John Calvin Commentary Philippians 3:10

"that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death;" — Philippians 3:10 (ASV)

That I may know him. He points out the efficacy and nature of faith—that it is the knowledge of Christ, and that, too, not bare or indistinct, but in such a manner that the power of his resurrection is felt. Resurrection he employs as meaning the completion of redemption, so that it comprehends at the same time the idea of death. But as it is not enough to know Christ as crucified and raised up from the dead, unless you also experience the fruit of this, he speaks expressly of efficacy. Christ therefore is rightly known when we feel how powerful his death and resurrection are, and how efficacious they are in us. Now all things are there provided for us—expiation and destruction of sin, freedom from condemnation, satisfaction, victory over death, the attainment of righteousness, and the hope of a blessed immortality.

And the fellowship of his sufferings. Having spoken of that freely-conferred righteousness, which was procured for us through the resurrection of Christ and is obtained by us through faith, he proceeds to treat of the exercises of the pious, so that it might not seem as though he introduced an inactive faith, which produces no effects in life. He also intimates, indirectly, that these are the exercises in which the Lord would have his people employ themselves, while the false Apostles pressed upon them the useless elements of ceremonies. Let everyone, therefore, who has become through faith a partaker of all Christ’s benefits, acknowledge that a condition is presented to him—that his whole life be conformed to his death.

There is, however, a twofold participation and fellowship in the death of Christ. The one is inward—what Scripture is accustomed to call the mortification of the flesh, or the crucifixion of the old man, of which Paul treats in Romans 6. The other is outward—what is termed the mortification of the outward man. It is the endurance of the Cross, of which he treats in Romans 8, and here also, if I am not mistaken. For after introducing along with this the power of his resurrection, Christ crucified is set before us, that we may follow him through tribulations and distresses. Hence, the resurrection of the dead is expressly mentioned, so that we may know that we must die before we live. This is a continued subject of meditation for believers as long as they sojourn in this world.

This, however, is a precious consolation: that in all our miseries we are partakers of Christ’s Cross, if we are his members, so that through afflictions the way is opened for us to everlasting blessedness, as we read elsewhere:

If we die with him, we shall also live with him;
if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. (2 Timothy 2:11)

We must all therefore be prepared for this—that our whole life shall represent nothing else than the image of death, until it produces death itself, as the life of Christ is nothing else than a prelude to death. We enjoy, however, in the meantime, this consolation—that the end is everlasting blessedness. For the death of Christ is connected with the resurrection. Hence Paul says that he is conformed to his death, so that he may attain the glory of the resurrection. The phrase if by any means, does not indicate doubt but expresses difficulty, with a view to stimulating our earnest endeavor; for it is no light contest, since we must struggle against so many and so serious hindrances.