Commentary - Philippians 3:12-16

Bird's-eye view

In this dense section of his letter, Paul is doing something crucial for the Christian life. He is defining for us the nature of true spiritual maturity. And he does this by holding two seemingly contradictory truths in a tight, biblical tension. On the one hand, he insists that he has not yet arrived, not yet obtained the resurrection, not yet been perfected. On the other hand, he calls those who agree with this mindset "perfect" or mature. This is the paradox of Christian sanctification: the more mature you are, the more you realize you are not yet mature. The spiritually mature are those who know they have not yet arrived.

Paul uses the metaphor of a race. He is pressing on, straining forward, reaching for the prize. This is not a picture of passive waiting but of active, strenuous effort. Yet, this effort is not a frantic attempt to earn salvation. Notice the foundational clause: he presses on to lay hold of that "for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Christ seized him first. Our pursuit of God is only possible because God first pursued us. Our running is a response to His gracious apprehending of us. So the Christian life is one of vigorous, forward-looking pursuit, grounded entirely in the finished work of Christ who has already secured the prize for us.

Outline

Context In Philippians

This passage comes right on the heels of Paul's magnificent declaration in verses 8-11, where he counts all his fleshly achievements, his pedigree, his zeal, his righteousness under the law, as rubbish for the sake of knowing Christ. He has just laid out the glorious goal: to gain Christ, to be found in Him with a righteousness that comes through faith, to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, so that he might attain to the resurrection from the dead. After soaring to such heights, it would be easy for the Philippians (and for us) to misunderstand. They might think Paul believes he has already arrived at this state of sinless perfection. So, verses 12-16 serve as a crucial, pastoral corrective. Paul is saying, in effect, "Don't mistake my confidence in Christ for a claim to personal perfection. The very confidence I have in Him is what drives me to press on, knowing I am not yet finished."

Key Issues

The Paradox of Perfection

Paul says he has not "already become perfect" (v. 12), and then just three verses later says, "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way" (v. 15). This is not a contradiction; it is a paradox that gets to the heart of Christian maturity. The word for "perfect" in both verses is teleios. In verse 12, it refers to absolute, final, consummated perfection, the state we will be in after the resurrection. In verse 15, it refers to spiritual maturity. The truly mature Christian is the one who understands he is not yet perfect in the final sense. The perfectionist who thinks he has arrived is, by this definition, profoundly immature. True spiritual maturity is marked by a keen awareness of one's own remaining sin and a desperate, ongoing reliance on the grace of God. It is the man who knows he is sick who goes to the doctor. It is the man who knows he is not yet perfect who presses on toward the prize.

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

Philippians 3:12

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Paul begins with a strong disclaimer. He has just described the summit of Christian aspiration, attaining the resurrection from the dead (v. 11). Now he immediately clarifies that he is not there yet. "Not that I have already obtained it." The "it" refers back to that full prize, the whole package of knowing Christ, conformity to His death, and resurrection glory. He has not cashed the check yet. Nor has he "already become perfect." Paul is swatting down any notion of sinless perfectionism in this life. The Christian life is a process, a striving, a becoming. Sanctification is not a static state but a dynamic, ongoing work of God's grace in us.

But this reality does not lead to passivity. Quite the opposite. "But I press on." The word here means to pursue, to chase after with intensity. This is not a Sunday stroll; it is a sprint. And what is the goal of this pursuit? "So that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." This is the engine of the whole enterprise. The reason Paul runs is because he was first caught. Christ Jesus laid hold of him on the Damascus road, not for no reason, but for a purpose. Christ apprehended Paul so that Paul might apprehend the prize. God's sovereign, gracious initiative is the foundation for all our human effort. We don't run in order to get God to grab us; we run because He has already grabbed us. Our striving is the effect, not the cause, of our salvation.

Philippians 3:13

Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

He repeats the point for emphasis, addressing them warmly as "brothers." "I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet." He wants to be absolutely clear. He is still in the race. He has not crossed the finish line. This is the honest self-assessment of a mature believer.

Then he gives us his strategy, boiled down to a singular focus: "but one thing I do." This is the language of a man who is not distracted. He has simplified his life down to its central, driving purpose. And what is this "one thing"? It has two parts. First, "forgetting what lies behind." This is crucial. A runner who keeps looking over his shoulder will stumble. This means forgetting past sins that have been forgiven. To dwell on them is to question the efficacy of Christ's blood. It also means forgetting past successes and achievements. The righteousness Paul had in the law, which he now counts as rubbish (v. 8), is behind him. Leaning on past victories breeds pride and complacency. Both past failures and past successes can be anchors that keep us from moving forward.

The second part is the positive action: "and reaching forward to what lies ahead." The image is of a runner straining, every muscle taut, stretching his body toward the finish line. It is an attitude of eager and intense anticipation. The Christian's gaze is fixed on the future, on the goal, on the prize that awaits.

Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Here he restates the action from verse 12. "I press on toward the goal." The goal is the finish line. And at that finish line is "the prize." What is this prize? It is "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." This is a rich phrase. The call is "upward," or heavenly. It is the call to come up and be with Christ, to receive the victor's crown, to enter into the final glory of the resurrection. This is the ultimate summons from God Himself. And notice where this call is located: "in Christ Jesus." Everything is in Christ. The call comes from God, through Christ, to those who are in Christ. He is the arena in which the race is run and the source from whom the prize is given.

Philippians 3:15

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way; and if in anything you think differently, God will reveal that also to you.

Now comes the paradox. "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way." Having just insisted he is not perfect, he now identifies a group called "the perfect." As we noted, he is using the word teleios to mean "mature." Who are the mature ones? They are the ones who "think this way", the ones who agree with Paul that they have not yet arrived, that they must forget the past, and that they must press on toward the goal. Christian maturity is having the right mindset about your own immaturity. It is a humble, striving, forward-looking faith.

Paul then shows his pastoral gentleness. "And if in anything you think differently, God will reveal that also to you." He knows there might be some in Philippi who are confused on this point. Perhaps some were flirting with a kind of perfectionism, or perhaps others were becoming complacent. Paul doesn't bring the hammer down. He expresses confidence in God's ability to correct them. If their hearts are genuinely seeking God, then God will be their teacher. He will gently lead them into the truth. This is a great encouragement for us. When we are muddled in our thinking, we can trust that God is faithful to reveal our errors to us as we continue to seek Him.

Philippians 3:16

However, let us keep walking in step with the same standard to which we have attained.

This final verse is a practical exhortation that grounds the whole discussion. While we wait for God to correct our thinking, what do we do? We don't stand still. "However, let us keep walking in step with the same standard to which we have attained." The idea is this: live up to the light you have. You may not have perfect theology on every point, but you know enough to obey. You have attained a certain level of understanding and sanctification. Don't go backward. Don't abandon the ground you have already taken. Walk consistently with what God has already shown you. The word for "walking in step" is a military term, meaning to stay in line, to march in formation. Christian growth is not about discovering some secret, new truth, but about faithfully and consistently applying the foundational truths we have already been taught. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, staying in line with the truth of the gospel. That is the path to the prize.