Philippians 3:10-11
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul isn't just aiming for a future resurrection; he desires an immediate, experiential union with Christ, knowing Him through the power that conquered death and the willingness to embrace suffering, mirroring Christ's own death to sin and the world. This "conformity to death" is not just about dying someday, but about a present, active dying to self that reflects Christ's sacrifice.
Paul is contrasting his previous confidence in his own religious achievements with his present, all-consuming desire to know Christ deeply. Having just declared that he counts everything loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, he now explains what this profound knowledge entails: experiencing the dynamic power of Christ's resurrection and sharing in His sufferings, ultimately becoming like Him even in death. This pursuit leads him to seek the resurrection from the dead, not based on his own efforts, but on faith in Christ.
Paul desires to know Christ not just in theory, but through the very power that broke death's grip. What does this resurrection power look like in our daily lives?
The Power That Raises
The "power of his resurrection" isn't just about Jesus coming back to life. It's about the divine energy that raised Him from the dead now working in believers.
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Paul doesn't shy away from suffering; he seeks to share in it. Why would someone actively desire to experience hardship?
The Glory in Shared Hardship
The "fellowship of his sufferings" means identifying with Christ in the hardships and trials faced for His sake. This isn't about suffering for our own merit, but participating in the suffering He endured.
Paul culminates his desire by wanting to be "made conformable unto his death." What does this radical conformity entail?
Dying to Self, Living for God
Being "made conformable unto his death" means more than just physically dying like Jesus. It's a profound, ongoing process of dying to self and sin.
Understand the original words
anastasis · Greek Noun
The life, power, and victory of Jesus over the grave; it is the objective historical event that guarantees the believer's future resurrection and present spiritual transformation.
pathēmata · Greek Noun
Pain, distress, or persecution experienced by believers for the sake of the Gospel; it is seen as a participation in the same trials that Christ endured for the kingdom.
anastasis · Greek Noun
The bodily rising of the dead at the end of the age, anticipated by Christ's resurrection, resulting in a glorified, eternal existence for the believer.
Paul's desire to 'know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings' reflects the core experiences of early Christians who lived in the immediate aftermath of Christ's resurrection and faced intense suffering for their faith.
c. AD 33— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The central event of Christian faith: Jesus' death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the dead, demonstrating His divine power and securing salvation for believers.
c. AD 30s-40s
Early Church Persecution Begins
Following Jesus' ascension, His followers, including Paul, begin to face opposition and suffering from both Jewish authorities and the Roman Empire for their belief in Christ.
c. AD 40s-50s
Paul's Missionary Journeys
Paul travels extensively throughout the Roman Empire, planting churches and spreading the gospel, enduring numerous hardships, imprisonments, and threats to his life.
c. AD 55-57
Paul Writes Philippians from Prison
Paul composes the letter to the Philippians, likely from Rome or Ephesus, while imprisoned, offering encouragement and exhortation to the church that supported him.
This passage directly parallels Paul's desire to be 'conformed to his death' by explaining how believers are 'united with him in the likeness of his death'.
2 Corinthians 4:10This verse echoes the idea of sharing in Christ's sufferings by stating that believers 'always carry in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus', directly connecting to Paul's desire for fellowship in suffering.
Romans 8:17It highlights that if we are children of God, we are 'heirs with him' and that if we 'suffer with him', we will also be 'glorified with him', supporting the aspiration in Philippians 3:10 to share in sufferings and ultimately be like Christ.
Colossians 1:24Paul mentions he rejoices in his sufferings for the church and 'completes what is lacking in Christ's afflictions', directly aligning with the desire to share in Christ's sufferings and become like Him, even in suffering.
1 Peter 4:13This verse encourages believers to 'rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings', reinforcing the idea that participation in Christ's afflictions is not only expected but a cause for joy, mirroring Paul's sentiment in Philippians 3:10.
vincentPhilippians 3:10: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"
That I may know Him (τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτὸν)Know is taken up from knowledge, Philippians 3:8, and is joined with be found in Him, qualified by not having, etc. That I may be found in Him not having, etc., but having the righteousness which is of God so as to know him, etc.The power of His resurrection (τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ)Powe…
barnesPhilippians 3:10: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"
That I may know him - That I may be fully acquainted with his nature, his character, his work, and with the salvation which he has worked out. It is one of the highest objects of desire in the mind of the Christian to know Christ; see the notes at Ephesians 3:19 . And the power of his resurrection - That is, that I may understand and experience…
Paul isn't just aiming for a future resurrection; he desires an immediate, experiential union with Christ, knowing Him through the power that conquered death and the willingness to embrace suffering, mirroring Christ's own death to sin and the world. This "conformity to death" is not just about dying someday, but about a present, active dying to self that reflects Christ's sacrifice.
Paul is contrasting his previous confidence in his own religious achievements with his present, all-consuming desire to know Christ deeply. Having just declared that he counts everything loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, he now explains what this profound knowledge entails: experiencing the dynamic power of Christ's resurrection and sharing in His sufferings, ultimately becoming like Him even in death. This pursuit leads him to seek the resurrection from the dead, not based on his own efforts, but on faith in Christ.
Paul is contrasting his previous confidence in his own religious achievements with his present, all-consuming desire to know Christ deeply. Having just declared that he counts everything loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, he now explains what this profound knowledge entails: experiencing the dynamic power of Christ's resurrection and sharing in His sufferings, ultimately becoming like Him even in death. This pursuit leads him to seek the resurrection from the dead, not based on his own efforts, but on faith in Christ.
"that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." — Paul isn't just aiming for a future resurrection; he desires an immediate, experiential union with Christ, knowing Him through the power that conquered death and the willingness to embrace suffering,…
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