In this message we shall consider the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. We all need to have an excellent knowledge regarding Christ. In order to understand what the excellency of the knowledge of Christ is, we need to see some other contrasts in Philippians 3.
In the last message we pointed out the threefold contrast in verses 2 and 3: the contrast between the dogs and the Spirit, between the evil workers and those who boast in Christ, and between the concision and those who have no trust in the flesh. Now we need to see three more contrasts. The Greek word translated "according to" is used three times in verses 5 and 6: according to the law, according to zeal, and according to the righteousness which is in the law. Also in the Greek, the word translated "on account of" used three times in verses 7 and 8: on account of Christ, on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and on account of whom (Christ). According to the law, Paul was a Pharisee; according to zeal for the law, he persecuted the church; and according to the righteousness which is in the law, he was blameless. Thus, he was a Pharisee, a persecutor, and a blameless one. In these verses we see a contrast between the law and Christ. The law is versus Christ, and Christ is versus the law.
Also, zeal is in contrast to excellency. An eloquent speaker can stir up our zeal in a few minutes. We also can stir up our zeal by praying for a while. This is especially true of the young people. When they come together, they sometimes say, "We are here to burn one another." After a few minutes of praying, praising, calling, and releasing the spirit, the young people are all burning. This shows that it is quite easy to be zealous. But the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord does not come so quickly. When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Philippians, he was quite old and had gained much knowledge of Christ. Nevertheless, he still said, "That I may know Him." This indicates that he felt that he was still lacking in the knowledge of Christ. It also indicates that the excellency of the knowledge of Christ does not come easily or quickly. On the contrary, it takes a good deal of time. The entire Bible is a revelation of the wonderful Person of Christ. How excellent and inexhaustible He is! He is far beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, we need to have the excellency of the knowledge of Him.
It is important to have the proper knowledge of things. For example, a jeweler may place a beautiful ring in an attractive jewelry box. If we have the proper knowledge concerning the ring, we shall not treasure the box. Little children, however, may care more for the box than for the ring. They may actually cast aside the ring and fight with one another over the box. The reason they fight over the box is that they do not have the knowledge of the excellency of the ring. Thus, it is crucial to have the excellency of the knowledge concerning certain things.