I would imagine that the Apostle Paul was a difficult opponent in the midst of an argument. As a former Pharisee, a "Hebrew of Hebrews," as he called himself, he knew the law quite well, characterizing himself during that season of his life as "legalistic, righteous, and faultless." Those are formidable character traits to bring to a discussion of any kind, particularly where conflict may arise.
These traits served him well as a persecutor of the church, but they did not serve him well as a follower of Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul writes in our text today that he counts all of that, loss, when compared to the "surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord..." The transformation that came to Paul on the Damascus road and in the days and weeks that followed, set him on a new course with a new goal, as stated in verses 10-11 of our text. "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Now, I'm not sure that humility was one of Paul's best know character traits as a follower of Christ, but his quest to know Christ dominated his actions and ministry for the rest of his life, and made him usable in the hands of God as an ambassador for Christ.
You and I don't need to defend Christ. We don't have to be great debaters in spiraling arguments of faith. Paul's goal is enough for us..."I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection..." That is a worthy goal that needs no debate.
Jim Abernathy
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