Philippians 3:7
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But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
gain--rather as Greek, "gains"; including all possible advantages of outward status, which he had heretofore enjoyed. I counted--Greek, "I have counted for Christ's sake loss." He no longer uses the plural as in "gains"; for he counts them all but one great "loss" (Mat 16:26; Luk 9:25).
Open source ↗He cautions them against judaizing seducers (Phi 3:1-3) and proposes his own example: and here he enumerates the privileges of his Jewish state which he rejected (Phi 3:4-8), describes the matter of his own choice (Phi 3:9-16), and closes with an exhortation to beware of wicked men, and to follow his example (Phi 3:17-21).
Open source ↗3:7-8 As a Christian, Paul now regarded these things (3:5-6) as worthless because of what Christ has done: A believer’s relationship with God is defined by knowing Christ (cp. 3:10; John 17:3) and nothing else. The only important thing is to gain Christ, thus receiving the gift of eternal salvation (cp. John 3:16; 1 Jn 5:11-13). By comparison, all other things are meaningless garbage (or excrement).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.
As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.
The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Invest in truth and never sell it— in wisdom and instruction and understanding.
After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.