that I may know him, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.
[ASV] Phil 3:10-11
that I may know Him
and that I may know the power of His resurrection
and that I may know the fellowship of His sufferings
being conformed unto His death
so that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. [IVV]
that I may know the fellowship of his sufferings . . .
καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ, συμμορφούμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ,
and the fellowship {of the} suffering {of Him} {being conformed} {to the} death {of him}
[συμμορφούμενος] (summorphoumenos) “being conformed with”
This participle is connected with [gnōnai] “to know Him” and connects back to Jesus willingness to not count morphology (being in the form) with God a thing to be grasped. Being willing to take the form of mankind and be found in the likeness of man.
What does the willingness to conform to his death, being conformable to his death actually mean?
Let’s look at how the Bible translations handle the expression:
(ASV) becoming conformed unto his death;
(BBE) becoming like him in his death;
(CEV) I want to suffer and die as he did,
(CJB) as I am being conformed to his death,
(ERV) I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death.
(ESV) and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [ERV, GNB, GW, ISV]
(JUB) That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death,
(LITV) and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; [JUB, KJV, LSV, MKJV]
(MSG) be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.
(Murdock) and might participate in his sufferings, and be assimilated to his death:
(NLT) I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
(TLB) to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him.
“What does that all mean Ian?”
To share in his actual sufferings is impossible for us. It certainly doesn’t mean that we replicate His atoning death. We can’t have an active part in His redemptive act of atonement apart from being recipients of it. Some commentators think it is a spiritual suffering. NO. That is to trivialise Christ’s act of atonement by offering Himself as a sacrifice for us. It’s not suffering that saves you, it’s being covered by the dikaiosune (righteousness of Christ) that saves you, which results in you being raised with Him in death. According to the Bible, you have no righteousness of you own worthy of saving you. Once you accept that fact and gratefully receive the gift of His righteousness and trust that to cover you and make you right in God’s eyes then you are made “acceptable in Christ”. Don’t try to spiritualise the suffering. Just accept His atoning death as God’s means of dealing with your sin. Being willing to die to yourself in life, results in you being fit for eternal life (Zoe). In Him we live and move and have our being.
So how then how do we interpret the words?
- knowing the fellowship of His sufferings
- being conformed to His death
There are some hints among the translations above. But let’s not cloud the issue with nice sounding spiritual words. Surely the meaning is expressed within the following quotes:
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
Matt 10:38
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Matt 16:24
Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
2 Cor 4:10-12
Christ’s sufferings are suffered by His disciples, His Body of Believers, followers here on earth. i.e. us experiencing the cup of suffering too. To suffer with Him or for his name’s sake Is also to be glorified with him. Buried with Christ in baptism but raised to newness of life, the Life of the Age to Come – Zoe. When you regard all the world sees as glitter, gold and riches as dung, believe me you are ready for heaven. When you long for His Coming you are ready for departure. Do you see in these words hints of meaning to something Paul has already alluded to in this letter to the Philippians. Do I need to remind you? Surely not! Think back to the obvious connection. It’s found in:-
For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. . . . and I trust that my life will bring honour to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.
Phil 1:13-14; 20-23
Surely that is what Paul was alluding to. Remember Paul’s situation as he wrote this letter to the Philippians. He was held in a prison in Rome awaiting the whim of a despotic Roman emperor. I told you in Gem 1968 that Paul likely encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus in AD 36. The succession of Roman Emperors from AD 36 to the likely time when Paul died were:
- Tiberius (14–37 ce)
- Caligula (37–41 ce)
- Claudius (41–54 ce)
- Nero (54–68 ce)
Two of the worst were Caligula and Nero. For Paul, awaiting his fate in the prison in Rome, the very likely outcome was execution. Thus making his words above that much more poignant and real. That adds to the significance of Paul’s comment about sharing in the sufferings of Christ (the fellowship of His sufferings) and the conformity with His death. Given Paul’s words quoted above, I believe he would have taken comfort and strength from Jesus willingness to give up having the morphology (form) of God and being willing to take on human form even to stoop to the level of taking on the body of a man. If Jesus could come down to that level then Paul would have considered it an honour to die a death of suffering like Jesus did. These were not idle words, but the expression of the willingness to suffer a death like Jesus died. As I have said many times to audiences I have spoken to, I am ready to die a martyr’s death; the worst thing the enemies of God can do to me is the best they can do for me. They would usher me into the Life of the Age to Come. Real LIFE as God meant it to be when He created life in Eden. It is that hope, the hope Paul had, which takes away the fear of death. Death just simply means you leave behind this life on earth we experience now and exchange it with being transformed, transferred into the Presence of Christ.
Are Paul’s words taking on new meaning for you now?
Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Cor 4:16-17
The highest purpose of our suffering as believers in Jesus is to share in His suffering and thus to know Him more intimately.
Lynda Wake, Bethany’s mum
Now there is an attitude toward suffering you should embrace. Everyone needs a biblical theology of suffering.
Ian Vail
The cross is God taking on flesh and blood and embracing the suffering and saying, “Me too.”
Ian Vail
If pain doesn’t lead to humility, you have wasted your suffering.
Katerina Klemer