Pressing On

Moving Forward Series

Thank Pastor Orr, Women leaders: Women’s Month

Delta Variant, be safe

moving forward: pandemic and beyond

Discuss current situation and updates with the pandemic: numbers are increasing and looks like this pandemic will not let up.

The numbers seem to be pushing us into another season of restrictions and this unbearable season appears to be something we will deal with for some time.

How do we move forward as believers?

Philippians 3:11–14 ESV

that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Working

Paul’s desire is to fulfill his call, even in the midst of turmoil.

He keeps using the word: Press, Straining

the olympic athletes working

Elaine-Thomas Herah from jamaica breaks the women’s world record in Tokyo

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Desire to Fulfill His Call (3:12–14)

Paul’s Desire to Fulfill His Call (3:12–14)

3:12–13a Twice, in similar terms, Paul expressed his imperfection. The first expression presents this in three ways (v. 12), and the second expression summarizes the three ways into one (v. 13). The three are: “Not that I have already obtained,” “have already been made perfect,” and “I press on.” The basic question is, What did Paul lack and, therefore, seek? Three times the word root for “received” occurs (3:12; lambanō; katalambanō, twice). The word is ambiguous, and no object occurs with it.

Forgetting

Mental or experimental

The precise definition may refer to mental or experiential attainment. Used of the mind, it means to understand (or understand fully with katalambanō). This would mean that Paul did not yet understand the significance of Christ or that he did not know him completely. If the use were experiential, “to grasp something,” Paul stated that he did not yet have in hand what he desired. The understood object of the verbs would determine which definition applies.

important

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Desire to Fulfill His Call (3:12–14)

3:13b–14 The content of Paul’s goal is given. Repeating the word “press on” of v. 12, Paul employed athletic imagery to make his point. Since the Greek athletic games captured the imagination of all of the peninsula, Macedonia included, it spoke vividly to the readers.47 The manner of attainment is explained by two participles. First, “forgetting what is behind” comprehensively expresses Paul’s future orientation. What was done was done! Both the nostalgia of the former life and the “good ole days” of his Christian life would paralyze him in terms of what God wanted in the future. Every day was a new adventure. Second, he was “straining toward what is ahead.” This word continues the athletic metaphor. It is particularly graphic, bringing to mind the straining muscles, clear focus, and complete dedication of the runner in his race to the prize. Both mental and physical discipline were necessary

Pressing

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Desire to Fulfill His Call (3:12–14)

What did Paul hope to attain? In these verses two phrases suggest an answer: “have already been made perfect” and “Christ Jesus took hold of me.” “Have already been made perfect” (teteleiōmai) occurs only here in the Pauline corpus. It contrasts with the verb “obtained.” Through his past experiences (“obtained,” aorist tense), Paul had not yet achieved completion (katalambanō, perfect tense). The question is whether Paul referred to a perfect knowledge or experience. Was his call to a complete knowledge of Christ or to a complete identification with him in character?

The context has a bearing on the problem (3:9–11). Those who understand Paul’s desire in the mental sense, to know Christ completely, point out that the primary verb in these verses is “that I may know him” (see 3:10). That knowledge, then, involved knowing Christ’s power and suffering. Because that knowledge was related closely to experience, clearly he wanted to know in his experience the full implications of his union with Christ. However, the text seems to argue against that understanding.

Those who understand Paul’s desire in the experiential sense point out that the object of the verb “obtained” is “the resurrection from the dead” of 3:11. It seems best, therefore, to understand Paul as saying he had not completed the experiential process begun in his salvation. He looked forward to the resurrection from the dead and, secondarily, to the process of conformity to death which would bring it forth