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PHILIPPIANS iii. 7-10.
"Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for
Christ.
Yea verily, and I counted 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 dung, that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even
that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ,
the righteousness which is of God."
IN our contests with heretics, we must make the attack with minds in
vigor, that they may be able to give exact attention. I will
therefore begin nay present discourse where the last ended. And what
was that? Having enumerated every Jewish boast, both those from his
birth, and those that were from choice, he added, "Howbeit, what
things were gain to me, these have I counted 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 dung, that I
may gain Christ." Here the heretics spring to their attack: for
even this comes of the wisdom of the Spirit, to suggest to them hopes
of victory, that they may undertake the fight.
For if it had been spoken plainly, they would have acted here as they
have done in other places, they would have blotted out the words, they
would have denied the Scripture, when they were unable at all to look
it in the face. But as in the case of fishes, that which can take
them is concealed so that they may swim up, and does not lie open to
view; this in truth hath come to pass here too. The Law, they say,
is called "dung" by Paul, it is called "loss." He says, it was
not possible to gain Christ except I "suffered" this "loss." All
these things induced the heretics to accept this passage, thinking it
to be favorable to them: but when they had taken it, then did he
enclose them on all sides with his nets. For what do they themselves
say? Lo! the Law is "loss," is "dung"; how then do ye say that
it is of God?
But these very words are favorable to the Law, and how they are so,
shall be hence manifest. Let us attend accurately to his very words.
He said not, The Law is loss: but "I counted it loss." But
when he spake of gain, he said not, I counted them, but "they were
gain." But when he spake of loss he said," I counted": and this
rightly; for the former was naturally so, but the latter became so,
from my opinion. "What then? Is it not so?" says he. It is loss
for Christ.
And how has the law become gain? And it was not counted gain, but
was so. For consider how great a thing it was, to bring men,
brutalized in their nature, to the shape of men. If the law had not
been, grace would not have been given. Wherefore? Because it became
a sort of bridge; for when it was impossible to mount on high from a
state of great abasement, a ladder was formed. But he who has
ascended has no longer need of the ladder; yet he does not despise it,
but is even grateful to it. For it has placed him in such a position,
as no longer to require it. And yet for this very reason, that he
doth not require it, it is just that he should acknowledge his
obligation, for he could not fly up. And thus is it with the Law,
it hath led us up on high; wherefore it was gain, but for the future
we esteem it loss. How? Not because it is loss, but because grace
is far greater. For as a poor man, that was in hunger, as long as he
has silver, escapes hunger, but when he finds gold, and it is not
allowable to keep both, considers it loss to retain the former, and
having thrown it away, takes the gold coin; so also here; not because
the silver is loss, for it is not; but because it is impossible to
take both at once, but it is necessary to leave one. Not the Law
then is loss, but for a man to cleave to the Law, and desert
Christ. Wherefore it is then loss when it leads us away from
Christ. But if it sends us on to Him, it is no longer so. For
this cause he saith "loss for Christ"; if for Christ, it is not so
naturally. But why doth not the Law suffer us to come to Christ?
For this very cause, he tells us, was it given. And Christ is the
fulfilling of the Law, and Christ is the end of the Law. It doth
suffer us if we will. "For Christ is the end of the Law." He who
obeyeth the Law, leaves the Law itself. It suffers, if we take
heed to it, but if we do not take heed, it suffers not. "Yea
verily, and I have counted all things but loss." Why, he means,
do I say this of the Law? Is not the world good? Is not the
present life good? but if they draw me away from Christ, I count
these things loss. Why? "for the excellency of the knowledge of
Jesus Christ my Lord." For when the sun hath appeared, it is loss
to sit by a candle: so that the loss comes by comparison, by the
superiority of the other. You see that Paul makes a comparison from
superiority, not from diversity of kind; for that which is superior,
is superior to somewhat of like nature to itself. So that he shows the
connection of that knowledge by the same means, by which he draws the
superiority from the comparison. "For whom I suffered the loss of
all things, and do count them dung, that I may gain Christ." It
is not yet manifest, whether he speaks of the Law, for it is likely
that he applies it to the things of this world. For when he says,
"the things which were gain to me, those I have counted loss for
Christ; yea verily," he adds, "I count all things loss."
Although he said all things, yet it is things present; and if you
wish it to be the Law too, not even so is it insulted. For dung
comes from wheat, and the strength of the wheat is the dung, I mean,
the chaff. But as the dung was useful in its former state, so that we
gather it together with the wheat, and had there been no dung, there
would have been no wheat, thus too is it with the Law.
Seest thou, how everywhere he calls it "loss," not in itself, but
for Christ. "Yea verily, and I count all things but loss."
Wherefore again? "For the excellency of the knowledge (of Him),
for whom I suffered the loss of all things." Again, " wherefore
too I count all things to be loss, that I may gain Christ."
See how, from every point, he lays hold of Christ as his
foundation, and suffers not the Law to be anywhere exposed, or
receive a blow, but guards it on every side. "And that I may be
found in Him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which
is of the Law." If he who had righteousness, ran to this other
righteousness because his own was nothing, how much rather ought they,
who have it not, to run to Him? And he well said, "a righteousness
of mine own," not that which I gained by labor and toil, but that
which I found from grace. If then he who was so excellent is saved by
grace, ranch more are you. For since it was likely they would say
that the righteousness which comes from toil is the greater, he shows
that it is dung in comparison with the other. For otherwise I, who
was so excellent in it, would not have cast it away, and run to the
other. But what is that other? That which is from the faith of
God, i.e. it too is given by God. This is the righteousness of
God; this is altogether a gift. And the gifts of God far exceed
those worthless good deeds, which are due to our own diligence.
But what is "By faith that I may know Him"? So then knowledge is
through faith, and without faith it is impossible to know Him. Why
how? Through it we must "know the power of His resurrection." For
what reason can demonstrate to us the Resurrection? None, but faith
only. For if the resurrection of Christ, who was according to the
flesh, is known by faith, how can the generation of the Word of God
be comprehended by reasoning? For the resurrection is less than the
generation. Why? Because of that there have been many examples, but
of this none ever; for many dead arose before Christ, though after
their resurrection they died, but no one was ever born of a virgin.
If then we must comprehend by faith that which is inferior to the
generation according to the flesh, how can that which is far greater,
immeasurably and incomparably greater, be comprehended by reason?
These things make the righteousness; this must we believe that He was
able to do, but how He was able we cannot prove. For from faith is
the fellowship of His sufferings. But how? Had we not believed,
neither should we have suffered: had we not believed, that "if we
endure with Him, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. ii.
12), we should not have endured the sufferings. Both the
generation and the resurrection is comprehended by faith. Seest thou,
that faith must not be absolutely, but through good works; for he
especially believes that Christ hath risen, who in like sort gives
himself up to dangers, who hath fellowship with Him in His
sufferings. For he hath fellowship with Him who rose again, with
Him who liveth; wherefore he saith, "And may be found in Him, not
having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith: 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." He saith, being made conformable unto
His death, i.e. having fellowship; whereas He suffered from men,
thus I too; wherefore he said, "becoming conformed" and again in
another place, "and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the
afflictions of Christ in my flesh." (Col. i. 24.) That is,
these persecutions and sufferings work the image of His death, for He
sought not His own, but the good of many.
Therefore persecutions, and afflictions, and straits, ought not to
disturb you, but ought even to make you glad, because through them we
are "conformed to His death." As if he had said, We are molded to
His likeness; as he says in another place, where he writeth,
"bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." (2
Cor. iv. 10.) And this too comes from great faith. For we not
only believe that He arose, but that after His resurrection also He
hath great power: wherefore we travel the same road which He
travelled, i.e. we become brethren to Him in this respect also. As
if he had said, We become Christs in this respect. O how great is
the dignity of sufferings! We believe that we become "conformed to
His death" through sufferings! For as in baptism, we were "buried
with the likeness of His death," so here, with His death. There
did he rightly say, "The likeness of His death" (Rom. vi. 4,
5), for there we died not entirely, we died not in the flesh, to
the body, but to sin. Since then a death is spoken of, and a death;
but He indeed died in the body, whilst we died to sin, and there the
Man died which He assumed, who was in our flesh, but here the man of
sin; for this cause he saith, "the likeness of His death," but
here, no longer the likeness of His death, but His death itself.
For Paul, in his persecutions, no longer died to sin, but in his
very body. Wherefore, he endured the same death. "If by any
means," saith he, "I may attain unto the resurrection from the
dead." What sayest thou? All men will have a share in that. "For
we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (1 Cor. xv.
51), and shall all share not only in the Resurrection, but in
incorruption. Some indeed to honor, but others as a means of
punishment. If therefore all have a share in the Resurrection, and
not in the Resurrection only, but also in incorruption, how said
he," If by any means I may attain," as if about to share in some
especial thing? "For this cause," saith he, "I endure these
things, if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the
dead." For if thou hadst not died, thou wouldest not arise. What
is it then? Some great thing seems here to be hinted at. So great
was it, that he dared not openly assert it, but saith, "If by any
means." I have believed in Him and His resurrection, nay,
moreover, I suffer for Him, yet I am unable to be confident
concerning the Resurrection. What resurrection doth he here mention?
That which leads to Christ Himself. I said, that I believed in
"Him, and in the power of His resurrection," and that I "have
fellowship with His sufferings," and that I "become conformed to
His death."
Yet after all these things I am by no means confident; as he said
elsewhere, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he
fall." (1 Cor. x. 12.) And again, "I fear test by any
means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be
rejected." (1 Cor. ix. 27.)
Ver. 12. "Not that I have already obtained, or am already made
perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may apprehend that for
which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus."
"Not that I have already obtained." What means "already
obtained"? He speaks of the prize, but if he who had endured such
sufferings, he who was persecuted, he "who had in him the dying of
the Lord Jesus," was not yet confident about that resurrection,
what can we say? What meaneth, "if I may apprehend"? What he
before said, "If I may attain to the resurrection of the dead."
(2 Cor. iv. 10.) If I may apprehend, he saith, His
resurrection; i.e. if I may be able to endure so great things, if
I may be able to imitate Him, if I may be able to become conformed
to Him. For example, Christ suffered many things, He was spit
upon, He was stricken, was scourged, at last He suffered what
things he suffered. This is the entire course. Through all these
things it is needful that men should endure the whole contest, and so
come to His resurrection. Or he means this, if I am thought worthy
to attain the glorious resurrection, which is a matter of confidence,
in order to His resurrection. For if I am able to endure all the
contests, I shall be able also to have His resurrection, and to rise
with glory. For not as yet, saith he, am I worthy, but "I press
on, if so be that I may apprehend." My life is still one of
contest, I am still far from the end, I am still distant from the
prize, still I run, still I pursue. And He said not, I run,
but "I pursue." For you know with what eagerness a man pursues.
He sees no one, he thrusts aside with great violence all who would
interrupt his pursuit. He collects together his mind, and sight, and
strength, and soul, and body, looking to nothing else than the
prize. But if Paul, who so pursued, who had suffered so many
things, yet saith, "if I may attain," what should we say, who
have relaxed our efforts? Then to show that the thing is of debt, he
saith, "For which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus." I
was, he saith, of the number of the lost, I gasped for breath, I
was nigh dead, God apprehended me. For He pursued us, when we fled
from Him, with all speed. So that he points out all those things;
for the words, "I was apprehended," show the earnestness of Him
who wishes to apprehend us, and our great aversion to Him, our
wandering, our flight from Him.
So that we are liable for a vast debt, and no one grieves, no one
weeps, no one groans, all having returned to their former state. For
as before the appearance of Christ we fled from God, so now also.
For we can flee from God, not in place, for He is everywhere; and
hear the Prophet, when he says, "Whither shall I go from Thy
Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy presence"? (Ps.
cxxxix. 7.) How then can we flee from God? Even as we can become
distant from God, even as we can be removed afar off. "They that
are far from Thee," it says, "shall perish." (Ps. lxxiii.
27.) And again, "Have not your iniquities separated between Me
and you?" (Isa. lix. 2.) How then comes this removal, how
comes this separation? In purpose and soul: for it cannot be in
place. For how could one fly from Him who is everywhere present?
The sinner then flies. This is what the Scripture saith, "The
wicked fleeth when no man pursueth him." (Prov. xxviii. 1.) We
eagerly fly from God, although He always pursueth us. The Apostle
hasted, that he might be near Him. We haste, that we may be far
off.
Are not these things then worthy of lamentation? Are they not worthy
of tears? Whither fliest thou, wretched and miserable man? Whither
fliest thou from thy Life and thy Salvation? If thou fly from God,
with whom wilt thou take refuge? If thou fly from the Light, whither
wilt thou cast thine eyes? If thou fly from thy Life, whence wilt
thou henceforth live? Let us fly from the enemy of our Salvation!
Whensoever we sin we fly from God, we are as runaways, we depart to
a foreign land, as he who consumed his paternal goods and departed into
a foreign land, who wasted all his father's substance, and lived in
want. We too have substance from our Father; and what is this? He
hath freed us from our sins; He hath freely given to us power,
strength for works of virtue; He hath freely given to us readiness,
patience; He hath freely given to us the Holy Ghost in our baptism;
if we waste these things we shall henceforth be in want. For as the
sick, as long as they are troubled with fevers, and badness of their
juices, are unable to arise or work, or do anything, but if any one
sets them free, and brings them to health, if they then work not,
this comes from their own sloth; thus too is it with us. For the
disease was heavy and the fever excessive. And we lay not upon a bed,
but upon wickedness itself, cast away in crime, as on a dunghill,
full of sores, and evil odors, squalid, wasting away, more like
ghosts than men. Evil spirits encompassed us about, the Prince of
this world deriding and assaulting us; the Only-Begotten Son of
God came, sent forth the rays of His Presence, and straightway
dispelled the darkness. The King, who is on His Father's throne,
came to us, having left His Father's throne. And when I say
having left, think not of any removal, for He filleth the heavens and
the earth, but I speak of the economy; He came to an enemy, who
hated Him, who turned himself away, who could not endure to behold
Him, who blasphemed Him every day. He saw him lying on a dunghill,
eaten with worms, afflicted with fever and hunger, having every sort
of disease; for both fever vexed him, which is evil desire; and
inflammation lay heavy on him, this is pride; and gnawing hunger had
hold of him, which is covetousness; and putrefying sores on every
side, for this is fornication; and blindness of eyes, which is
idolatry; and dumbness, and madness, which is to worship stocks and
stones, and address them; and great deformity, for wickedness is
this, foul to behold, and a most heavy disease. And he saw us
speaking more foolishly than the mad, and calling stocks our God, and
stones likewise; He saw us in such great guilt, he did not reject
us; was not wroth, turned not away, hated us not, for He was a
Master, and could not hate His own creation. But what does he do?
As a most excellent physician, He prepareth medicines of great
price, and Himself tastes them first. For He Himself first
followed after virtue, and thus gave it to us. And He first gave us
the washing, like some antidote, and thus we vomited up all our
guilt, and all things took their flight at once, and our inflammation
ceased, and our fever was quenched, and our sores were dried up. For
all the evils which are from covetousness, and anger, and all the
rest, were dissipated by the Spirit. Our eyes were opened, our ears
were opened, our tongue spake holy words: our soul received strength,
our body received such beauty and bloom, as it is like that he who is
born a son of God should have from the grace of the Spirit; such
glory as it is like that the new-born son of a king should have,
nurtured in purple. Alas! How great nobility did He confer on us!
We were born, we were nurtured, why do we again fly from our
Benefactor? He then, who hath done all these things, giveth us
strength too, for it was not possible, for a soul bowed down by the
disease to endure it, did not He Himself give us the strength. He
gave us remission of our sins. We devoured all things. He gave us
strength, we wasted it. He gave us grace, we quenched it; and how?
we consumed it upon nought that was fitting, we used it for no useful
end. These things have destroyed us, and what is more dreadful than
all, when we are in a foreign country, and feeding on husks, we say
not, Let us return to our Father, and say, "We have sinned
against Heaven, and against Thee." (Luke xv. 18.) And that
too, when we have so loving a Father, who eagerly desires our
return. If we will only return to Him, He does not even bear to
call in question our former deeds, only let us quit them. It is
sufficient apology with Him, that we have returned. Not only He
Himself calls not in question, but if another does so, He stops his
mouth, though the accuser be one of good repute. Let us return! How
long do we stand afar off? Let us perceive our dishonor, let us be
sensible of our vileness. Sin makes us swine, sin brings famine to
the soul; let us regain ourselves, and be sober again, and return to
our former high birth, that we may obtain the good things which are to
come, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together
with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and ever and world
without end.
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