{"id":1196,"date":"2011-03-06T05:00:35","date_gmt":"2011-03-06T11:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=1196"},"modified":"2023-01-23T16:57:07","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T22:57:07","slug":"philippians-312-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=1196","title":{"rendered":"Philippians 3:12-14"},"content":{"rendered":"

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. <\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, <\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. <\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

perfected (v.12) = brought to completion \u2014 realizing the complete and constant power of Christ \u2014 spiritual maturity<\/h3>\n

press on (v.12) = pursue<\/h3>\n

that (v.12) \u2014 “if that” in KJV \u2014 as in verse 11<\/span><\/a>, contingency (if, somehow), not condition<\/h3>\n

lay hold (v.12) = lay hold of so as to possess as one’s own<\/h3>\n

that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me (v.12) \u2014 Paul desires to grasp the full meaning and purpose of what the Lord had done for him when he was saved on the road to Damascus.<\/h3>\n

Brethren (v.13) \u2014 Paul is expressing an earnest appeal<\/h3>\n

count (v.13) = looking back on a process and drawing a conclusion<\/h3>\n

I do not count myself (v.13) \u2014 emphasis on “I” in contrast to others who were counting themselves. Some considered themselves as sinlessly perfect, but Paul didn’t.<\/h3>\n

but one thing (v.13) \u2014 (“I do” was added by translators) Paul’s great object and goal<\/h3>\n

forgetting those things which are behind (v.13) \u2014 Paul isn’t surveying his past progress in the Christian life. He’s not resting on past laurels.<\/h3>\n

reaching (v.13) = stretching forward \u2014 continuing with the illustration of a foot race \u2014 concentrating on the goal<\/h3>\n

press (v.14) \u2014 pursue, same as “press on” in verse 12<\/h3>\n

goal (v.14) = aim, object \u2014 a mark on which the eye is fixed<\/h3>\n

prize of the upward call (v.14) \u2014 prize received (crowns?) at the high calling \u2014 not our “calling in life,” but a call from heaven that we should always focus on.<\/h3>\n

Paul is pursuing the goal of Christlikeness. He has no time to ponder either his life before salvation or even his earlier Christian life. He is setting his eyes entirely on the ultimate goal. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

Our goal is perfect Christlikeness, even though we will never obtain it until we are glorified.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-verse-study-philippians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1196"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7369,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1196\/revisions\/7369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}