The Apostle says that there is as much profit in faith without works, as there is in

saying to a hungry man, "Be ye filled." Demons believe there is one God, nevertheless

they tremble; there is no evidence of salvation in such faith. Abraham, however, who in

Gen. 15: was "justified by faith without works," was "justified by works when he had

offered Isaac his son upon the altar." The Apostle asks us, "Seest thou how faith worked

with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" The act of Gen. 22: "fulfilled"

the faith of Gen. 15: "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith

Many other passages of Scripture could be brought forward, but enough has been said

for the purpose. Paul's "crown of righteousness" had reference to that righteousness

which he had as a result of fellowship with Christ. Justified by faith, he had entered into

the blessing of life and peace. An added revelation had shown him the new teaching

concerning the One Body. This he had believed and preached. This new revelation did

not stay at the manifestation of grace as set forth in Eph. 1:-3:, but led on to even fuller

fellowship with Christ, and revealed a "prize" in connection with the "high calling." That

prize is referred to under various titles. It appears to be the "crown of righteousness,"

"the out-resurrection  from among  the dead,"  "the reward of the inheritance"

(Col. 3: 24), the "working out" of the salvation given, "the obtaining of the salvation

which is in Christ Jesus with eonian glory" (II Tim. 2: 10), "the reigning with Him" as a

reward for enduring (II Tim. 2: 12), the "crowning" as a result of "striving lawfully," or

"keeping the rules of the game" (II Tim. 2: 5). The fulness of Christ is the pivot of the

teaching of Ephesians, that fulness which is His now at the right hand of God. The

emptying of Christ is equally the glory of Philippians, the voluntary self-abnegation of

the lowly life on earth. With this, the Apostle desires to have "fellowship"; those

"sufferings" have a relation to "perfecting" (Heb. 5: 8), and future glory. We hope to see

this more clearly when we have considered a little more of Phil. 3: in our next article.

The apostle in verse 8 had spoken of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus

his Lord, and, in order to show that excellency, he leaves the main theme for a moment to

tell us how his most treasured possessions were reckoned by him as worthless, so that he

might gain Christ and be found in Him, having the righteousness which is through the

faith of Christ. Having thus proved this point, the apostle returns to his interrupted

theme, namely, the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, and, resuming,

tells of his desire

It will be noticed that in both cases mention of the knowledge of Christ is followed by

(1) suffering, and (2) gaining or attaining.