To Paul, Judaism Counted for
Nothing in Righteousness
Philippians 3:4-9

Lesson 14

background notes

doctrinal / teaching points

1. A person can have a relationship with Christ on the basis of faith alone.
2. A person can have the righteousness of Christ on the basis of faith alone.

practical applications

1. For the non-Christian; there is only one item needed on your personal resume.
2. For the Christian, there should be only one item on your personal ledger.

questions

1. Who were the Judaizers of Paul’s day?
2. What did the non-Christian Judaizers say about salvation?
3. What did the Christian Judaizers say about sanctification?
4. How did Paul know so much about Judaizers?
5. Can a person be saved on the basis of the following?
   1. a religious ceremony
   2. through religious connections
   3. through a religious party
   4. by a religious record
   5. through religious righteousness

answers

1. The Jewish false teachers who distorted the simple gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. They said that you could not be saved apart from the law of Moses.
3. They said that you could not be sanctified or become spiritual apart from keeping the law and traditions.
4. Paul was once a Judaizer himself.
5. 1. No, not by circumcision or by infant baptism, for example.
   2. No, not by tribe, stock, or family
   3. No, not by being a Pharisee, a Baptist, a Presbyterian, or a Catholic, for example
   4. No, not through zeal or advancing in Judaism or any religion
   5. No, not through righteousness within the law, or keeping the commandments

discuss / consider

1. How can a person have the righteousness of Christ?
2. How would you deal with someone who believes that he is saved on the basis of a religious ceremony, through religious connections, through a religious party, by a religious record, or through religious righteousness? Look at these beliefs, one at a time, and consider how you would deal with them.

challenge

Seriously contemplate the only item you need on your personal resume and on your personal ledger.

memorize

• “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness…but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” Philippians 3:8-9