This Tuesday, we are gathering to discuss Philippians 3:12-4:1. This reading is the second half of Paul’s discourse that we looked at two weeks ago beginning with Philippians 3:1. As part of his argument (vv.12-16), Paul employs a running or racing metaphor for the Christian life.
Striving Forward: (vv.12-13)
In the first part of this discourse, Paul writes about our need to renounce any worldly identity or confidence in the things of this world, including our religion. Rather, Paul tells us of his renunciation of his Jewish identity so that he could gain Christ. In verses 12-13, Paul says that he has yet to be perfected by Christ, so he presses on. Paul is not simply on a journey but on a chase. The operative Greek word in the second half of verse 12 is katalambano, which means to seize, arrest, or capture like a predator to prey or an army pursuing an adversary that has broken rank. Paul says that he wants to seize or take possession of being in Christ because Christ has seized or taken possession of him. In this endevour to seize Christ, Paul writes in verse 13, that he has forgotten everything behind him (his worldly identity, his blamelessness before the law, etc.) so that he can strain and stretch forward with everything he has towards what lies ahead. Think of the Olympic track athlete always running forward and never looking back, as he strains towards the finish line.
The Goal: (v.14)
Paul’s goal is to reach the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (v.14). This phrase could be an extension of Paul’s racing metaphor. In any ancient games, the sponsor of the games would sit in the reviewing stands and be the final judge as to the winner. This sponsor/judge would invite the prevailing contestant up into the stands to receive his prize. Looking forward to verse 20, the prize that Paul writes about is the transformation of our lowly bodies into a glorious body like Christ’s. See, 1 Cor. 15:42-57.
Alternatively (or additionally), Paul could also be referring to our experiencing the glory of the resurrection now in our new lives in Christ. As Paul writes in a companion letter, we should seek those things from above (e.g. compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love) and leave behind those things from below (e.g. fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness). Col. 3:1-17. If we are to live a life worthy of our citizenship in Jesus Christ (1:27) and in anticipation of our bodily transformation (3:20), then our goal and our prize should be the possession of these Christian virtues from above and the relinquishment of the vices from below.
Perfect Imperfections: (vv.15-16)
One of the great problems in reading the Bibles that we have is that Paul did not write in English and we cannot read Greek. Within this reading today (vv. 12-16), Paul uses the Greek word telos to bind this reading together. As we have discussed previously, the word telos means the ultimate purpose, goal, or end of something. This word gained currency in Aristotle’s Politics (written c. 350BC) where the philosopher writes that the telos of an acorn is an oak tree or the telos of the blacksmith is the production of a sword. In Politics, the question Aristotle seeks to answer is what is the telos of a human being. To be perfect, we must fulfill our telos. See, Matth. 5:48.
Paul uses this word in verse 12 – “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfected” – and in verse 15 – “Let those of us who are mature be thus minded.” In other words, Paul says that a perfect (or mature) understanding of a believer means knowing that he has not yet been perfected in this life. The perfect Christian knows and understands his imperfections and knows he has not yet reached his goal. And as Paul will go on to write, if anyone thinks otherwise (i.e. that they are not imperfect), God will reveal the truth to them.
Dinner is 6. Menu is a Cobb Salad. Discussion about 6:45. Compline at 8. Hope to see you here!
For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10