that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. [ASV] Phil 3:10-12
That I may know Him, know the power of His resurrection and know the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed with His death so that I may experience the resurrection from the dead. I don’t consider I have already obtained it or am already made perfect, but I seek to lay hold on that for which Christ laid hold of me. [IVV]
Philippians 3:11 – the last portion
εἴ πως καταντήσω εἰς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν
If somehow {I may attain} into the {out of resurrection} {of the} dead
Philippians 3:12 – the last portion
διώκω δὲ εἰ καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ καὶ κατελήμφθην ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ{
{I pursue} but if indeed {I may lay hold of} {in as much} as also {I was laid hold of} by the Christ Jesus
These two verses (Phil 3:11 and 12) contain a puzzle as to what Paul is referring to. What is written here has sparked debate among the commentators as to the nature of that which we lay hold of. I have demonstrated to you in the two previous Gems that there is a string of what Paul wished to know.
- Paul wanted to know Christ (intimately).
- He wanted to know His resurrection power.
- He wanted to know the fellowship of His suffering.
But to what end? Is knowing Christ, knowing the power of His resurrection and sharing in His sufferings an end in itself? Hardly. And then there are the verses which I have omitted from the Greek above. The part about not having received it yet. Not having received what?
- Not having received the resurrection from the dead.
- Not having been made perfect.
- Not having received the ultimate reward of being “in Christ”. (And what is that?)
- Was Paul wanting to know Christ’s resurrection power or was Paul wanting the reward of the resurrection – namely eternal life?
- Or was Paul suggesting that the reward of resurrection from the dead is being made perfect?
The debate among many of the commentators is whether there were a group of Judaisers who suggested that
- the resurrection from the dead had already come.
- perfection could be attained in this life
I don’t wish to over-press what Paul has written to mean something he never intended. I am not intent on eisegesis but rather exegesis. I don’t wish to read into a passage that which Paul never meant (eisegesis); but rather to read out of the passage what Paul intended in the first place (exegesis). Many of the commentators think the debate over 1 and 2 above can be read into the words of Paul in the latter part of 3:11 and 3:12. So it is to that end I wish to direct our attention. Do you see that Paul has three verses in this larger section which are related to the same concept.
so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Phil 3:11
so that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:12
we should live up to what we have achieved so far.
Phil 3:16
Do you notice that the middle verse above (Phil 3:12) is interesting in the light of what Paul didn’t say. Look at the interlinearised Greek I gave you above for that verse – Philippians 3:12. Paul has given us no direct object, either stated or inferred. He simply wrote or dictated “I pursue (my aim is) to lay hold of [what] I in turn was laid hold of by Christ.” But he doesn’t actually state clearly what that was. There is no referent to it in the sentence, not even a relative pronoun.
Most of the translations leave the reference unspecified in the way the LITV does:
[LITV] Not that I already received or already have been perfected, but I press on, if I also may lay hold, inasmuch as I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.Others fill in the object of our pursuit for us, by conjecture:-( coloured it gold like an Olympic medal – some of you will guess why.)
- (BBE) but I go on in the hope that I may come to the knowledge of that for which I was made the servant of Christ Jesus.
- [CEV] But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.
- [ERV] That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his.
- [ESV] Not that I . . . am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
- [GNB] I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
- [GW] But I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me.
- [MSG] I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.
- [Murdock] I run in the race, if so I may take that, for which Jesus the Messiah took me.
- [NLT] I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
- [TLB] I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be.
- [TPT] I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover.
I think I have given you enough to ponder in this Gem. We will work our way through what Paul has written in order to decide what he was telling the Philippians and us. Be prepared to look at the bigger picture. Do you want a hint?
My gift to you: This Gem is perfect for the timing in this month and the month just past, as well as the year in the scope of history. Perfect! Not perfection; but perfect timing.
Take a look at the total passage from Phil 3:10-16. Do you see further hints in the things Paul is talking about overall? Paul’s word picture here is an extensive one which is related to something you know well, which is very current and up to date. I will spend a number of Gems unpacking this, so you will have time to sort out the fullness of what Paul is telling us.
The crown is the prize of the really good runner who perseveres to the end.
Plato
It is not strength, but art, obtains the prize. And to be swift is less than to be wise.
Homer
Just as at the Olympic games it is not the handsomest or strongest men who are crowned with victory but the successful competitors, so in life it is those who act rightly who carry off all the prizes and rewards.
Aristotle
In war there is no prize for runner-up.
Seneca the Younger