The Prize

First Step

Second Step

Third Step

Fourth Step

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The Prize

(from An Alphabetical Analysis by Charles Welch)

THE FOURTH STEP

"THE MARK" set before those who would be "perfect" (Phil. 3:17-21).

The majority of commentators see no difficulty in the accepted translation of Philippians 3:15, "let us therefore, as many as be perfect," or if they had any problem, the difficulty is left unexpressed.  Most take the word "perfect" here to mean "mature" as contrasted with "babes" and immature, and in other contexts this is quite true (Heb. 5:14).  If, however, we look back to Philippians 3:12, where the Apostle says of himself that he was not already  "perfect" or "mature," we shall have a difficulty in accepting the usual rendering of verse 15.  If Paul was not then "perfect" who among the Philippians or his readers down the ages could hope to be?  Further, it reflects upon the intelligence of the Apostle to make him say in verse 12 that he was not "mature" yet at verse 15 to continue his argument with the word "therefore" and assume that nevertheless both he and others were at the same time "mature" or "perfect."

It is an axiom that requires no demonstration to prove that a thing cannot both be,
and not be, at one and the same time.  Conybeare and Howson sense the difficulty saying "the translation in the A.V. of teteleiomai (verse 12) and teleioi by the same word, makes Paul seem to contradict himself" and their way out of the difficulty is to translate verse 15 by "ripe in understanding."  This, however, only conceals the difficulty from the English reader.  Macknight is the only Commentator we have consulted who senses the difficulty.  He translates Philippians 3:15, "As many, therefore, as WISH TO BE PERFECT."  Osoi oun teleioi contains no verb.  The "be" is supplied in the A.V. to make sense.  If we must supply a verb, why not keep the unity of the Apostle's argument?  Why make him contradict himself within the space of three verses?  Why accuse him of using a term in two different meanings without the slightest warning to the reader?  "As many as would be," or who "wish to be perfect," makes all clear and straightforward.  All who would emulate the Apostle's desire and eagerness, must emulate his "mind;" they must be "thus minded" and we have only to go back to the opening of the great argument in Chapter 2, to realize that the Apostle is turning back to the "mind that was in Christ Jesus."  The Received Text reads at verse 16:

"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."

The use in the A.V. of the word "attain" in Philippians 3:11,12 and 16 to represent three different Greek words, has robbed the English reader of the means to appreciate the transition of thought in the apostle's argument.  We have already observed that in verse 12, the word should be "obtain," we now draw attention to the original of verse 16, where phthano is the word translated "attain."  Dr. Bullinger's Concordance and Lexicon here says, "phrthano, to come or go before another, to be beforehand with, to overtake, outstrip; to come first."  It is this word that is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 and translated "prevent" which is from the Latin provenio "to come before."  The recognition of this Greek word "to outstrip," while it brings us closer to the Apostle's language, makes the suggested translation offered by Lewin untenable, "but whereunto we have outstript, walk in the same."  While it is of the very nature of a race that competitors should endeavour to outstrip others, the race set before the believer would appear to the worldling as though the prize was awarded to the last man in rather than the first.

The Great Example of Chapter 2, appeared at all points to be giving away advantages.  His humble follower Paul, pursued the prize while at the same time counting all things loss.  Whoever won a race, and "esteemed the affairs of others, of far more importance than his own" (Phil. 2:3)?  In this competition there is no thought of elbowing the weak brother out of the way, but rather of losing place and pace while we pause to help him on to his feet.  The Apostle exhorted  the runner to "lay aside every weight" yet at the same time revealed that the law of Christ called upon every entrant "to bear one another's burdens."  This somewhat paradoxical state could obtain only in the realm of grace.  The hymn expresses something of this quality when it says:

"Through darkness and defeat,
    He won the mead and crown;
 Trod all His foes beneath His feet
    By being trodden down."

Some MSS, omit the words "by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."  Others omit the word "rule;" yet others omit "let us mind the same thing."  Griesbach simply cancels the whole passage, and many critics take it for granted that the reference to the "rule" has crept in from Galations 6:16, which is a gratuitous piece of criticism.  The "rule" kanon refers to "the white line by which the course in the stadium was marked out, including the whole space between the starting-place and the goal, and that those who ran out of that space did not contend lawfully.  The runners, in endeavoring to pass one another, were in danger of going out of that space" (Hammon quoting Julius Pollux, A.D. 180-238).  Aquila uses the word kanon in his Greek version of Job 38:5.  The Apostle taught the Ephesians that the spirit of wisdom and revelation was given "in the acknowledgment" of Christ, so here in Philippians the Apostle says, "I  follow the mark" kata skopon dioko, "and as many as would be perfect" and obtain the prize, they too will "think this."  There are other things, such as the observance of one day above another, or the eating or not eating of certain foods, in which there will be considerable differences of opinion, but provided that all press on in the right spirit, God will reveal these things to such.  We are to be "strivers together" for the faith, but not strivers with one another (Phil. 1:27, 2:3).

The Apostle has, by his exhortation, thrown the believer back upon the example both of the Lord and of himself, he now proceeds to enforce the need for observing this example both positively, "be followers together of me" and negatively, "and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample" (Phil. 3:17).  The words of verse 18 and 19 are a parenthesis, the whole passage being constructed as follows:

Five things are enumerated by the Apostle when speaking of those whose
example was to be avoided.

(1) They were enemies of the cross of Christ (see Heb. 6:6, 10:29).
(2) Their end was destruction (or "Perdition" as Heb. 10:39).
(3) Their god was their belly (as Esau, Heb. 12:16).
(4) Their glory was in their shame.
(5) They minded earthly things.

It is impossible to believe that a church of so high a spiritual standard as that of the
Philippians could need a solemn warning not to follow a worldly crowd, yet at first sight such a list as that given above does not seem of possible application to a believer.

Let us examine them a little more closely, and start with the last named "who
mind earthly things."  It will be conceded after a moment's thought, that the unsaved man of the world has no option, he can mind nothing else.

Philippians 3:15-19 is a section complete in itself, and the word phroneo "mind"
 occurs in it as follows;

It will be seen that those who mind earthly things are in correspondence with those who think differently from the Apostle in his single-eyed effort to attain the prize.  "Earthly things" therefore need not mean things positively sinful, but things that come in between the runner and his goal; "every weight" as Hebrews 12 suggests.  "Earthly things" are in the original ta epigeia (Phil. 3:19).  "Things on the earth" are ta epi tes ges (Col. 3:2).  "Earthly things" are spoken of in John 3:12, James 3:15, 1 Corinthians 15:40, 2 Corinthians 5:1 and in Philippians 2:10 and 3:19.  In each case, "earthly things" are set over against "heavenly," "from above" and "celestial."  Those who may have been persuaded that the  "earth" not "heaven" is the sphere of blessing for all the redeemed should heed this warning.  "Our citizenship is (huparchei) in heaven." 

Those, therefore, who mind earthly things, are those who do not act in accordance with their heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20) and whose example and teaching will "beguile" them of their reward.  This must be shunned by all who seek the prize of the high calling.

The example of Abraham, as set out in Hebrews 11:8-16, who desired a better country, "that, is, an heavenly," can be added to that of the Apostle here.  If the last of the list of five things to avoid can describe those who are believers, let us return to the head of the list and ponder again the dreadful words, "the enemies of the cross of Christ."  James declares that friendship with the world makes one "the enemy of God" (James 4:4), but will it be denied that such friendship is possible to a child of God?  One may become an enemy in the eyes of another by telling him unpalatable truth (Gal. 4:16), and enmity can be exhibited and maintained by a middle wall of partition (Eph. 2:15).  A believer can, therefore, by adopting some attitude make himself an enemy of the truth for which the cross of Christ stands.

To many, the cross of Christ is seen only in an evangelical light, the central testimony to unsaved sinners.  To those who see no further than this aspect of the cross, those referred to in Philippians 3:18 cannot possibly be believers.  To those who have examined the place which the cross occupies in Paul's testimony and have seen its essential message to the believer who is already saved, the warnings of these verse will present no problem.  We have demonstrated the many ways in which the epistle to the Hebrews runs parallel with that to the Philippians, and the only reference to the cross in that epistle is found in Hebrews 12:2, in direct connection with "running the race which is set before us."  This is the last reference to the cross in the New Testament, the earliest references (Matt. 10:38, 16:24) hi ch relate the cross, speak also of discipleship and future reward.  Paul uses the doctrine of the cross to counter the fleshly wisdom of the Corinthian believers (1 Cor. 1:17,18; 2:2), he teaches the Galatian believers that by the cross the world and its boasting are repudiated (Gal. 5:11; 6:12,14), and that the emancipation of the believer, together with the complete reconciliation of the One Body, are accomplished by the cross of Christ (Eph. 2:16, Col. 1:20; 2:14).

Those who are "otherwise minded" and whose associations with the world and the flesh run in opposition to the "one thing" that characterized the Apostle's testimony, would be, though believers, "enemies" of all that the cross of Christ stood for, and so becomes examples for the Philippians to shun.

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