 in the process.



B Conformity to His death.

A If by any means I might attain. Resurrection. The consequence.

It is evident that the prayer, `that I may know Him', speaks of a knowledge beyond that which is historical or

even doctrinal. A person may be said `to know' when a subject has simply come within the sphere of his perception,

and where this aspect of knowledge is intended the Greek word oida is used, a word that is derived from eido, `to

see, or perceive by means of the senses'. This knowledge, however, is not deep, it lies near the surface of things. To

know as represented by the word ginosko, implies insight, acquaintance and personal relationship. This knowledge

influences the one who knows and is deeper. It is this word ginosko that the apostle uses in Philippians 3:10.

Relation with the object is readily seen in such passages as `Who knew no sin', `I had not known sin'. The special

use of the word `know' in Matthew 1:25 and Luke 1:34, shows how intimate this knowledge is considered to be. In

Philippians 3:10, the apostle was not seeking fuller information about the person and history of Christ, he was not

concerned about the numbers of prophecies that were fulfilled by His advent, he desired a closer, more intimate

acquaintance, a personal relationship that involved suffering and shame, a fellowship and a conformity. When the

fuller meaning of knowledge is perceived, we can the better understand how it is that it stands at the very dividing of

the ways in the third chapter of Genesis, and will be the great and glorious possession of the redeemed in the ages to

come (Isa. 11:9).

This intimate, personal knowledge of Christ, if taken in its widest scope, is so vast, that like the Love of Christ `it

passeth knowledge'.

Here in Philippians 3:10, the apostle's desire is focused upon one aspect of His great work, `the power of His

resurrection'. Even so, we must remember that he has given evidence in other epistles that he was acquainted with

this mighty power. He speaks of it in Ephesians 1:19, 3:7,20 and 6:10, in relation to believing, ministry, answer to

prayer and Christian warfare, but here, in Philippians, he has something more in view. He desires to attain unto the

resurrection of the dead (a term that awaits examination) and he perceives that this is only possible by a descent and

ascent with Christ comparable in his limited degree, to the great humiliation and exaltation of Philippians 2:6-11.

The great sacrifice which the Saviour came to offer and which underlies the whole plan of salvation, was

completely accomplished when He died `the just for the unjust'. For this purpose He had been born and to make this

offering `a body had been prepared Him'. Moreover, in making this offering He laid down His life voluntarily, for

He said `no man taketh it from Me'. To this, however, man's wickedness and enmity added the cross, the shame and

the sufferings, and in these aspects of His great sacrificial work, the believer may have some fellowship.

Christ is said to have suffered `being tempted'; to have learned obedience by the things which He suffered; and

being reproached, to have suffered `without the gate' (Heb. 2:18; 5:8; 13:12).

Peter speaks of Christ suffering for us and thereby `leaving us an example', associating this suffering with that

endured by the believer who with a clear conscience takes unmerited evil patiently, and actually telling the believer

that in these things he can `follow His steps'. It will be found that this is the character that attaches to the sufferings

of Christ in the New Testament. In these sufferings the believer can be a `partaker' (2 Cor. 1:5-7; 1 Pet. 4:13). The

reader will expect a reference to the apostle's statement that he filled up `that which was behind of the afflictions of

Christ in my flesh'; this we must include, but it should be noted that here the word is not pathema but thlipsis, often

rendered `tribulation' (Eph. 3:13; Rev. 7:14) and in many passages associated with future glory as a consequence.

The apostle desired to have `fellowship' with the sufferings of Christ, and because of this, he also desired a

deeper acquaintance with the power of His resurrection - without such power, such fellowship would have been

suicidal. There are six references to `fellowship' in Philippians, and they are all related to this self denying attitude.

These six references are so distributed through the epistle as to enforce upon us the peculiar aspect that the

apostle had before him when he wrote Philippians 3:10.

A

Phil. 1:5. Your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.

B

Phil. 1:7. Ye are all partakers of my grace. Defence and confirmation of gospel.