In Philippians 3:7-9, Paul says “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
This passage is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. Prior to this passage in Philippians 4-6, Paul says “If anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
Paul takes time to make a small list of some big credentials that he could very easily brag about. But then, he goes on and says "but whatever was to my profit (meaning “whatever things that I could and should brag about or boast in”), I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." He goes on to say “What is more, I consider EVERYTHING a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”
The Greek word that Paul uses in verse 8, that we translate to “rubbish,” is scubula. A wise pastor, Doug A., once spoke on this word SCUBULA. He shared how this word was the Greek word for feces, poop, ddong, etc. The strength and intensity of the Greek word gets lost in the English translation as rubbish. Paul is saying that he considers everything as CRAP compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. Scubula. It’s all scubula to Paul.
This idea is so powerful. What are the characteristics of CRAP? It smells. It has no value. It is considered “waste.” It is messy. What do we do with CRAP? We rid ourselves of it. We avoid it. We dispose of it. We can make no use of it (except to play pranks on people). When we step in it, we wipe it off immediately with little or no regard to it.
CRAP is worthless. SCUBULA is worthless. Paul uses this word to compare everything in his life to the privilege of knowing Christ. Does this mean that Paul disregards everything in his life as complete SCUBULA? No.
Paul says that compared to knowing Christ, everything else is scubula. It’s like saying I love Mickey D’s, but compared to Chipotle, Mickey D’s is scubula.
During my last semester at George Mason University, my friends and I used the word scubula as a constant reminder that compared to knowing Christ, everything else was crap. Yes, we should do our best work while here in this world. Yes, we should enjoy material things that God has blessed us with. Yes, we should be responsible in the things that God has entrusted us. But, if any of those things get in the way of knowing Christ, if any of those things dare compete with our pursuit of a deeper relationship with the King, we will consider them SCUBULA.
Paul, of course, puts it more elegantly in Philippians 3:10-11 when he says “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
All that being said: yes, I do consider many things in this world to be rubbish compared to knowing Christ and my journey with Him. But that is not to say that nothing in this world matters. Of those things that interest me, I may blog. But rest assured, I still consider them scubula.
This passage is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. Prior to this passage in Philippians 4-6, Paul says “If anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
Paul takes time to make a small list of some big credentials that he could very easily brag about. But then, he goes on and says "but whatever was to my profit (meaning “whatever things that I could and should brag about or boast in”), I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." He goes on to say “What is more, I consider EVERYTHING a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”
The Greek word that Paul uses in verse 8, that we translate to “rubbish,” is scubula. A wise pastor, Doug A., once spoke on this word SCUBULA. He shared how this word was the Greek word for feces, poop, ddong, etc. The strength and intensity of the Greek word gets lost in the English translation as rubbish. Paul is saying that he considers everything as CRAP compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. Scubula. It’s all scubula to Paul.
This idea is so powerful. What are the characteristics of CRAP? It smells. It has no value. It is considered “waste.” It is messy. What do we do with CRAP? We rid ourselves of it. We avoid it. We dispose of it. We can make no use of it (except to play pranks on people). When we step in it, we wipe it off immediately with little or no regard to it.
CRAP is worthless. SCUBULA is worthless. Paul uses this word to compare everything in his life to the privilege of knowing Christ. Does this mean that Paul disregards everything in his life as complete SCUBULA? No.
Paul says that compared to knowing Christ, everything else is scubula. It’s like saying I love Mickey D’s, but compared to Chipotle, Mickey D’s is scubula.
During my last semester at George Mason University, my friends and I used the word scubula as a constant reminder that compared to knowing Christ, everything else was crap. Yes, we should do our best work while here in this world. Yes, we should enjoy material things that God has blessed us with. Yes, we should be responsible in the things that God has entrusted us. But, if any of those things get in the way of knowing Christ, if any of those things dare compete with our pursuit of a deeper relationship with the King, we will consider them SCUBULA.
Paul, of course, puts it more elegantly in Philippians 3:10-11 when he says “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
All that being said: yes, I do consider many things in this world to be rubbish compared to knowing Christ and my journey with Him. But that is not to say that nothing in this world matters. Of those things that interest me, I may blog. But rest assured, I still consider them scubula.
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