John Calvin Commentary Philippians 3:8

"Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ," — Philippians 3:8 (ASV)

Nay more, I reckon. He means that he continues to be of the same mind, because it often happens that, transported with delight in new things, we forget everything else, and afterwards we regret it. Hence Paul, having said that he renounced all hindrances so that he might gain Christ, now adds that he continues to be of this mind.

For the sake of the excellency of the knowledge. He extols the gospel in opposition to all such notions as tend to beguile us. For there are many things that have an appearance of excellence, but the knowledge of Christ surpasses to such a degree everything else by its sublimity, that, as compared with it, there is nothing that is not contemptible. Let us, therefore, learn from this what value we ought to set upon the knowledge of Christ alone. As to his calling him his Lord, he does this to express the intensity of his feeling.

For whom I have suffered the loss of all things. He expresses more than he had done previously; at least he expresses himself with greater distinctness. It is an analogy taken from sailors, who, when facing the danger of shipwreck, throw everything overboard so that, with the ship lightened, they may reach the harbor safely. Paul, then, was prepared to lose everything that he had, rather than be deprived of Christ.

But it is asked, whether it is necessary for us to renounce riches, honors, noble descent, and even external righteousness, so that we may become partakers of Christ (Hebrews 3:14), for all these things are gifts of God, which, in themselves, are not to be despised? I answer that the Apostle does not speak here so much of the things themselves, as of their quality.

It is, indeed, true that the kingdom of heaven is like a precious pearl, for the purchase of which no one should hesitate to sell everything that he has (Matthew 13:46). There is, however, a difference between the substance of things and their quality. Paul did not reckon it necessary to disown his connection with his own tribe and with the race of Abraham, and make himself a foreigner, so that he might become a Christian, but to renounce dependence on his descent.

It was not fitting that from being chaste he should become unchaste; that from being sober, he should become intemperate; and that from being respectable and honorable, he should become dissolute; but rather that he should divest himself of a false estimate of his own righteousness and treat it with contempt.

We, too, when discussing the righteousness of faith, do not contend against the substance of works, but against that quality with which the sophists invest them, since they contend that men are justified by them. Paul, therefore, divested himself—not of works, but of that mistaken confidence in works with which he had been puffed up.

As for riches and honors, when we have divested ourselves of attachment to them, we will also be prepared to renounce the things themselves whenever the Lord requires this from us, and so it should be. It is not expressly necessary that you be a poor man for you to be a Christian; but if the Lord wills it to be so, you should be prepared to endure poverty. In short, it is not lawful for Christians to have anything apart from Christ. I consider as apart from Christ everything that is a hindrance in the way of Christ alone being our ground of glorying and having complete sway over us.

And I count them but refuse. Here he not merely by words, but also by realities, greatly amplifies what he previously stated. For those who cast their merchandise and other things into the sea so that they may escape safely do not, therefore, despise riches, but act as persons prepared rather to live in misery and want, than to be drowned along with their riches.

They part with them, indeed, but it is with regret and with a sigh; and when they have escaped, they bewail their loss. Paul, however, declares, on the other hand, that he had not merely abandoned everything that he previously considered precious, but that they were like dung, offensive to him, or were disregarded like things that are thrown away in contempt.

Chrysostom renders the word—straws. Grammarians, however, are of the opinion that σκύβαλον is employed as though it were κυσίβαλον—what is thrown to dogs. And certainly there is good reason why everything that is opposed to Christ should be offensive to us, since it is an abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). There is good reason why it should be offensive to us also, because it is an unfounded imagination.

That I may gain Christ. By this expression he intimates that we cannot gain Christ except by losing everything that we have. For he would have us rich by his grace alone: he would have him alone be our entire blessedness. Now, the way we must suffer the loss of all things has already been stated—in such a way that nothing will turn us aside from confidence in Christ alone. But if Paul, with such innocence and integrity of life, did not hesitate to reckon his own righteousness to be loss and dung, what do those Pharisees of the present day mean, who, while covered with every kind of wickedness, nevertheless feel no shame in extolling their own merits in opposition to Christ?