Q2. The Obstacle of Pride

[Karen11]

Jesus doesn't want you to be "religious"he wants you to have a personal  relationship with him.

My religious background could stop from having a personal relationship, it would take my focus off Jesus and on all things that don't matter.

 

[Krissi]

I have a difficult time understanding this.

First, I have no childhood religious background. I always thought it would be a blessing to be raised in the faith, to have a religious background and not be reflexively secular. I'd like to be reflexively Christian in my ethic and thought process. But here, having a strong religious upbringing is considered "Loss."

Secondly, perhaps pride in one's adult Christian background is the issue. Sadly, I'm so far from the mark that I can't see it that way.

Thirdly, this could be a generic sort of pride in one's accomplishments, degrees, prestige, class, etc., and not restricted to Pharisee-like status in the church. If it's taken out of the church context, (which Paul does NOT do in this passage), then it would apply to all of us. We all have things for which we're proud, sometimes deservedly, as we worked hard to get them. 

What Paul could be saying, then, is even the deserved accolades, accomplishments and advantages of birth are NOTHING compared to knowing Jesus. It is not only that Paul was given a family heritage, citizenship, orthodoxy, etc., and didn't deserve these advantages in life, but rather that anything Paul had done to enhance or improve himself as well as the advantages he undeservedly enjoyed, were worth nothing compared to having faith in Christ.