Philippians 3:6

“as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless”

“As touching zeal”: “Concerning zeal” (KJV). “His zeal for the law and the protection of the Jewish religion drove him even to the persecution and extermination of the church. His blind hatred against Christ and the church showed how completely he was devoured by his zeal for the Jewish cause” (Muller pp. 110-111). “Persecuting the church”: Acts 8:1; Acts 9:1; Acts 26:9; Galatians 1:14. “It is Paul's claim that he knew Judaism at its most intense and even fanatical heat” (Barclay p. 60). “Here, too, his ‘advantage' over the Judaizers was great. They merely proselyted, He had been. persecutor even ‘unto the death'” (Hendriksen p. 160). Paul had been far more committed to the Law than these teachers presently were. “Touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless”: Found blameless in the sight of men, for no one could keep the law perfectly (Romans 7:9). “This zealous Jew had been the envy of his peers. No one could point to his past life and suggest, ‘Saul, you were never very faithful to the law'. Just the reverse had been true. There must be some reason for the radical change!” (Jackson p. 66) (Acts 23:1; Mark 10:20). Remember, Paul was committed, he was sincere, he was moral, he was zealous---but he was lost! It does matter what. person believes!