Philippians 3:6

Philippians 3:6

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

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Paul recalls his fierce zeal and his outward, law-keeping blamelessness before knowing Christ.

What Does Philippians 3:6 Mean?

Paul completes the list with his record of action. His zeal was so intense that he persecuted the church, and measured by the external righteousness of the law, he was blameless, faultless in his observance.

Few could match such commitment. Paul threw himself wholly into what he believed was right, even to the point of opposing the followers of Jesus. By the standard of outward law-keeping, no charge could be laid against him. Yet there is a shadow here he will soon expose: all this zeal was aimed against Christ, and all this blamelessness left him without the one thing that mattered. The most devoted, upright life, if it does not know Christ, falls short of the true goal. Paul's testimony warns that sincerity and rigor are not enough; everything depends on knowing the Lord.

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