Bible Strands
Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul, writing to the Philippian church (likely from prison), in the middle of a self-disclosure (3:4b–11) where he discards his Jewish credentials to name what he actually counts as gain.
The words — εὑρεθῶ (heurethō), aorist passive subjunctive, "may be found," frames the clause as a purpose or wish: Paul is not describing a present state but the outcome he aims toward. δικαιοσὺνην (dikaiosunēn), the central noun, appears twice in the verse, once negated ("my own") and once affirmed ("from God"), making the contrast the engine of the sentence.
The thread — The same logic runs through 2 Corinthians 5:21 ("in Him we might become the righteousness of God"), 1 Corinthians 1:30 (Christ as "our righteousness"), and Galatians 2:16 (justification "by faith in Jesus Christ," not works of law).
Why it lands — It requires a reader to stop treating personal moral or religious performance as the ground of standing before God and to accept that the only qualifying righteousness is the one God assigns through faith in Christ.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- Galatians 2:16 know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
- Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
- Romans 4:5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
- Romans 1:17 For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
- Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Isaiah 53:11 After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.
- Romans 9:30 What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
- Jeremiah 23:6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.