ACC ~ Philippians 3 v12 - 16

OVERVIEW:

Paul’s modesty is a lesson in humility for the Philippians, for he discounts even his labors as an evangelist (THEODORET), teaching us that all perfection lies in a gradual advance toward the future with God (JEROME). His entreaty combines both humility and aspiration (MARIUS VICTORINUS), hinting at prizes yet unseen (THEODORET). He claims maturity only in his aspirations and in the knowledge of his imperfection (AUGUSTINE). He banishes complacency (AMBROSIASTER), stressing the urgency of the tasks in which our actions are manifesting our reconciliation with Christ (CHRYSOSTOM, THEODORET, MARIUS VICTORINUS). He prays for the instruction of those who disagree (HILARY OF POITIERS) or offer new interpretations (MARIUS VICTORINUS). He tells them to be content with the received doctrine (AMBROSIASTER) and to advance with the grace of God (AUGUSTINE).

3:12a | Not Already Perfect

NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED. AMBROSIASTER: Throughout the letter Paul bears witness to his joy in them and praises their obedience and faith. He is, however, concerned that they, like all who are subject to human conceits, might become elated as though they were already worthy. So he tells them openly, speaking of his own person, that something is still wanting for perfect righteousness. He urges them to good works. If he who is adorned with such dignity confesses that he is still wanting in perfection, they would understand how much more they must work to acquire the blessings of righteousness. EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.12.1.

3:12b | Pressing On

STRAINING IN PURSUIT. CHRYSOSTOM: He says not “I run” but “I press on.” Consider how the pursuer strains in his pursuit. He sees nothing, he thrusts away all who impede him with great force, he cherishes his mind, his eye, his strength, his soul and his body, looking at nothing other than the crown. HOMILY ON PHILIPPIANS 12.3.12.

NOW ACTIVELY PURSUING THE ONE WHO ONCE PURSUED ME. THEODORET: “It was he who first caught me in his net” Paul says in effect, “for I was fleeing him and was turned well away. He caught me as I fled. But now I in turn am the pursuer in my desire of catching him, that I may not be a disappointment to his saving work.” EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.12.

MAKING MY OWN THE ONE WHO MADE ME HIS OWN. MARIUS VICTORINUS: Christ by his sufferings has set free all who follow him. He embraces everyone, but especially those who follow. The one who wants to follow and embrace Christ is bound to follow Christ in all his sufferings. Only in this way may he embrace Christ as Christ embraces him. For if Christ set everyone free by his sufferings, he embraces everyone in his sufferings. EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.12.

3:13a | Not Fully My Own

NOT YET FULLY MADE IT MY OWN. MARIUS VICTORINUS: If they compared themselves with Paul, the Philippians would understand how far they were from the blessings of freedom. How frequently had he shared in so many of Christ’s sufferings: He had been beaten, imprisoned, thrown to wild beasts and burdened with other evils. Nonetheless even he did not think that he had already taken hold of Christ, as long as he was alive. EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.13.

3:13b | Straining Forward

WHAT IS PERFECT TODAY MAY BE FALSE TOMORROW. JEROME: Put the past out of mind. Set your mind to the future. What he has reckoned perfect today he ascertains to have been false tomorrow as he reaches for ever better and higher goals. By this gradual advance, never being static but always in progress, he is able to teach us that what we supposed in our human way to be perfect still remains in some ways imperfect. The only perfection is the true righteousness of God. DIALOGUE AGAINST THE PELAGIANS 1.15.

FORGETTING WHAT LIES BEHIND. THEODORET: Some think that “paying no heed to the things behind” refers to life under the law. I think he says this of his labors as a preacher. For his custom was to be cursory and to mingle doctrinal statement with exhortation. What he says then is “I pay no heed to my previous labors, but I strive enthusiastically to press on to those ahead.” PISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.13-14.

3:14 | The Upward Call of God in Christ Jesus

THE UPWARD CALL OF GOD. MARIUS VICTORINUS: Here then are two precepts for the one who is going to live the rest of life walking in the Christian way. First, the one who is still living under divine governance, however well and rightly he has acted in the past, should not think about all the actions he has already done as though he deserved to obtain something by them. Rather he should cast them into oblivion, always seeking the new tasks that remain. Second, he should nonetheless keep living under the divine rule, continually “pressing on” toward these things and observing the rule of Christ, even to death. EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.13-14.

THOUGH WE KNOW NOT THE FUTURE, WE KNOW THE ONE WHO KNOWS IT. THEODORET: This is how we should think about the crowns laid up for us. For even if we do not perceive exactly what these are like, we ought at least to know that God, as Master of the contest, will reveal this to us. EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.15.

3:15a | The Mind of the Mature

HOW THE MATURE IN FAITH ARE BOTH PERFECT AND IMPERFECT. AUGUSTINE: The apostle speaks of himself as both perfect and imperfect: imperfect when he considers how much righteousness is still wanting in him but perfect in that he does not blush to confess his own imperfection and makes good progress in order to attain it. ON TWO LETTERS OF PELAGIUS 3.19.

TO RUN PERFECTLY IS TO BE AWARE THAT WE ARE NOT YET PERFECT. AUGUSTINE: All of us who are running the race perfectly should be aware that we are not yet perfect. The hope is that we may receive perfection in the place to which we are now running perfectly. ON THE PERFECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS 19.

3:15b | God Will Reveal Different Understandings

DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF MATURITY ALLOWED AMONG THE MATURE IN FAITH. MARIUS VICTORINUS: Assuming that this statement is complete and self-contained and need not be linked to his subsequent words, I think it must be understood as follows: “If there is anything in what I have said that you construe or understand in a different way, I allow your understanding to develop.” Remember that he is speaking of the perfect, for so he says so: “we who are perfect.” … “In due time ‘God will reveal this to you,’ since both what you understand and what I have said are fitting.” EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.15.

HOPING THEY WILL BE MADE PERFECT WHO IMAGINE THEMSELVES ALREADY PERFECT. HILARY OF POITIERS: If we, because of the tendency to err that lies within the human condition, take the meaning of anything for granted, we are not to refuse increase of understanding through grace. … For the apostle has already explained the thought of those whose thought is perfect. As to those who think otherwise concerning God’s revelation, he hopes that their thoughts will be brought to perfection. ON THE TRINITY 11.24.

3:16 | Hold True to What Is Attained

HOLD TRUE TO THE CONSENT OF THE WHOLE CHURCH TO BAPTISMAL FAITH. AMBROSIASTER: Lest anyone should presume to think this was not from God and revealed by God he therefore adds the words “what we have attained,” that we should think in accord with the apostles. That means that we should not overstep the rule of doctrine in understanding but accept what is commonly and humbly understood in the truth of the gospel. EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3.16.

THE PERFECT TRAVELER DOES NOT HOLD STILL BUT ADVANCES DAY BY DAY. AUGUSTINE: Hold true with the affections of the mind and habits of living, so that one is able to be perfectly in the possession of righteousness when, advancing day by day along the direct road of faith, one has already become a perfect traveler on the road. ON WHAT IS DUE TO SINNERS 2.20.