LISTEN
New American Standard Bible:
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
New Living Translation:
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
New King James Version:
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
New International Version:
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Amplified Bible:
But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].
Context:
In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul tells his story – both the good and the bad – through the lens of how Christ transformed his life.
Observations:
He had former things which would be considered gains here on earth, successes, achievements and advancements. Once transformed, he considers those things to be effectively worth nothing, completely meaningless when compared to what Christ has given him.
The orientation of Paul’s life when from centering around earthly achievements to centering around the purpose of Jesus Christ.
Application:
Think about the great achievements we have had in our lives. There is nothing wrong with successes and we should be thankful for them, but we should maintain the perspective Paul had in that the things we accomplish are completely worthless when compared to what Christ has done for us and in us.
