those things which were profit to me (BBE)

But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless (CEV)

These things that I once considered valuable (GWT)

whatever things were assets to me (ISV)

All such things which I used to count up as distinct items with a miserly greed and reckon to my credit—these I have massed together under one general head as loss. (Lightfoot)

But (alla) marks a definite and striking contrast between the before/after picture of who Paul was in the flesh versus who (and whose) he was now is in Christ.

Paul is saying

I saw that all my acts of (self) righteousness were nothing on which I could depend for salvation; and that Christ crucified could alone profit me; for I have come to understand that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.

Whatever things were gain - The apostle still speaks from his old standpoint —they were objects of gain, inasmuch as and so long as they were believed to secure acceptance with God. The zemia is opposed

Whatever things are similar to the "things" Paul warned the Colossians about (keeping certain days, abstaining from certain foods, performing certain ascetic practices, etc) declaring that "these are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (see note Colossians 2:23) because they were external works that produced no internal heart change.

Gain (2771) (kerdos) is an accounting term that means profit (excess of returns over expenditure in a transaction). The meaning is that which is gained or earned.  Kerdos also refers to an advantage or any kind of benefit. In the plural (as in this verse = literally "gains") kerdos usually referred to money in secular Greek uses.

TDNT writes that...

 kerdos means “gain,” “advantage,” “profit,” with the desire for it as a derived sense, also crafty counsels in the plural. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

NIDNTT adds that kerdos...

more rarely (was) used in Gk. for clever advice, cunning attacks; and in the plural (meaning) deceit, a frequent meaning from Homer onwards.

The opposite of  kerdos is zemia, disadvantage, loss, and (occasionally) punishment. The opposite of kerdaino is accordingly zemioomai, suffer loss, attested only after Homer. These contrasting pairs are brought together in Matt. 16:26 and Phil. 3:7. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan) 

Paul used kerdos in the preceding section to emphasis that

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ( kerdos) (see note Philippians 1:21)

The only other NT use of kerdos is in Titus...

Titus 1:11 (note) who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain (kerdos).

Paul now repeats this bookkeeping metaphor using the noun form, gain (kerdos), in this verse and then the verb form, gain (kerdaino) to describe one side of the ledger. He uses loss here and twice in 3:8 for the other side of the ledger. When Paul met Christ a wonderful "business transaction" took place and he came to realize how futile and worthless were his "good" works to achieve God's standard of righteousness (filthy rags of Isa 64:6).

Paul lost some things, but he gained much more than he lost, for in Christ

are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (see note Colossians 2:3)!

Remember Lot's wife? She was unwilling to count her gain as loss and so she lost everything. She ignored the angelic warning 

Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away." (Ge 19:17)

Instead of obeying this clear warning she

looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Ge 19:26)

Jesus Himself called on all who have ears to hear to

Remember (present imperative = command to keep remembering her "lot") Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Luke 17:32, 33)

Jesus gave similar warnings to His disciples declaring that

If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (Lu 14:26)

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." (Lu 14:33) (bolding added for emphasis)

Jim Elliott missionary martyr had the same attitude as Paul writing that

He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

THOSE THINGS I HAVE COUNTED AS LOSS FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST: tauta hegemai (1SRMI) dia ton Christon zemian:

I now consider worthless for Christ (GWT)

Spurgeon comments that...

when we come to Christ, whatever we have to trust to, we must put away. We must write it on the other side of the ledger. We had entered it as a gain; now we must set it down as a loss; it is of no value whatsoever, it is a loss if it shall tempt us to trust any less in Christ.

Paul's faith in Jesus reversed all his former estimates, ’so that his gains he counted to be losses. He thought it so much the worse, concerning zeal, to have persecuted the church, and so much to his injury to have imagined that he was blameless in the presence of God.

Those things (5023) (tauta) is emphatic. Paul is saying in essence "these, yes these things". What things? Those things just mentioned such as physical circumcision. In a similar reminder Paul wrote to the Galatians who were being tempted to add law and works to justification by faith --

Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you (if you are placing your "faith" in your "work" of circumcision). And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness." (Gal 5:2-5)

I have counted (2233)(hegeomai) is a mathematical term which says "Think about it and come to a conclusion." In the account book of Paul's life (so to speak) his entries on the gain side were transferred to the loss side. They were not merely useless, they were detrimental. After reflection (now with the mind of Christ) he considered them worthless.

Counted is in the perfect tense which means that Paul made this accounting at a point in time in the past and that he still considered them as a loss. One could paraphrase it as follows...

These things I have set down as loss, and do so still.

The perfect tense here contrasts with his use of the present tense for the same verb ("count") in the next verse.

Jesus alluded to this same thought when He declared

what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? " (Mt 16:26)

Loss (2209)(zemia) describes the state of coming into a worsened situation from previous advantage. Thus zemia is translated as damage, disadvantage, loss, forfeit. In Herodotus zemia usually meant ‘punishment’ but in the NT it is only used of in reference to suffering the loss of something, with the implication of sustaining hardship or suffering.

In ancient Greek manuscripts zemia referred to commercial or business losses.

TDNT writes that zemia meant...

Disadvantage (which) may take the form of monetary or material “loss” or “damage.”  It may also be moral or spiritual in the sense of “hurt” or “ruin,” with a subjective nuance of “unpleasantness.” Legally zemia early takes on the sense of “penalty” and zemioo “to punish.”  (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

NIDNTT adds that...

The opposite of  kerdos is zemia, disadvantage, loss, and (occasionally) punishment. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan) 

Other than Phil 3:7,8, there are only 2 other Scriptural uses of zemia...

(The ship carrying Paul to Rome to stand trial, encountered a deadly storm, prompting Paul to declare), "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage (hubris) and great loss (zemia), not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." (Acts 27:18)

Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete, and incurred this damage and loss (zemia) (Acts 27:21)

A similar historical illustration of "counting it all loss" is told of the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez. After landing at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1519 he was so intent on conquest that to assure the devotion of his men, Cortez set fire to his fleet of eleven ships! With no means of retreat Cortez’s army had only one direction to move, into the Mexican interior. Cortez understood the price of commitment—and he was willing to pay it for a temporal, earthly treasure. Paul in contrast was willing to give up the earthly for the heavenly. Am I? Are you?

For the sake of Christ - This means "on account of Christ" or "because of the fact of Christ" (Vine)

Eadie explains for the sake of Christ as signifying...

what was once gain was now reckoned loss, either because it did not commend him to Christ, or what was held as something won was regarded now as loss, for it did not enable to win Christ, nay, kept him from winning Christ. When he won, he was losing; nay, the more he won, the more he must lose. All his advantages in birth, privilege, sect, earnestness, and obedience, were not only profitless, but productive of positive loss, as they prevented the gaining of Christ, and of justification through the faith of Christ.

In Paul's great renunciation, he gives us his own “Profit and Loss Statement” with "those things" in the preceding verses that had been gain to him, "writing" on one side of the ledger and "writing" on the other side the single word Christ. Paul's point is that all of man's glory amounts to nothing when compared with the glorious treasure which is found in Christ Alone. Where is your treasure...for

where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (see notes Matthew 6:19; 20; 21)

On the Damascus Road Paul had the unspeakable privilege of seeing the glory of the Risen Lord (Acts 9:3), and from that moment on all other glories seemed like nothing in comparison.

McGee adds that

On the credit side of the ledger Paul had been adding up his background and his character and his religion. It seemed like an impressive list—and it was , on the human plane. Suddenly it all became a debit—he no longer trusted in those things because he met Jesus Christ. He had hated Him before and was on the way to Damascus to persecute His followers, but now the One on the debit side was moved to the credit side. He put his entire trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, my friend, if the bookkeeping system of this country were transformed like that, it would upset the economy of the world. It would be a revolution. Actually, any conversion is a revolution because what things are gain become a loss, and loss becomes gain. It turns you upside down and right side up. It gets you in an altogether different position. That is what conversion is. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary:  Thomas Nelson or Logos)

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June 1, 2000
I Have Everything
READ: Philippians 3:1-12

I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. --Philippians 3:8

The airline had mangled Debbie's luggage. Then her purse disappeared. Instead of entering the airport through an enclosed corridor, she stumbled off the plane in the pouring rain. She was drenched, far from home with no money, no identification, and no dry clothes.

Under normal conditions Debbie would have been furious, but that night it didn't matter. She had just survived the crash of Flight 1420 in Little Rock, Arkansas. "When I walked off that plane," Debbie said, "I walked off with nothing, then I stopped and thought, I have everything." She had suddenly realized that her life was more important than all she had lost.

It sometimes takes a dramatic turn of events to alter our perspective. That was true for Saul of Tarsus. He had treasured his hard-earned reputation for "righteousness" more than anything in the world (Phil. 3:4-6). But when he met Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1-6), his whole outlook changed. Later he wrote, "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ" (Phil. 3:7).

Yielding our sinful pride and self-sufficiency to the Lord may seem as if we are losing everything. But only then will we discover that to have life in Christ is to have everything. —David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

We think we have what matters most
Of what this life can give;
But when we yield it all to Christ,
We've just begun to live. —DJD

When we have nothing left but Christ
We find that Christ is enough.

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WHEN ALL IS LOST
READ: Philippians 3:7-14

What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. —Philippians 3:7
I was rummaging around my son's garage and found all the trophies he had won in his years of athletic competition. There they were in a box—about to be thrown out.

I thought of the blood, sweat, and tears that had gone into gaining those awards, yet now he was putting them in the trash. They no longer had any value to him.

It reminded me of a whimsical children's poem by Shel Silverstein called "Hector the Collector." It describes all the things that Hector collected over the years. He "loved them more than shining diamonds, loved them more than glistenin' gold." Then Hector called to all his friends, "Come and share my treasure trunk!" And all the people "came and looked and called it junk."

So it will be at the end of our lives. All our possessions—the things we've spent a lifetime working for—will be nothing but junk. That's when we'll surely know that the best things in life are not things.

But we can have the right perspective now, as Paul did. "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 3:7). We can keep a proper attitude about our possessions, because we possess the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.—David H. Roper (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Not only those things (ICB)

But indeed, therefore (Analyzed Literal)

But no, rather (Modern KJV)

Yes, indeed, therefore, at least, even (Wuest)

More than that (KJV = "yea doubtless") is actually five particles alla, kai and menounge, the latter representing a combination (mén = indeed + oún = but now, therefore + ge = an emphatic), the full significance of which is difficult to convey in our English translations and also a lit. “but indeed therefore at least even”).

The sense is something like ‘indeed, more than that, I therefore affirm at least even this’ adding to and reinforcing what he has just said 

Robertson explains this unusual but meaningful construction stating that

five particles before Paul proceeds (yea, indeed, therefore, at least, even), showing the force and passion of his conviction.

The particle alla would have been enough to put this verse in direct contrast with what he had just said but Paul clearly desires to unequivocally contrast his self righteous "religious" works with the incalculable treasures gained from knowing Christ.

God's Word Translation conveys the sense of Paul's passion paraphrasing it -- It's far more than that!

I (continually) COUNT ALL THINGS TO (continually) BE LOSS: hegoumai (1SPMI) panta zemian einai (PAN): (Acts 20:24; Ro 8:18) (Click devotional Religion or Relationship?)  (Click devotional by Spurgeon)

I now regard all things as liabilities (NET)

I am still setting all things down to be a loss" (Wuest) "I consider everything else worthless" (GWT)

Spurgeon comments...

Paul thinks that to be righteous by faith is infinitely better than all the righteousness that can come by works and ceremonies. He therefore utterly despises that which he once thought to be more precious that gold; and he takes possession of, as his greatest treasure, that which he once trampled in the mire.

Count (2233) (hegeomai) is in the present tense, indicating that Paul continually (habitually) reflected on what he could do in his own strength to add even one "ounce" to his standing before God and he continued to come to the same conclusion -- it belonged in the loss column if it was not Christ's righteousness. As Paul so dramatically discovered on the road to Damascus, a person can have tons of religion without one ounce of salvation!

All things (pas) means all without exception and emphasizes that when Christ is on one side of the scale there is simply nothing that can match His worth. Thus Paul says he continually counts not just his religious achievements as loss but "all things".

Guy King adds that all means

All financial gain, all material gain, all physical gain, all intellectual gain, all moral gain, all religious gain—all these are no gains at all compared with the Great Gain. (bolding added)  (Quote from Joy Way: An Expositional Study Of Philippians, Ft. Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1952)

Spurgeon asks...

Since you have not had to suffer the loss of all things, do you hold all things at God's disposal? Are you ready to part with comfort and honor for Him? Since God has left your worldly comforts to you, have you used all things for His sake?

Loss (2209)(zemia) describes the state of coming into a worsened situation from previous advantage. Thus zemia is translated as damage, disadvantage, loss, forfeit. In Herodotus zemia usually meant ‘punishment’ but in the NT it is only used of in reference to suffering the loss of something, with the implication of sustaining hardship or suffering.

Eadie writes that Paul does not...

mean all things absolutely. It has not the article, indeed, but the meaning is limited by the context—all things of the class and character described—the things of which he says immediately that he had suffered the loss. The estimate was not a hasty conclusion from fallacious premises, nor the sudden leap of an enthusiasm which had for a moment urged him. It was his calm and deliberate judgment still. (Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians - 387 page book in Pdf)

 IN VIEW OF THE SURPASSING VALUE OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD: dia to huperechon (PAPNSA) tes gnoseos Christou Iesou tou kuriou mou:(10; Isa 53:11; Jer 9:23, 9:24; Mt 11:25-27;