Ian & Jocelyn Barker

Paul is relating his experience of the unsurpassed value of knowing Christ, not based upon his own effort but based upon the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. Paul has gone down the road of trying to impress God, and has seen that it has failed and it is worthless. He is seeking to know God’s righteousness now and in the resurrection.

“that I may know Him” — This kind of knowing is not a head knowledge of who God is, but it is a personal experience of who He is. Paul is seeking to enter into deeper fellowship with Him and know Him as a friend and as his Lord.

“the power of His resurrection” — Paul is seeking to have the life giving power that raised Christ from the dead. This is not a gift of power to heal, although that is good, but it is the power and life that is given to us through the cross to put on the new man after having died to the old man (Rom. 6:1-11). This is power for righteousness.

“the fellowship of His sufferings” — Paul understands that suffering by itself is not a good, but how suffering helps us to turn to God is redemptive and good. He wants to meet Jesus as he is bound in chains because he considers suffering as an indication that his life is hostile to the powers of darkness (Acts 5:41).

“being conformed to His death” — Jesus commanded us to pick up our cross and follow Him. We cannot save ourselves by picking up our cross, but the cross is the daily choices we must make to walk in the power of the new man and lay aside the old man (Eph. 4:22-24).

“that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” – I believe that this verse is speaking of Paul’s continual journey to finish his life as a believer. Some may say that there is a resurrection before the Millennium for the “elite”, or that Paul is referring to a certain “level” of resurrection, but I think he is referring to the general resurrection of all saints when Jesus returns. That Paul is working to attain this resurrection says something about his ideas of salvation and our need to continually press towards heaven. The lesson is that darkness is great and is tryng to ensnare us.