Knowledge is familiarity gained from a range of information and experiences. It shows that knowledge has two sources from the above definition. When knowledge is based upon only one of these two sources, it becomes unwholesome knowledge. Information is the theoretical aspect of knowledge while experience is the practical aspect of knowledge. The two must go together to make a wholesome knowledge which can affect the mind. heart and character positively. People are destroyed when there is no wholesome knowledge (Hos. 4:6).
Wholesome knowledge is both intellectually acquired and spiritually received. That which is intellectually acquired comes through human effort, but that which is spiritually received comes through divine revelation and impartation (Dan. 2:17-20). Any knowledge we acquire or receive will lead us to a particular object; God or satan. An unwholesome knowledge has its root in the tree of knowledge and will lead us to a wrong person; satan. Every true and wholesome knowledge will lead us to the only true God and to Jesus Christ whom He sent (Jn. 17:3). Th whole truth is that every true knowledge, whether secular or religious, will lead to God when rightly applied. This is because God is the beginning and the end f every true knowledge ( Rev. 1:8).
The excellent knowledge is that which leads us to personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This is the level of knowledge that apostle Paul is talking about in Phil. 3;7-9. This kind of knowledge excels all other knowledge because it is based only upon the personality of Jesus Christ, the son of God. This kind of knowledge is incomparable to any other kind because of its unique nature and source. This knowledge furnishes those who can pay the price for it with the possession f that priceless privileges that are of supreme and overwhelming advantage. These priceless privileges flow from personal and intimate knowledge of Christ which begins with knowing Him as personal Lord and Savior and progressively grows deeply in personal and simplicity of devotion to Him.
There is a price to pay in other to obtain this excellent knowledge. Apostle Paul presented himself and what he did to obtain it as a model example we should follow. He followed very closely the example of Christ who is our supreme model, and the kind of price He paid to become our qualified Saviour and High priest. The price the apostle paid to obtain the excellent knowledge of the son of God is as follows:
He counted, as loss, the things that that were gain to him for the sake of Christ. In other words, the apostle was saying that he would have counted himself a great and terrible loser if he had retained the things that were gain to him and lost his excellent knowledge being revealed by the Spirit of God. This is in the Spirit of what the Lord Himself said that should be the cost of following Him (Mk. 8:34-38).
He suffered the loss of all things that he had as Jewish privileges and as a Pharisees. This is referring to the early part of his Christian faith when he embarked upon following the Lord who had appeared to him in his way of persecuting the church. He ventured all in his new faith and willingly suffered the loss for all the privileges of being a follower of Christ. There is a clear promise for such a resolute and absolute abandonment made for the sake of Christ (Mk. 10:28-30).
He counted everything as refuse to win Christ. Apostle Paul perceived Christ as a supreme prize to win at the expense of all earthly dignity and affluence. He did not only count them as loss, but also as dung thrown to dogs or into dustbin. They were not only less valuable in comparism to Christ, but in the highest degree, they were contemptible when compared to Christ and the riches of His kingdom (Matt. 6:32-33).
He removed his trust from what he had done and put it on what Christ has done for him. What Paul laid hold upon was Christ, His righteousness and His kingdom. We are undone without the righteousness wherein to appear before God. There is a righteousness provided for us in Christ Jesus. Apostle Paul saw his own righteousness, which is of the law, and which was based upon outward observance of the law and good deeds as incompetent to atone for his moral imperfection. He laid hold upon that righteousness which comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ- Rm. 3:21-22; 10:4. Paul reached out for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ his Lord.
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