4:7; 2 Cor. Take notes, highlights, and favorites to share or document personal thoughts. The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers. i. Get beautiful Bible art delivered to your inbox. Is it not when thou shalt be perfected, (have completed thy course by death), and be honored with prizes and crowns? There is a reference here to the Grecian races, and the meaning is, “I steadily pursue my course;” compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 9:24. He looked forward to a resurrection which had not yet occurred. See Suicer, Rosenmuller, Macknight, etc. Your credit card won’t be charged until the trial period is over. (, English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. But I follow after - I pursue the object, striving to obtain it. 12 Not that I have already lobtained this or mam already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (2) that there is an object or purpose which he has in view. Sorry, an error was encountered while loading comparison. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. The meaning here is, I do not pretend to have attained to what I wish or hope to be. The idea of Paul evidently is, that he had not yet attained that which would be the completion of his hopes. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Salem Media Group. Call us at 888-634-2038. either were already perfect; he was perfect in comparison of others, that were in a lower class of grace, experience, and knowledge, in which sense the word is used in Phlippians 3:15, and in 1 Corinthians 2:6; he was so, as perfection intends sincerity, uprightness, and integrity; the root of the matter, the truth of grace was in him; his faith was unfeigned, his love was without dissimulation, his hope was without hypocrisy, his conversation in the world was in godly simplicity, and his preaching and his whole conduct in his ministry were of sincerity, and in the sight of God: he was perfect as a new creature with respect to parts, having Christ formed in him, and all the parts of the new man, though not as to degrees; this new man not being as yet grown up to a perfect man, or to its full growth, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; he was perfect with respect to justification, being perfectly justified from all things, by the righteousness of Christ, but not with respect to sanctification; and though his sanctification was perfect in Christ, yet not in himself; his knowledge was imperfect, something was wanting in his faith, and sin dwelt in him, of which he sometimes grievously complained: now this he says, lest he should be thought to arrogate that to himself, which he had not: but I follow after; Christ the forerunner, after perfect knowledge of him, perfect holiness from him, and perfect happiness with him: the metaphor is taken from runners in a race, who pursue it with eagerness, press forward with all might and main, to get up to the mark, in order to receive the prize; accordingly the Syriac version renders it, רהט אנא, "I run", and so the Arabic: the apostle's sense is, that though he had not yet reached the mark, he pressed forward towards it, he had it in view, he stretched and exerted himself, and followed up very closely to it, in hope of enjoying the prize: if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus; he was apprehended of Christ, when he met him in his way to Damascus, stopped him in his journey, laid him prostrate on the ground, and laid hold on him as his own, challenged and claimed his interest in him, Acts 9:3, as one that the Father had given him, and he had purchased by his blood; he entered into him, and took possession of him, and took up his residence in him, having dispossessed the strong man armed, and ever since held him as his own; and he apprehended, or laid hold on him, to bring him as he had engaged to do, to a participation of grace here, and glory hereafter; that he might know him himself, and make him known to others; that he might be made like unto him, have communion with him, and everlastingly enjoy him: and these things the apostle pursued after with great vehemence, that he might apprehend them, and be in full possession of them; and which he did, in the way and manner hereafter described. It is of importance to understand precisely what he meant by the declaration here; and, in order to this, it will be proper to look at the meaning of the word elsewhere in the New Testament. But I follow after - Διωκω δε· But I pursue; several are gone before me in this glorious way, and have obtained the crown of martyrdom; I am hurrying after them. To subscribe at our regular subscription rate, click the button below. Who has surpassed him in love, and zeal, and self-denial, and true devotedness to the service of the Redeemer? An error occurred while accessing favorites.