What does Paul mean by the statement that he was seeking to gain the "righteousness which is of God by faith"? Paul was speaking of the decision the believer must make, whether to focus on obeying the statutes of the Law of Moses or whether to surrender the problems of the day to Christ so the believer is able to combat the evil of the day in Him and by Him.

Paul does not mean the Lord Jesus already has won every victory for Paul and Paul is victorious because of his identification with Christ through means of his belief in Christ. The doctrine of "Jesus did it all" is being preached today. The widely held concept that the Christian redemption is primarily a mental acceptance of Jesus' victory is one of the principal reasons for the present immorality and spiritual weakness of the churches.

The righteousness that is of God by faith is behavior that seeks always to be found in Christ, motivated by Him, guided by Him, submitted to Him. We make the choice to obey the commandments of the Scriptures and then we look to the Lord for every aspect of obedient behavior. This is what it means to live by faith.

Paul was declaring he could do nothing of himself. The Lord Jesus was becoming the Center and Circumference of every element of Paul's thinking, speaking, and acting.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Philippians 3:10)

Paul was seeking to know Christ in the sense of living by Christ's incorruptible life and experiencing the sufferings of Christ (perhaps, as some believe, sufferings that Jesus still is bearing as He purifies His Bride). Paul sought to be continually changed into the likeness of Christ's death, knowing that only from such death does the fullness of life spring forth.

As to Christ's death:

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalms 22:14-16)

As to Christ's incorruptible life:

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelation 1:18)

The totality of life proceeds from the totality of death.

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection [out-resurrection] of the dead. (Philippians 3:11)

The few commentators we have read, when referring to Philippians 3:11, assure us that the passage is referring to a spiritual resurrection. Their idea is that all Christians are raised from the dead into unutterable bliss so the verse must not be referring to the physical body of the believer.

However, a few verses later we see that Paul indeed did have the body in mind.

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)

To be continued.