than that
This phrase indicates a progression in Paul's thought. He is building upon his previous statements, emphasizing that what he is about to say holds even greater significance. In the Greek, the phrase suggests an intensification, pointing to the depth of Paul's conviction. Historically, Paul is writing from a Roman prison, yet his focus is not on his circumstances but on the spiritual reality that transcends them.

I count all things as loss
The Greek word for "count" (hēgeomai) implies a deliberate and reasoned judgment. Paul is not speaking emotionally but with a calculated decision. "All things" refers to everything Paul once valued, including his Jewish heritage and achievements. The word "loss" (zēmia) is a financial term, suggesting a forfeiture or detriment. Paul views his former gains as liabilities in light of his relationship with Christ.

compared to the surpassing excellence
The phrase "surpassing excellence" (huperechon) conveys the idea of something that is far superior or of greater value. Paul is contrasting the temporal and earthly with the eternal and divine. This excellence is not just better; it is incomparably greater. The historical context of Philippi, a Roman colony with a strong emphasis on status and achievement, highlights the radical nature of Paul's valuation.

of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord
"Knowing" (gnōsis) in this context is not mere intellectual assent but an intimate, experiential knowledge. It reflects a personal relationship with Christ, characterized by trust and love. "Christ Jesus my Lord" emphasizes both the messianic role of Jesus and His lordship over Paul's life. This personal relationship is the core of Paul's faith and the source of his joy and strength.

for whom I have lost all things
Paul's use of "lost" (zēmioō) again underscores the idea of willingly giving up or suffering the loss of all things for the sake of Christ. This is not a passive loss but an active choice. Historically, Paul had indeed lost status, security, and comfort, yet he considers these losses insignificant compared to what he has gained in Christ.

I consider them rubbish
The term "rubbish" (skubalon) is a strong word, often translated as "dung" or "refuse." It conveys the utter worthlessness of what Paul once held dear. This vivid language underscores the radical transformation in Paul's values. In the Greco-Roman world, where honor and achievement were highly prized, Paul's statement is countercultural and revolutionary.

that I may gain Christ
The phrase "gain Christ" (kerdainō) reflects the ultimate goal of Paul's life. To "gain" here means to win or acquire something of immense value. This is not about earning salvation but about the deep, abiding relationship with Christ that transforms and fulfills. In the scriptural context, gaining Christ is synonymous with receiving the fullness of life and purpose found in Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the letter to the Philippians, Paul is writing from prison, expressing his deep commitment to Christ and the Gospel.

2. Philippi
A city in Macedonia where Paul established a church. The letter to the Philippians is addressed to the Christian community there.

3. Christ Jesus
Central to this verse, Jesus is the Messiah and Lord whom Paul seeks to know more deeply, valuing this relationship above all else.
Teaching Points
The Supremacy of Knowing Christ
Knowing Christ is of surpassing value, far exceeding any earthly gain or status. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but relational and transformative.

The Cost of Discipleship
Following Christ may require the loss of worldly possessions, status, or relationships. Paul models a willingness to sacrifice all for the sake of gaining Christ.

Rubbish Compared to Christ
The Greek word for "rubbish" (skubalon) implies something worthless or detestable. This highlights the stark contrast between worldly achievements and the value of Christ.

Pursuing Christ Above All
Believers are encouraged to evaluate their priorities and consider what they might need to count as loss in order to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some things in your life that you might need to "count as loss" in order to prioritize your relationship with Christ?

2. How does Paul's perspective on worldly achievements challenge your own views on success and fulfillment?

3. In what ways can you actively pursue the "surpassing excellence of knowing Christ" in your daily life?

4. How do the parables in Matthew 13:44-46 relate to Paul's message in Philippians 3:8 about the value of the Kingdom of Heaven?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced a loss for the sake of Christ. How did this impact your faith and understanding of what it means to gain Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 13:44-46
These parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price illustrate the value of the Kingdom of Heaven, similar to how Paul values knowing Christ above all.

Galatians 2:20
Paul speaks of being crucified with Christ, emphasizing the transformation and new identity found in Him, paralleling the idea of counting all else as loss.

Romans 8:18
Paul discusses the sufferings of the present time as not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed, echoing the theme of valuing eternal over temporal.
But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of GodHugh BinningPhilippians 3:8
Christ Jesus Duly PrizedT. Boston, D. D.Philippians 3:8
Loss for GainD. Clarkson, B. D.Philippians 3:8
RighteousnessGeorge MacDonaldPhilippians 3:8
That I May Win ChristT. Manton, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Believer's RefugeW. Mudge, B. A.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of Christian KnowledgeJ. Buchanan, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of the Knowledge of ChristR. Watson.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of the Knowledge of ChristJ. Lyth, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of the Knowledge of ChristJosiah Redford.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of the Knowledge of ChristT. Croskery Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ AppearsJ. Lyth, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ in the Excellence of its SubjectJ. Buchanan, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Excellency of This KnowledgeA. Alexander, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Excellent Effect of the Knowledge of ChristJ. Buchanan, B. D.Philippians 3:8
The Gain of ChristAlexander MaclarenPhilippians 3:8
The Great PrizeL. O. Thompson.Philippians 3:8
The Knowledge of ChristC. Hodge, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Knowledge of ChristJ. Lyth, D. D., W. Henry.Philippians 3:8
The More Excellent KnowledgeO. Winslow, D. D.Philippians 3:8
The Necessity of Letting Go Every False ConfidenceJ. L. Nye.Philippians 3:8
The Relation of the Knowledge of Christ to the Gospel SchemeJ. Redford.Philippians 3:8
The Superfluosness of the LawJ. Daille.Philippians 3:8
The Superiority of the Knowledge of ChristD. Clarkson, B. D.Philippians 3:8
The True Method of ReflectionT. T. Lynch.Philippians 3:8
To Win ChristPhilippians 3:8
To Win Christ and be Found in HimR. S. Candlish, D. D.Philippians 3:8
Willinghood Lightening SacrificeJ. F. B. Tinling, B. A.Philippians 3:8
Winning ChristT. Boston, D. D.Philippians 3:8
Winning ChristProfessor Eadie.Philippians 3:8
Winning ChristCanon Miller.Philippians 3:8
Winning ChristW. Jay.Philippians 3:8
Christian JoyJ. Lyth, D. D.Philippians 3:1-11
Grounds of Christian RejoicingJ. Lyth, D. D., W. D. Pope, D. D.Philippians 3:1-11
It is God's Will that We Should Rejoice in HimPhilippians 3:1-11
Joy in the LordR. Johnstone, LL. B.Philippians 3:1-11
Joy in the LordKnox Little.Philippians 3:1-11
Joy is not Always EcstasyH. W. Beecher.Philippians 3:1-11
Prideless PrideJ. J. Goadby.Philippians 3:1-11
Repeating the Same TeachingJ. Hutchison, D. D.Philippians 3:1-11
RepetitionH. Airay, D. D., R. Sibbes, D. D.Philippians 3:1-11
The Elevating Power of JoyKnox Little.Philippians 3:1-11
The Importance of Christian JoyR. Johnstone, LL. B.Philippians 3:1-11
The Joy of Christian BrethrenR. Sibbes, D. D.Philippians 3:1-11
The Repetition of Old Truth IsJ. Lyth, D. D.Philippians 3:1-11
The Usefulness of RepetitioH. Melvill, B. D.Philippians 3:1-11
The True CircumcisionR. Finlayson Philippians 3:1-16
The Cost and the Value of Personal ChristianityD. Thomas Philippians 3:4-8
Privileges no Ground of TrustR. Johnstone, LL. D.Philippians 3:4-10
The Faith of St. PaulT. Jones, D. D.Philippians 3:4-10
All Loss for Christ is GainV. Hutton Philippians 3:7, 8
A Business-Like AccountC. H. Spurgeon.Philippians 3:7-9
Christ is True GainJ. Lyth, D. D.Philippians 3:7-9
Diverse Estimates of Paul's SacrificesJ. Trapp.Philippians 3:7-9
Life for ChristJ. Vaughan, M. A.Philippians 3:7-9
Loss for GainC. H. Spurgeon.Philippians 3:7-9
Self-Renunciation for Christ not to be RegrettedJ. F. B. Tinling., Sunday at Home.Philippians 3:7-9
The Christian's AccountsDean Vaughan.Philippians 3:7-9
The Gain of LossL'Estrange.Philippians 3:7-9
The Importance of Spiritual AccountsJ. Hutchison, D. D.Philippians 3:7-9
Worldly Honour Consecrated to ChristJ. F. B. Tinling.Philippians 3:7-9
The Knowledge of Christ the One Thing NeedfulV. Hutton Philippians 3:8, 9
Phases of ChristD. Thomas Philippians 3:8-11
The EnthusiastR.M. Edgar Philippians 3:8-11
The True Ground of a Sinner's HopeT. Croskery Philippians 3:8-11
People
Benjamin, Paul, Philippians
Places
Philippi
Topics
Certainly, Christ, Compared, Consider, Count, Excellency, Gain, Greatness, Loss, Lost, Nothing, Refuse, Rubbish, Sake, Suffered, Surpassing, Yes
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Philippians 3:8

     2054   Christ, mind of
     2224   Christ, the Lord
     4639   dung and manure
     5565   suffering, of believers
     5974   value
     8112   certainty
     8297   love, for God
     8435   giving, of oneself
     8441   goals
     8468   renunciation
     8481   self-sacrifice
     9413   heaven, inheritance

Philippians 3:2-9

     7336   circumcision, spiritual

Philippians 3:3-9

     6166   flesh, sinful nature

Philippians 3:4-8

     6677   justification, necessity

Philippians 3:4-9

     6710   privileges
     8332   reputation
     8822   self-justification

Philippians 3:4-11

     7552   Pharisees, attitudes to Christ

Philippians 3:6-9

     8157   righteousness, as faith

Philippians 3:7-8

     8116   discipleship, cost

Philippians 3:7-9

     2424   gospel, promises
     8825   self-righteousness, and gospel

Philippians 3:7-11

     8356   unselfishness

Philippians 3:7-14

     8454   obedience, to God

Philippians 3:8-9

     5110   Paul, teaching of
     6151   dirt
     6511   salvation
     6678   justification, Christ's work
     8022   faith, basis of salvation
     8774   legalism

Philippians 3:8-10

     5492   restitution

Philippians 3:8-11

     2560   Christ, resurrection
     6679   justification, results
     8206   Christlikeness

Library
September 6. "Finally, My Brethren, Rejoice in the Lord" (Phil. Iii. 1).
"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord" (Phil. iii. 1). There is no spiritual value in depression. One bright and thankful look at the cross is worth a thousand morbid, self-condemning reflections. The longer you look at evil the more it mesmerizes and defiles you into its own likeness. Lay it down at the cross, accept the cleansing blood, reckon yourself dead to the thing that was wrong, and then rise up and count yourself as if you were another man and no longer the same person; and then, identifying
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

May 25. "That I May Know Him" (Phil. Iii. 10).
"That I may know Him" (Phil. iii. 10). Better to know Jesus Himself than to know the truth about Him for the deep things of God as they are revealed by the Holy Ghost. It was Paul's great desire, "That I may know Him," not about Him, not the mysteries of the wonderful world, of the deeper and higher teachings of God, but to enter into the Holy of Holies, where Christ is, where the Shekinah is shining and making the place glorious with the holiness of God, and then to enter into the secret of the
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

January 27. "This one Thing I Do" (Phil. Iii. 13).
"This one thing I do" (Phil. iii. 13). One of Satan's favorite employees is the switchman. He likes nothing better than to side-track one of God's express trains, sent on some blessed mission and filled with the fire of a holy purpose. Something will come up in the pathway of the earnest soul, to attract its attention and occupy its strength and thought. Sometimes it is a little irritation and provocation. Sometimes it is some petty grievance we stop to pursue or adjust. Sometimes it is somebody
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

May 15. "I Press Toward the Mark" (Phil. Iii. 14).
"I press toward the mark" (Phil. iii. 14). We have thought much about what we have received. Let us think of the things we have not received, of some of the vessels that have not yet been filled, of some of the places in our life that the Holy Ghost has not yet possessed for God, and signalized by His glory and His presence. Shall the coming months be marked by a diligent, heart-searching application of "the rest of the oil," to the yet unoccupied possibilities of our life and service? Have we known
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Twenty Third Sunday after Trinity Enemies of the Cross of Christ and the Christian's Citizenship in Heaven.
Text: Philippians 3, 17-21. 17 Brethren, be ye imitators [followers] together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample. 18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. 20 For our citizenship [conversation] is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 who
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Laid Hold of and Laying Hold
'I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended of Christ Jesus.'--PHIL. iii. 12. 'I was laid hold of by Jesus Christ.' That is how Paul thinks of what we call his conversion. He would never have 'turned' unless a hand had been laid upon him. A strong loving grasp had gripped him in the midst of his career of persecution, and all that he had done was to yield to the grip, and not to wriggle out of it. The strong expression suggests, as it seems to me, the suddenness
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Rule of the Road
'Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule.'--PHIL. iii. 16. Paul has just been laying down a great principle--viz. that if the main direction of a life be right, God will reveal to a man the points in which he is wrong. But that principle is untrue and dangerous, unless carefully guarded. It may lead to a lazy tolerance of evil, and to drawing such inferences as, 'Well! it does not much matter about strenuous effort, if we are right at bottom it will all come
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Soul's Perfection
'Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.'--PHIL. iii. 15. 'As many as be perfect'; and how many may they be? Surely a very short bede-roll would contain their names; or would there be any other but the Name which is above every name upon it? Part of the answer to such a question may be found in observing that the New Testament very frequently uses the word to express not so much the idea of moral completeness
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Warnings and Hopes
'Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them which so walk even as ye have us for an ensample. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is perdition, whose God is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Preparing to End
'Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision: 3. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.'--PHIL. iii. 1-3 (R.V.). The first words of the text show that Paul was beginning to think of winding up his letter, and the preceding context also suggests that. The
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Saving Knowledge
'That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.'--PHIL. iii. 10-11 (R.V.). We have seen how the Apostle was prepared to close his letter at the beginning of this chapter, and how that intention was swept away by the rush of new thoughts. His fervid faith caught fire when he turned to think of what he had lost, and how infinitely more he had gained in
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Race and the Goal
'This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize.'--PHIL. iii. 13, 14. This buoyant energy and onward looking are marvellous in 'Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.' Forgetfulness of the past and eager anticipation for the future are, we sometimes think, the child's prerogatives. They may be ignoble and puerile, or they may be worthy and great. All depends on the future
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Loss of All
'Though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Gain of Christ
That I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.'--PHIL. iii. 8, 9 (R.V.). It is not everybody who can say what is his aim in life. Many of us have never thought enough about it to have one beyond keeping alive. We lose life in seeking for the means of living. Many of us have such a multitude of aims, each in its turn drawing us, that no one of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Toleration
Preached at Bideford, 1854] Philippians iii. 15, 16. And if in any thing ye shall be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. My friends, allow me to speak a few plain and honest words, ere we part, on a matter which is near to, and probably important to, many of us here. We all know how the Christian Church has in all ages been torn in pieces by religious quarrels; we all know
Charles Kingsley—Sermons for the Times

Do You Know Him?
Have I imagined emotions which would not be natural? I think not. The most cool and calculating would be warmed with desires like these. Methinks what I have now pictured before you will wake the echoes in your breasts, and you will say, "Ah, it is even so! It is because Christ loved me and gave himself for me that I want to know him; it is because he has shed his blood for me and has chosen me that I may be one with him for ever, that my soul desires a fuller acquaintance with him." Now may God,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 10: 1864

The Power of Christ Illustrated by the Resurrection
Beloved, how intimately is the whole of our life interwoven with the life of Christ! His first coming has been to us salvation, and we are delivered from the wrath of God through him. We live still because he lives, and never is our life more joyous than when we look most steadily to him. The completion of our salvation in the deliverance of our body from the bondage of corruption, in the raising of our dust to a glorious immortality, that also is wrapped up with the personal resurrection and quickening
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

False Professors Solemnly Warned
Note, too, that the apostle was a very honest pastor--when he marked anything amiss in his people, he did not blush to tell them; he was not like your modern minister, whose pride is that he never was personal in his life, and who thus glories in his shame, for had he been honest, he would have been personal, for he would have dealt out the truth of God without deceitfulness, and would have reproved men sharply, that they might be sound in the faith. "I tell you," says Paul, "because it concerns
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

The Freedom of the City.
(Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.) PHIL. iii. 20. "Our conversation is in Heaven." People often fail to get at the meaning of this glorious text because they mistake that word conversation. Really the text means--our citizenship is in Heaven, we belong to the Eternal City. Once S. Paul declared with pride that he was a Roman citizen; and when the Chief Captain in surprise declared that he himself had purchased that privilege at a great price, the Apostle answered, "but I was free born." Every
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

"To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord,"
Isaiah i. 11.--"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord," &c. This is the word he calls them to hear and a strange word. Isaiah asks, What mean your sacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people would say in their own hearts, What means the prophet? What would the Lord be at? Do we anything but what he commanded us? Is he angry at us for obeying him? What means this word? Is he not repealing the statute and ordinance he had made in Israel? If he had reproved
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God," &C.
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God," &c. II. The Christian's chief employment should be to seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof. "Seek first," &c. Upon this he should first and chiefly spend his thoughts, and affections, and pains. We comprehend it in three things. First, He should seek to be clothed upon with Christ's righteousness, and this ought to take up all his spirit. This is the first care and the chief concern. Did not this righteousness weigh much
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Righteousness.
--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.--Ep. to the Philippians iii. 8, 9. What does the apostle mea
George MacDonald—Unspoken Sermons

Entire Sanctification
By Dr. Adam Clarke The word "sanctify" has two meanings. 1. It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and his service. 2. It signifies to make holy or pure. Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do in us! and yet all that he has done for us is in reference to what he is to do in us. He was incarnated, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; ascended to heaven, and there
Adam Clarke—Entire Sanctification

That True Solace is to be Sought in God Alone
Whatsoever I am able to desire or to think of for my solace, I look for it not here, but hereafter. For if I alone had all the solaces of this world, and were able to enjoy all its delights, it is certain that they could not endure long. Wherefore, O my soul, thou canst be fully comforted and perfectly refreshed, only in God, the Comforter of the poor, and the lifter up of the humble. Wait but a little while, my soul, wait for the Divine promise, and thou shalt have abundance of all good things
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

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