3:8a

More than that: The series of Greek particles that the Berean Standard Bible translates as More than that is used to intensify something. Paul apparently felt that the statement in 3:7 was not strong enough. So in 3:8 he added more to what he said in 3:7. Do not just translate More than that literally. Look for a natural way to strengthen and intensify something that has already been said. Some ideas are:

And that is not all….
-or-
Besides all that….

I count all things as loss: Paul was saying, “I consider everything ⌊that was gain to me before⌋ a loss ⌊now⌋.” The term all things indicates that Paul is including more than the things he listed in 3:5–6. He meant that everything he previously depended on for God to save him had no real value.

I count: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I count is in the present tense. This contrasts with the perfect tense Paul used in 3:7b. This change in tense is another way of emphasizing and intensifying what he was saying.

loss: This is the same term used in 3:7b. See notes there.

3:8b

compared to: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as compared to is the same preposition translated as “for the sake of” in 3:7. In this verse it can be understood in two ways:

(1) It indicates comparison. Paul was comparing his past life with knowing Christ. (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version).

(2) It indicates cause. Paul was giving the reason why he considered everything a loss. For example:

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth…. (Revised Standard Version) (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version)

Either meaning is possible and both may be implied. The two meanings are not contradictory. Paul chose knowing Christ over everything else because it was better. So if you can translate in such as way as to make both possibilities understood, you should do so. If not, it is recommended that you follow the first interpretation.

the surpassing excellence: When Paul considered the things he formerly was proud of, they seemed worthless when he compared them with knowing Christ. All that comes with knowing Christ is far greater than all the other things people could depend on. Use the strongest terms you can to describe how great and priceless knowing Christ is, and how small and without value these other things are.

3:8c

of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord: Paul knew Jesus Christ personally, and this was much more valuable than anything else. The idea of knowing Christ may be difficult to translate in some languages where the idea of knowing a person may only mean that you have met him and know who he is. It may not include the deeper meaning that Paul implied here in 3:8c, of knowing Jesus personally. It may be necessary to say something like “really knowing” or “knowing personally.”

3:8d

In 3:8 the language of business and money that began in 3:7 continues. Paul was saying that he willingly gave up one thing in order to gain another thing which was worth much more. Jesus used similar words in the parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45–46) and in his teaching about discipleship (Matthew 16:26).

for whom: This means “for the sake of Christ Jesus” or “because of Christ Jesus.”

I have lost all things: Paul was describing how he willingly gave up all the things he formerly was proud of in order to know Christ. He not only considered them as loss, but he voluntarily gave them up. He did not cease to be all the things he described in 3:5a–c, but he rejected these things as worthless. See also the note on 3:8a.

In some languages, to say “I lost something” implies that a person accidentally lost it. If that is so in your language it will be better to say something like “I have thrown everything else away.”

3:8e

I consider them rubbish: There are two ways to interpret how this phrase relates to the phrases before and after it.

(1) The phrase I consider them rubbish relates directly to the following phrase “that I may gain Christ”. (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) The phrase I consider them rubbish is a comment that Paul added, something that is separate from the main thing he was saying. It would mean that the phrase in 3:8e “that I may gain Christ” would be the purpose of 3:8d. For example:

I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ. (New Living Translation (2004)) (God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Paul regarded all his previous advantages as rubbish in order to obtain Christ.

rubbish: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rubbish can also mean “dung, excrement.” These things (3:7a–8a) were not only worthless, but Paul hated them. He considered them filthy. He was glad to get rid of them. Some ideas for translating this word “dung,” “something rotten,” “garbage” or “trash which I throw away.” Avoid using a word that might offend your readers.

that I may gain Christ: Paul continued to use the business metaphor of buying and selling here. Here it means that he wanted to belong fully to Christ, to know him more and more. Paul already belonged to Christ and knew him, but he wanted to know him better. Some ways to translate the phrase gain Christ are: “belong to Christ,” “know Christ,” “follow Christ,” “obey Christ.”

© 2002 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.