Today, I am posting from Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible about Philippians: 3:9, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
In this little series, the following verses will also be considered because I wanted to know more about them. A link to Bible Hub will be added, for those who would know more, as Barnes used a lot of references, some of which I did not paste in.
If you should find the following thoughts beneficial, then you might want to go to Bible Hub and read all of what he had to say, and some other men also. I like to read Barnes, Benson, Calvin, John Gill, and Matthew Henry (far more wordy) if I have time.
If you want to read Strong’s to get a better sense of the Greek and Hebrew, it is in the heading, just below the blue bar that contains all the Bible versions at the top of the page.
During the next several days, the following verses will be considered:
Php 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Php 3:11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
The following link to Bible Hub is to Php 3:9 commentaries. One may advance via the arrow next to the verse number; also, one may choose from many commentators, including John Calvin; those men are listed just under the scripture and verse numbers in bold print.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/philippians/3-9.htm
INTRO:
I was born again about 20 years ago and have struggled much to understand the ideas in verse 9; I have to say with certainty that if you understand the problem posed in verse 9, then you will know that you haven’t arrived. The spiritual giant, Jonathan Edwards wrote in his diary of such struggles….
At the end of the post, a link to posts that give ‘glimpses’ into the spiritual life of Jonathan Edwards speak much to this great problem. Also there will be a link to Pastor Ramsey’s sermons on Galatians, therein, he clarified the problem well.
PHILIPPIANS 3:9 from Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:
[Bracketed statements, emboldening and underscoring are mine; also, some paragraphs were divided for ease of reading.]
Php 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
And be found in him – That is, united to him by a living faith. The idea is, that when the investigations of the great day [judgment day] should take place in regard to the ground of salvation, it might be found that he was united to the Redeemer and depended solely on his merits for salvation; compare the notes at Joh_6:56.
[I am going to paste in other scripture references Barnes made when commenting on Php 3:9. However, the references he made in those references will be up to you to pursue if you so desire.]
[Notes from John 6:56: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. [KJV used to fit with Barnes’ comments]
Dwelleth in me – Is truly and intimately connected with me. To dwell or abide in him is to remain in the belief of his doctrine, and in the participation of the benefits of his death. Compare Joh_15:1-6; Joh_17:21-23 [if you so desire].
I in him – Jesus dwells in believers by his Spirit and doctrine. When his Spirit is given them to sanctify them; when his temper, his meekness, his humility, and his love pervade their hearts; when his doctrine is received by them and influences their life, and when they are supported by the consolations of the gospel, it may be said that he abides or dwells in them. -End John 6:56 notes]
Back to Php 3:9
Not having mine own righteousness – That is, not relying on that for salvation. This was now the great aim of Paul, that it might be found at last that he was not trusting to his own merits, but to those of the Lord Jesus.
Which is of the law –The “righteousness which is of the law” is that which could be obtained by conformity to the precepts of the Jewish religion, such as Paul had endeavored to obtain before he became a Christian.
He now saw [because he was born again on the Damascus road in Acts 9] that no one complied perfectly with the holy law of God, and that all dependence on such a righteousness was vain.
All people by nature seek salvation by the law. They set up some standard which they mean to comply with, and expect to be saved by conformity to that. [The Holy Spirit makes such things clear to born-again believers, over the years, the decades….]
With some it is the law of honor, with others the law of honesty, with others the law of kindness and courtesy, and with others the law of God. If they comply with the requirements of these laws, they suppose that they will be safe, and it is only the grace of God showing them how defective their standard is, or how far they come from complying with its demands, that can ever bring them from this dangerous dependence.
Paul in early life depended on his compliance with the laws of God as he understood them, and supposed that he was safe. When he was brought to realize his true condition, [after conversion] he saw how far short he had come of what the law of God required, and that all dependence on his own works was vain – see the notes at Rom_10:3.
[Romans 10:3 Notes For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Barnes’ comments: For they being ignorant – The ignorance of the Jews was voluntarily, and therefore criminal. The apostle does not affirm that they could not have known what the plan of God was; for he says Rom_10:18-21 that they had full opportunity of knowing. An attentive study of their own Scriptures would have led them to the true knowledge of the Messiah and his righteousness; see Joh_5:39; compare Isa_53:1-12, etc.
Yet the fact that they were ignorant, though not an excuse, is introduced here, doubtless, as a mild and mitigating circumstance, that should take off the severity of what he might appear to them to be saying; 1Ti_1:13, “But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief;” Luk_23:34, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;” Act_7:60. Involuntary ignorance excuses from guilt; but ignorance produced by our sin or our indolence is no excuse for crime.
Of God’s righteousness – Not of the personal holiness of God, “but of God’s plan of justifying people, or of declaring them righteous by faith in his Son;” see the note at Rom_1:17.
Here God’s plan stands opposed to their efforts to make themselves righteous by their own works.
And seeking to establish … – Endeavoring to confirm or make valid their own righteousness; to render it such as to constitute a ground of justification before God; or to make good their own claims to eternal life by their merits. This stands opposed to the justification by grace, or to God’s plan.
And they must ever be opposed. This was the constant effort of the Jews; and in this they supposed they had succeeded. see Paul’s experience in Php_3:4-6; Act_26:5.
Instances of their belief on this subject occur in all the gospels, where our Saviour combats their notions of their own righteousness. See particularly their views and evasions exposed in Matt. 23; compare Mat_5:20, etc.; Mat_6:2-5. It was this which mainly opposed the Lord Jesus and his apostles; and it is this confidence in their own righteousness, which still stands in the way of the progress of the gospel among people.
Have not submitted themselves – Confident in their own righteousness. they have not yielded their hearts to a plan which requires them to come confessing that they have no merit, and to be saved by the merit of another.
No obstacle to salvation by grace is so great as the self-righteousness of the sinner.
Righteousness of God – His plan or scheme of justifying people. END of Romans 10:3 notes]
But that which is through the faith of Christ – That justification which is obtained by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ;
see at Rom_1:17, note; Rom_3:24, note; Rom_4:5, note.
[Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Barnes comment is very long, below is an excerpt. A link to Bible Hub is provided for those who wish to read it all: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/romans/1-17.htm
Romans 1:17 – For – This word implies that he is now about to give a “reason” for what he had just said, a reason why he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. That reason is stated in this verse. It embodies the substance of all that is contained in the Epistle. It is the doctrine which he seeks to establish; and there is not perhaps a more important passage in the Bible than this verse; or one more difficult to be understood.
Is the righteousness of God – δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ dikaiosunē Theou. There is not a more important expression to be found in the Epistle than this. It is capable of only the following interpretations.
…Man attempted to accomplish this by obedience to the Law. The plan of God was to arrive at it by faith. Here the two schemes differ; and the great design of this Epistle is to show that man cannot be justified on his own plan, to wit, by works; and that the plan of God is the only way, and a wise and glorious way of making man just in the eye of the Law.
No small part of the perplexity usually attending this subject will be avoided if it is remembered that the discussion in this Epistle pertains to the question, “how can mortal man be just with God?” The apostle shows that it cannot be by works; and that it “can be” by faith. This latter is what he calls the “righteousness of God” which is revealed in the gospel.
Therein – In it, ἐν οὕτῳ en houtō, that is, in the gospel.
END OF ROMANS 1:17 COMMENT]
[ROMANS 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Barnes NOTE: Being justified – Being treated as if righteous; that is, being regarded and treated as if they had kept the Law.
The apostle has shown that they could not be so regarded and treated by any merit of their own, or by personal obedience to the Law. He now affirms that if they were so treated, it must be by mere favor, and as a matter not of right, but of gift. This is the essence of the gospel. And to show this, and the way in which it is done, is the main design of this Epistle.
The expression here is to be understood as referring to all who are justified; Rom_3:22. The righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ, is “upon all who believe,” who are all “justified freely by his grace.”
[That paragraph is the opening quarter of Barnes’ notes; for the full read, use the following link: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/romans/3-24.htm
End of Barnes thoughts on Romans 3:24.]
[By the way, the doctrine of justification is foundational to the Christian faith; it is what the Protestant Reformation was fought over. There is a link at the end of this post to a free 15-part study at Ligonier Ministries on Justification by Faith Alone. It consists of 15, 23-25 minute video lectures. It clarifies the biblical stance that Luther took against the Roman Catholic Church….]
[Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Barnes’ Notes on Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not – Who does not rely on his conformity to the Law for his justification; who does not depend on his works; who seeks to be justified in some other way. The reference here is to the Christian plan of justification.
But believeth – Note, Rom_3:26.
On him – On God. Thus, the connection requires; for the discussion has immediate reference to Abraham, whose faith was in the promise of God.
[The apostle Paul opens Romans 4 with a discussion about the faith of Abraham; therein and in Galatians, he concludes that those who are true believers, have faith to believe God’s words as Abraham did; Abraham was not saved by works… God made Abraham a model of faith; the scriptures contain a record of his tests of faith and his reliance on God’s covenant promises to him. Paul’s words clarify such things. ]
That justifieth the ungodly – This is a very important expression. It implies,
(1) That people are sinners, or are ungodly.
(2) That God regards them as such when they are justified. He does not justify them because he sees them to be, or regards them to be righteous; but knowing that they are in fact polluted. He does not first esteem them, contrary to fact, to be pure; but knowing that they are polluted, and that they deserve no favor, he resolves to forgive them, and to treat them as his friends.
(3) In themselves they are equally undeserving, whether they are justified or not. Their souls have been defiled by sin; and that is known when they are pardoned. God judges things as they are; and sinners who are justified, he judges not as if they were pure, or as if they had a claim; [see Romans 5]
but he regards them as united by faith to the Lord Jesus; and in this relation he judges that they should be treated as his friends, though they have been, are, and always will be, personally undeserving.
It is not meant that the righteousness of Christ is transferred to them, so as to become personally theirs – for moral character cannot be transferred; nor that it is infused into them, making them personally meritorious – for then they could not be spoken of as ungodly;
but that Christ died in their stead, to atone for their sins,
and is regarded and esteemed by God to have died; and that the results or benefits of his death are so reckoned or imputed to believers as to make it proper for God to regard and treat them as if they had themselves obeyed the Law; that is, as righteous in his sight; see the note at Rom_4:3. END OF BARNES’ NOTE ON ROMANS 4:5]
[By the way, Ligonier’s study on Justification by faith explains such terms as ‘imputation,’ which is a foundational doctrine about which the Roman church still opposes Protestantism and the Bible.]
BACK TO PHILIPPIANS 3:9 to conclude:
Righteousness which is of God by faith – Which proceeds from God, or of which he is the great source and fountain. This may include the following things:
(1) God is the author of pardon – and this is a part of the righteousness which the man who is justified has.
(2) God purposes to treat the justified sinner as if he had not sinned – and thus his righteousness is of God.
(3) God is the source of all the grace that will be imparted to the soul, making it really holy.
In this way, all the righteousness which the Christian has is “of God.”
The idea of Paul is, that he now saw that it was far more desirable to be saved by righteousness obtained from God than by his own.
That obtained from God was perfect, and glorious, and sufficient; that which he had attempted to work out was defective, impure, and wholly insufficient to save the soul.
It is far more honorable to be saved by God than to save ourselves; it is more glorious to depend on him than to depend on anything that we can do.
End of Barnes’ Notes on Philippians 3:9
Link to Jonathan Edwards posts:
JONATHAN EDWARDS: A GLIMPSE INTO HIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, PART 1 [PARTS 2 & 3 LINKED]
https://sheeplywolves.com/jonathan-edwards-a-glimpse-into-his-spiritual-journey/
Link to Pastor Ramsey’s sermon series on Galatians:
After you read Galatians, note the verses you want more understanding about, Pastor Ramsey’s sermons indicate which verses he considered; his titles are not too specific.
Link to the FREE teaching series on Justification by Faith Alone at Ligonier Ministries [only a few teaching series are free to listen to, most are for sale]:
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/justification-by-faith-alone
Link to download FREE Bible Software, e-Sword for pc; at the app store for smart phones for around $3:
https://e-sword.net/downloads.html