The Human Credentials and Advantages Paul Rejected

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Paul’s renunciation of human credentials and advantages is one of the clearest demonstrations in Scripture of the utter incompatibility between confidence in the flesh and faith in the cross of Christ. While Paul possessed a rare combination of birthright, education, privilege, and status, he viewed all these things as worthless in regard to his standing before Jehovah. This total repudiation must be understood within the doctrinal framework of the gospel and the historical situation Paul addressed, particularly in his letters to the Galatians and Philippians.

Paul begins his argument in Philippians 3:4-5 with the words, “If anyone else thinks he has reason to have confidence in the flesh, I have more.” The phrase “confidence in the flesh” refers to anything inherited or achieved in human terms which people might consider grounds for righteousness or divine favor. In his Jewish world, certain distinctions conferred high status, and Paul had them all.

The first advantage Paul possessed was his pure Israelite ancestry. He was “of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.” This meant that both of his parents were Jews, which distinguished him from proselytes or Jews of mixed heritage. His tribal affiliation with Benjamin placed him in the lineage of one of the two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) that remained loyal to the Davidic kingdom after the ten northern tribes seceded (1 Kings 12:21). The tribe of Benjamin also had the distinction of producing Israel’s first king, Saul, for whom Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was likely named.

Paul’s upbringing in strict observance of the Mosaic Law further elevated his religious stature. As a Pharisee, Paul belonged to the most rigorously disciplined and respected sect within Judaism (Acts 26:5). The Pharisees were known for their intense study of the law and for adhering to countless additional oral traditions to ensure obedience. As one trained under Gamaliel, the most distinguished teacher of the law in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), Paul received the finest theological education available to any Jew.

Paul’s Roman citizenship was another unmatched human credential (Acts 22:28). In the Roman world, citizenship conferred significant privileges including protection from certain punishments, the right to a trial before Caesar, exemption from degrading forms of execution such as crucifixion, and higher legal standing. Roman citizenship could be purchased at enormous cost or inherited by birth. Paul’s citizenship was by birth, which placed him in the highest legal class.

Paul’s zeal and personal righteousness also marked him as superior among his peers. In Galatians 1:14 he writes, “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.” His reputation for strict adherence to the law and his eagerness to persecute the early Christian church (Philippians 3:6; Galatians 1:13) were once considered by Paul as supreme demonstrations of his religious fervor.

Yet these very credentials, which in Jewish society commanded respect and admiration, Paul describes as “loss” (Philippians 3:7) and even as “rubbish” or “refuse” (Philippians 3:8). The Greek word skubalon (σκύβαλον) used in Philippians 3:8 conveys something detestable, even disgusting. The term was used to refer to garbage, food scraps, or even human waste. Paul uses this strongest language to emphasize that the human advantages he once cherished became loathsome to him once he encountered the surpassing worth of Christ.

In Galatians 6:14, this theme reaches its pinnacle. Paul states that he refuses to glory in anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. This statement, made against the backdrop of the Judaizers who gloried in their circumcision and religious heritage, serves as Paul’s direct rejection of all human merit. He exposes the vanity of those who “desire to make a good showing in the flesh” (Galatians 6:12). Their insistence on external religious marks not only detracted from the sufficiency of Christ but also represented the very type of human advantage that Paul had abandoned.

Paul’s rejection of human credentials also stands as a testimony to the absolute sufficiency of grace. As he explains in Romans 3:27-28, “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Justification cannot coexist with boasting in human merit. Paul’s theological argument rests on the reality that the cross obliterates any distinction based on birth, status, or works.

Moreover, Paul saw his own life as an example for all believers. In 1 Corinthians 4:7 he asks, “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not receive it?” All that believers have is a gift from God; therefore, self-glory is illegitimate.

Paul’s renunciation of human advantages also has practical implications. It redirected his entire mission. Rather than seeking prominence within Jewish circles or political privilege as a Roman citizen, Paul embraced suffering, persecution, and rejection for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). The very things that might have brought him worldly prestige became worthless in the pursuit of knowing Christ and making Him known.

Paul’s example confronts every generation of believers. Any temptation to find value in family heritage, educational background, social status, religious affiliation, or outward appearance must be put to death in light of the cross. As he wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” The new identity of the believer is grounded solely in union with Christ, not in any earthly or fleshly advantage.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).