Section 4
"my Lord" indicates that as Paul was writing, he was filled with intimate, tender feelings con cerning Christ. Tender feelings concerning the preciousness of the Lord Jesus rose up within him, causing him to speak of "Christ Jesus my Lord." Paul placed great value on the excellency of the knowledge of his dear Lord Jesus Christ.
THE EXCELLENCY OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST
The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is derived from the excellency of His Person. The Jews consider the law of God given through Moses the most excellent thing in history. Hence, they are zealous for the law. Paul participated in that zeal. But when Christ was revealed to him by God (Gal. 1:15-16), he saw that the excellency, the supereminence, the supreme preciousness, the surpassing worth, of Christ far exceeded the excellency of the law. His knowledge of Christ issued in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. On account of this, not only did he count the law and the religion founded on the law to be loss, but he counted all things loss.
Here Paul speaks not directly of the excel lency of Christ, but of the excellency of know ing Christ. The knowledge in 3:8 is not the