The Meaning of Philippians 3:8 Explained

Philippians 3:8

KJV: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

YLT: yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him,

Darby: But surely I count also all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all, and count them to be filth, that I may gain Christ;

ASV: Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea  doubtless,  and  I count  all things  [but] loss  for  the excellency  of the knowledge  of Christ  Jesus  my  Lord:  for  whom  I have suffered the loss  of all things,  and  do count  them  [but] dung,  that  I may win  Christ, 

What does Philippians 3:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul had regarded his advantages over other people as what put him in an especially good position with God. However, he had come to realize that absolutely nothing apart from Jesus Christ"s work on the cross was of any value in his gaining God"s acceptance. No good works improve our standing before God. They are all like filthy rags ( Isaiah 64:6). Consequently Paul came to regard them as "rubbish." From then on he continued to take this view of things.
The Greek word translated "rubbish" (skybalon) occurs only here in the New Testament. Its derivation is uncertain, but it appears to have referred to excrement, food gone bad, scraps left over after a meal, and refuse. In extrabiblical Greek it describes a half-eaten corpse and lumps of manure. [1] Thus Paul meant that his former advantages were not only worthless but strongly offensive and potentially dangerous.
What he had learned to value was Christ Jesus his Lord. Consequently coming to know Christ, entering into a deeper and fuller appreciation of His person and work, was of primary importance to Paul. This knowledge (Gr. gnosis) is the kind that one obtains only by personal relationship. It is different from the knowledge we gain through objective academic study (Gr. oida), though information is part of our growing personal knowledge of Christ. To gain this fuller knowledge of Christ Paul had let everything else in life go. To use the language of Philippians 2:6, Paul did not regard anything else in life worthy of retaining. All he wanted was a fuller and deeper experiential appreciation of his Savior.
"You and I know about many people, even people who lived centuries ago, but we know personally very few." [2]

Context Summary

Philippians 3:1-12 - Losing All To Know Christ
Precept must be on precept, line on line. The false teachers who dogged Paul's steps insisted on rigid conformity to Judaism, with its rabbinical accretions, as the condition of being saved by Christ. Paul's answer was that he had gone through all the requirements of Judaism, but had found it absolutely unsatisfactory and inefficient to subdue the sin of his soul. But in Christ he had found everything he needed. What had been gain to him now seemed but dross. He had found the pearl of great price, and was only too glad to sacrifice all else to purchase and keep it, as the talisman of complete victory.
The essence of Judaism was not external but within. True circumcision was deliverance from the self-life, and that could only be gained by the Cross of Christ. The "Israelite indeed," like Nathanael, had three traits of character-his worship was spiritual, he gloried in the Crucified, and he was delivered from reliance upon the self-life. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to teach us to know Jesus in the intimacy of personal fellowship, to feel the pulse of His resurrection life, to experience the power of His death, and to realize the whole of His divine program. For this we might be more than content to trample on our boasted pride. [source]

Chapter Summary: Philippians 3

1  He warns them to beware of the false teachers;
4  showing that himself has greater cause than they to trust in the righteousness of the law;
7  which he counts as loss, to gain Christ and his righteousness;
12  acknowledging his own imperfection and pressing on toward the goal;
15  He exhorts them to be thus minded;
17  and to imitate him,
18  and to decline carnal ways

Greek Commentary for Philippians 3:8

Yea, verily, and [αλλα μεν ουν γε και]
Five particles before Paul proceeds (yea, indeed, therefore, at least, even), showing the force and passion of his conviction. He repeats his affirmation with the present middle indicative (ηγουμαι — hēgoumai), “I still count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge (το υπερεχον — to huperechon the surpassingness, neuter articular participle of υπερεχω — huperechō Phlippians 2:3) of Christ Jesus my Lord.” [source]
Dung [σκυβαλα]
Late word of uncertain etymology, either connected with σκωρ — skōr (dung) or from ες κυνας βαλλω — es kunas ballō to fling to the dogs and so refuse of any kind. It occurs in the papyri. Here only in the N.T. That I may gain Christ (ινα Χριστον κερδησω — hina Christon kerdēsō). First aorist active subjunctive of κερδαω — kerdaō Ionic form for κερδαινω — kerdainō with ινα — hina in purpose clause. Paul was never satisfied with his knowledge of Christ and always craved more fellowship with him. [source]
That I may gain Christ [ινα Χριστον κερδησω]
First aorist active subjunctive of κερδαω — kerdaō Ionic form for κερδαινω — kerdainō with ινα — hina in purpose clause. Paul was never satisfied with his knowledge of Christ and always craved more fellowship with him. [source]
Yea doubtless [ἀλλὰ μὲν οὖν]
Ἁλλὰ but Phlippians 3:7, puts that verse in direct contrast with the preceding verse. Ἁλλὰ yeaor verily, in this verse affirms more than the preceding statement, while οὖν therefore(not rendered), collects and concludes from what has been previously said: Yea verily therefore. [source]
All things []
An advance on those (things) of Phlippians 3:7. [source]
For the excellency, etc. [διὰ]
On account of: because the knowledge of Christ is so much greater than all things else. [source]
I have suffered the loss [ἐζημιώθην]
Rev., better, I suffered; when I embraced Christianity. Lit., was mulcted. See on Matthew 16:26, and see on cast away, Luke 9:25. [source]
All things [τὰ πάντα]
Collectively. All things mentioned in Phlippians 3:5-7. [source]
Dung [σκύβαλα]
Rev., refuse. Either excrement or what is thrown away from the table; leavings. The derivation is uncertain. According to some it is a contraction from ἐς κύνας βάλλω tothrow to the dogs. See on filth, 1 Corinthians 4:13. Notice the repetition of gain, count, loss, all things, Christ. [source]
Win [κερδήσω]
Rev., better, gain, corresponding with gain, Phlippians 3:7. [source]

What do the individual words in Philippians 3:8 mean?

But - therefore indeed also I count all things loss to be because of the excelling - knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord of me because of whom - I have lost and esteem [them] rubbish that Christ I may gain
ἀλλὰ μὲν‿ οὖν‿ γε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου μου δι’ ὃν τὰ ἐζημιώθην καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω

μὲν‿  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
γε  indeed 
Parse: Particle
Root: γέ  
Sense: indeed, truly, at least.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἡγοῦμαι  I  count 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐπιτροπεύω 
Sense: to lead.
πάντα  all  things 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ζημίαν  loss 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ζημία  
Sense: damage, loss.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
διὰ  because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
ὑπερέχον  excelling 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὑπερέχω  
Sense: to have or hold over one.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γνώσεως  knowledge 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γνῶσις  
Sense: knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding.
Χριστοῦ  of  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Ἰησοῦ  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Κυρίου  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
δι’  because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
ὃν  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
τὰ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐζημιώθην  I  have  lost 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: ζημιόω  
Sense: to affect with damage, do damage to.
ἡγοῦμαι  esteem  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐπιτροπεύω 
Sense: to lead.
σκύβαλα  rubbish 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: σκύβαλον  
Sense: any refuse, as the excrement of animals, offscourings, rubbish, dregs.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
Χριστὸν  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
κερδήσω  I  may  gain 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐπικερδαίνω 
Sense: to gain, acquire, to get gain.