---
title: Philippians 3:9
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/philippians-3-9/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/philippians-3-9.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Philippians 3:9
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Philippians 3:9

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> 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.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "and be found in union with him, not because of my own righteousness from following the Law, but because of the righteousness that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith."

## JW Usage

Jehovah's Witnesses acknowledge that righteousness comes through faith but embed it within a framework of ongoing works-based requirements: regular field service, meeting attendance, loyalty to the organisation, and submission to the Governing Body. The Watchtower teaches that to receive everlasting life one "must identify that organization and serve God as part of it." In this framework, Philippians 3:9 is not read as a completed exchange of human performance for divine righteousness but as the starting point of a never-ending treadmill of organisational obedience. A JW can never be certain of salvation because the required works are never defined as complete.

## Protestant Usage

The Protestant reading treats Philippians 3:9 as one of the clearest statements of imputed righteousness in the New Testament. Paul — who had a more impressive religious resume than any JW alive (Pharisee, zealous, blameless under the law) — called ALL of his religious achievements skubalon (dung/refuse) compared to knowing Christ. He wanted to "be found in union with him, not because of my own righteousness from following the Law, but because of the righteousness that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." This is not a righteousness maintained by continued performance — it is a righteousness received. The NWT itself makes this clear. Paul distinguishes between his standing before God (already given, by faith — Philippians 3:9) and his ongoing growth in sanctification (pressing on — Philippians 3:12-14). These are two different categories, not two stages of the same verdict. Romans 5:9 confirms: present justification guarantees future salvation. If God has already done the hard part — declaring sinners righteous in Christ — He will not fail at the easy part of bringing them home.

## NWT Issue

NWT renders *heurethō en autō* as "be found in union with him" rather than "be found in him" — the systemic NWT *en autō* → "in union with" pattern (compare Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Central to the verse's soteriological force: Paul's locative "in him" places imputed righteousness positionally in Christ — the believer's righteousness is Christ's, credited. "In union with him" softens this toward a relational pairing where the righteousness is *associated with* Christ rather than *located in* him. The verse still teaches received righteousness, but the imputation imagery is blunted.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Imputed Righteousness](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/imputed-righteousness.md) — Philippians 3:9 — Received, Not Earned [Salvation]
- [Initial and Final Justification](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/initial-vs-final-justification.md) — The two-stage framework and Romans 5:9 [Salvation]
- [No Pastoral Grace — The Judicial Committee vs the Throne of Grace](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/no-pastoral-grace-confession.md) — Hebrews 4:15-16 — A sympathetic high priest [Salvation]