That I Might Know Him

That I Might Know Him

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Php 3:10-11

These verses are the heart felt cry of every Christian, and yet very difficult verses to understand.

The difficulties are, firstly:

In the first couplet, is Paul saying he wants to know 2 separate things: Christ and Christ's resurrection power; or is he saying he wants to know just one thing: Christ, “even” in the power of his resurrection? The problem is that the English word "and," is the Greek word "kai," and it can also mean “even."

In the second couplet, we face the same basic question. Is Paul saying he wants to know the fellowship of his suffering to be made conformable to his death, or as one already conformed to his death.

Or are these not couplets? Is he saying he wants to know Christ in his resurrection power, having had fellowship with him in his death (when saved or by suffering as a worker of Christ), and was thereby being conformed to Christ’s death?

Secondly, we have v 11 with the very hard to understand phrase “if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

But I am going to skip over those difficulties, and focus on one phrase: “that I might know him.”

And I want to focus on one thought: Knowing Christ is NOT the same as knowing about him!

Paul is not talking about knowing that Christ rose from the dead, or knowing that he suffered, or knowing that he has a part in Christ's death, or knowing that there is a resurrection; Paul is not talking about knowing facts, he is talking about knowing Christ as a person.

The difference is important and huge!

The non-Christian can fall into the trap of thinking that knowledge ABOUT Christ is the same as knowing him, and therefore is an evidence that they are saved.

The Christian can fall into the trap that knowledge ABOUT Christ is the same as knowing him, and therefore is an evidence that they are "growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ."

"Of" is different from "about."

Obviously we are to know about him, about his plan, his work, and every Christian will want to grow in knowledge about those things. Every Christian should be a theologian, an expert in the bible, and a scholar in doctrine. We are experts in our work, we read the manuals, the journals; we are experts in our hobbies, fishing, hunting, cooking, and gardening; why are we not theologians?

But that is another issue.

This Blog is to motivate you to a depth of intimacy with Christ beyond which you currently have; and believe me, I have not arrived at the depth I wish I had, nor had Paul!

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Php 3:12-14

And note, those verses immediately follow where Paul says, "that I might know him."

So we are not talking about academic knowledge.

This was a problem with 1st century Greeks. When Paul wrote about knowledge in 1Co 8:1 he says "knowledge puffs up." In 1Co 1 he brings out how God passed by the "wise" of the world. Consider Athens, about which he could say:

"For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing." Act 17:21 

Now granted he was talking about those people who were wise in pagan ways and thinking, like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and their followers, but since this WAS the ancient world, it also infected the early church:

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2Ti 3:5-7

There were deceiving false teachers who traveled around, and tried to sexually seduce women, widows and singles, with the line: we will teach you things about God. And yes it still goes on today.

Roman Catholic Scholastics of the Middle Ages fell into the same trap of gaining knowledge for knowledge sake, but never knowing God. They were very learned men, well read, thinkers, academics, but they did not know God.

Liberal Protestants, who like the Sadducees of old and deny the supernatural, are intellectually very learned, they think deep thoughts, but they have never met Jesus, and so they do not know him.

And this effects preaching. Paul said he would not be like the wise of the world:

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" 1Co 2:4 

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 1Co 2:13 

The entire Greek world was infected with human learning, "science falsely so called" (1Ti 6:20)

Maybe, on a human level, that is why the gospel never made much of an impact in Athens, they were consumed with "nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing." We never read of a church in Athens; there is no letter to the Athenian Christians!

So what is Paul talking about?

He is talking about knowing Jesus on a personal, intimate level; person to person. Obviously Paul knows Christ, but he wants to know him more deeply, that is the general import of the phrases about the power of his resurrection, suffering etc. Paul does not just want a surface relationship with Christ, he wants a deep and personal relationship!

Knowing Christ and the Father:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Joh 17:3 

This verse cannot mean to know the fact that God is the only true God, the devil knows that; it must mean know God who are the only true God.

How do we get to know a person, by a 3rd party telling us about them, or by being with that person and talking with them? Obviously the later. We commune with them, talk with them, listen to them, observe them, see them. They speak directly to us, they reveal themselves to us. It is what we say about our spouse: I know them! A personal “face-to-face” intimacy. That is what Paul is talking about.

Heart knoweldge, not head knoweldge!

And he looks forward to the day when that will be the case: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1Co 13:12 

Do you want that kind of a relationship with Jesus?

The devil is doing a great job drugging us with the things of the world, with money, possessions, pride, fame, reputation, sinful fleshly pleasures, addictions, and with the lie that "we need to get all the gusto we can NOW;" he is doing that so we do not pursue the salvation that comes from "knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," and the joy that we can have in a personal relationship with him.

On this subject, I would recommend J.I. Packer's book "Knowing God." It is available on many on-line book stores.

19 October 2025