腓三8　……我也将万事看作亏损，因我以认识我主基督耶稣为至宝；我因祂已经亏损万事，看作粪土，为要赢得基督。

　　太十七5　……看哪，有一朵光明的云彩遮盖他们；看哪，又有声音从云彩里出来，说，这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的，你们要听祂。

　　以认识基督为至宝，是来自祂人位的宝贵。犹太人认为神借摩西所赐的律法，是人类历史中的至宝；因此，他们为律法发热心。保罗曾经那样发热心。然而，当神将基督启示给他（加一15~16），他就看见基督的宝贵、超绝、无上的宝贝和超凡的价值，是远过于律法的。他对基督的认识，结果叫他以认识基督为至宝。因此，他不仅将律法，以及根据律法所建立的宗教看作亏损，也将万事看作亏损。

　　在腓立比三章八节保罗并不是直接说以基督为至宝，乃是说以认识基督为至宝。本节的认识，并不是指那属于基督的认识，或基督自己所拥有的认识，乃是指我们对基督主观的认识。……以认识基督为至宝，是来自祂人位的宝贵。毫无疑问，就基督自己而言，祂是至宝。但是，……我们若对基督的宝贵缺少认识，祂的宝贵对我们就毫无意义（腓立比书生命读经，一八六至一八七页）。

　　Phil. 3:8 ...I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ.

　　Matt. 17:5 ...Behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!

　　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 excellency of Christ, but of the excellency of knowing Christ. The knowledge in Philippians 3:8 is not the knowledge that belongs to Christ, the knowledge that Christ Himself has; it is our subjective knowing of Christ. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is derived from the excellency of His person. There can be no doubt that in Himself Christ is excellent. But if...we lack the knowledge of Christ's excellency, His excellency will not mean anything to us. (Life-study of Philippians, p. 157)

　　保罗在往大马色的路上那次经历之前，他对基督没有任何认识。他宝爱律法，以律法为至宝。保罗为律法的热心表明他珍赏律法。他的热心是出自他的珍赏。保罗当然以对律法的卓越认识为傲。尽管基督远比律法宝贵，但保罗却不认识基督。

　　然而，在他悔改信主的时候，神将这至宝的一位启示给他。有了基督这启示之后，保罗开始对基督有了认识。他开始认识基督之后，就逐渐领悟，从迦玛列所领受对律法的认识，远逊于对基督的认识。保罗写腓立比三章五至八节时知道这个对比，所以能说出以认识基督为至宝，并且为这认识的至宝亏损万事。

　　当然，至宝就在基督的人位里面。但是，为着我们的经历，我们对这至宝的体验是在于我们的认识。我们若缺少认识，就绝对无法体验这人位是何等的宝贵。唯有当我们认识祂的宝贵时，我们才会以认识基督为至宝。这样以认识基督为至宝，是何等的宝贵！

　　我们可以用观光客在香港购物为例，说明如何得着对基督之认识的至宝。那里的商人知道如何陈列他们的货品，特别是珠宝，以吸引观光客。观光客看见展示的珠宝，通常都很兴奋。进一步的，他们认识了这些东西的宝贵。他们进入商店之前，对这些珠宝的宝贵毫无所知。一旦他们看见了，也知道了这些东西的宝贵，就愿意付代价来得着它们。同样，我们需要有启示，知道基督的宝贵，祂的无上宝贝。……我们若得了基督是至宝的启示，我们自然会以认识基督为至宝。……对基督的认识是基本的。我们所说的认识，实际上是指关乎基督和祂是至宝的启示，异象。……保罗……被对基督之认识的至宝所夺取，并且因着这认识的缘故，愿意丢弃万事，看作亏损（腓立比书生命读经，一八七至一八八、一九一至一九二页）。

　　参读：腓立比书生命读经，第十九篇。

　　Before Paul's experience on the road to Damascus, he did not have any knowledge of Christ. He treasured the law and regarded it as most excellent. Paul's zeal for the law was a sign of his appreciation of the law. His zeal came out of his appreciation. Paul certainly was proud of his excellent knowledge of the law. Even though Christ is infinitely more excellent than the law, Paul did not have the knowledge of Christ. But at the time of his conversion, this excellent One was revealed to him. With this revelation of Christ, Paul began to have the knowledge of Christ. After he began to acquire the knowledge of Christ, Paul came to realize that the knowledge of the law received through Gamaliel was far inferior to the knowledge of Christ. Conscious of this comparison as he was writing Philippians 3:5-8, Paul could speak of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and of suffering the loss of all things for the excellency of this knowledge.

　　To be sure, the excellency is in the very person of Christ. But for our experience, our realization of this excellency depends on our knowledge. If we lack knowledge, there is simply no way for us to realize that this person is so excellent. Only when we come to know His excellency do we have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. How precious is this excellency of the knowledge of Christ!

　　Gaining the excellency of the knowledge of Christ may be illustrated by the experience of tourists shopping in Hong Kong. The merchants there know how to display their products, especially jade, in a way to make them very attractive to tourists. Often when tourists see precious items on display, they become excited. Furthermore, they acquire a knowledge of the excellency of these things. Before they entered the store, they did not know anything of the excellency of these precious items. But once they saw them and gained the excellency of the knowledge concerning them, they were willing to pay the price to possess them. In like manner, we need a revelation of Christ's excellency, of His supreme preciousness. If we have a revelation of Christ's excellency, we shall automatically have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. By knowledge we actually mean a revelation, a vision, concerning Christ and His excellence.... Paul was captured by the excellency of knowing Christ, and for the sake of this knowledge, he was willing to drop all things and count them to be loss. (Life-study of Philippians, pp. 157-158, 161)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Philippians, msg. 19