That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
All Commentaries on Philippians 3:10 Go To Philippians 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
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 Timothy 2:12, we should not have endured the sufferings. Both the generation and the resurrection is comprehended by faith. Do you see, that faith must not be absolutely, but through good works; for he especially believes that Christ has risen, who in like sort gives himself up to dangers, who has fellowship with Him in His sufferings. For he has fellowship with Him who rose again, with Him who lives; wherefore he says, And may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my 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 says, 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. Colossians 1:24 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 writes, bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:10 And this too comes from great faith. For we not only believe that He arose, but that after His resurrection also He has 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 Christ's 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 Romans 6:4-5, 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, while 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 says, 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, says he, I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. What do you say? All men will have a share in that. For we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 1 Corinthians 15:51, 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 special thing? For this cause, says he, I endure these things, if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. For if you had not died, you would 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 says, 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 does 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 thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12 And again, I fear lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected. 1 Corinthians 9:27
