Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
but it is with regret and with a sigh; and when they have escaped, they bewail the loss of them.
Paul, however, declares, on the other hand, that he had not merely abandoned everything that he
formerly reckoned precious, but that they were like dung, offensive to him, or were disesteemed
like things that are thrown awayin contempt. Chrysostom renders the word—straws. Grammarians,
however, are of opinion, that σκύβαλον is employed as though it were κυσίβαλον — what is thrown
to dogs. 185 And certainly there is good reason why everything that is opposed to Christ should be
offensive to us, inasmuch as it is an abomination in, the sight of God. (Luke 16:15.) There is good
reason why it should be offensive to us also, on the ground of its being an unfounded imagination.
That I may gain Christ. By this expression he intimates that we cannot gain Christ otherwise
than by losing everything that we have. For he would have us rich by his grace alone: he would
have him alone be our entire blessedness. Now, in what way we must suffer the loss of all things,
has been already stated — in such a manner that nothing will turn us aside from confidence in
Christ alone. But if Paul, with such innocence and integrity of life, did not hesitate to reckon his
own righteousness to be loss and dung, what mean those Pharisees of the present day, who, while
covered over with every kind of wickedness, do nevertheless feel no shame in extolling their own
merits in opposition to Christ?
9. And may find them in him The verb is in the passive voice, and hence all others have rendered
it, I may be found. They pass over the context, however, in a very indifferent manner, as though it
had no peculiar force. If you read it in the passive voice, an antithesis must be understood —
thatPaul was lost before he was found in Christ, as a rich merchant is like one lost, so long as he
has his vessel laden with riches; but when they have been thrown overboard, he is found? 186 For
here that saying 187 is admirably in point — “I had been lost, if I had not been lost.” But as the verb
εὐρίσκομαι, while it has a passive termination, has an active signification, and means — to recover
what you have voluntarily given up, (as Budaeus shews by various examples,) I have not hesitated
to differ from the opinion of others. For, in this way, the meaning will be more complete, and the
doctrine the more ample — that Paul renounced everything that he had, that he might recover them
in Christ; and this corresponds better with the word gain, for it means that it was no trivial or
ordinary gain, inasmuch as Christ contains everything in himself. And, unquestionably, we lose
nothing when we come to Christ naked and stript of everything, for those things which we previously
imagined, on false grounds, that we possessed, we then begin really to acquire. He, accordingly,
shews more fully, how great the riches of Christ, because we obtain and find all things in him.
Not having mine own righteousness Here we have a remarkable passage, if any one is desirous
to have a particular description of the righteousness of faith, and to understand its true nature. For
Paul here makes a comparison between two kinds of righteousness. The one he speaks of as
belonging to the man, while he calls it at the same time the righteousness of the law; the other, he
tells us, is from God, is obtained through faith, and rests upon faith in Christ. These he represents
habet, foras jubet ferri,” (“who counts his goods but dung, and orders them to be carried out of the house.”) Thus, also, Apuleius,
(Florid, c. 14,) speaks of Crates, when he turned Cynic: “Rem familiarem a.bjicit velut onus sterootis, magis labori quant usui;”
— (“He casts away his goods as a heap of dung, that was more troublesome than useful.”) — Ed.
185 Such is the etymology given by Suidas, τὸ τοῖς κυσὶ βαλλόμενον — “what is thrown to dogs.” — Ed.
186 “Mais apres que les richesses sont lettees en la mer, il est trouue, pource qu’il commence a avoir esperance d’eschapper,
d’autant que le vaisseau est allege;” — “But after his riches have been thrown into the sea, he is found, inasmuch as he begins
to have hope of escaping, because the vessel has been lightened.”
187 “Le prouerbe ancien;” — “The ancient proverb.”
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John Calvin