The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 140

'l'Li~ poinu us_~ the fall ma~i~estati?n of the power of Christ's resnrrcction. It w«ll,s the obta1~mg of the cond1t1011:, Vlz. the reunion of soul and bod_,·, npon which ~ur pl'rfected existence depends. ~t 1s_ pu~ ti_ng the crow_n, once and for ever, upon our hfe. 'lbe apostle feels that the obJect 1s d1fticult of attamment. He will try all means of attaining t-0 it. He will even drink of the cup of Christ's suffering• li°e will have the stamp of Cbrist's death on his, if that will secure its attainment. ' ,L Two ELEME1'""TS IN ms STRIVING. 1. Stared. (1) He is humble. "Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect." At the root of his strivin" there w-as the consciousness that he had not already obtained, i.e. the resurrection fro"'m the dead, or was already made perfect, i.e. in the disposition which was necessary for obtaining the resurrection from the dead. (2) He is intent on his aim. "But I press on, if so be that I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus." 'l'he apostle had been apprehended by Christ Jesus at bis com·crsion, The power of a Stronger than be bad been laid upon him, arresting him in his sinful career. This was with a view to his obtaining the resurrection from the dead, In sympathy ,vith Christ in this aim he had made it his own aim, and was now pressing on that he might without fail apprehend it, have it safely within his grasp. 2. fllU,Strated. 'l'he illustration of the racer, already suggested, is now distinctly brought out. (1) He is humble. " Brethren, I count not myself yet to have apprehended." There is no greater obstacle to success than self-esteem. The runner who, in his preparation or at any point in the race (which is principally to be thought of), counts that he has appre- hended, i.e. makes himself snre of gaining the prize, calculates that he has safely distanced all competitors, is likely in the end to be unsuccessful. Paul was a runner in the Christian race. And be had made great progress from the starting-point toward the goaL He was a very different man in Christian experience, in power of service, from what he was when apprehended. on the road to Damascus. But he would have the Philippian brethren know, for their benefit, seeing their danger was self-esteem, that he did not count himself to have apprehended, i.e. did not make himself sure of having all that was needed for grasping the prize. 'l'he inevitable effect of such a disposition would have been the relaxation of his energies, which would have made him a loser of the glorions prize within his reach. (2) He is intent on his aim. "But one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Of the man intent on his aim there is no better illustration than the runner in the race. This one thing he does. For this he has girt up his loins, gathered his scattered energies int-0 a unity. He does not self-contentedly occupy himself with the things which are behind, i.e. the part of the course that bas been traversed. That would be to distract his attention and to give away an advantage. Upon the traversed course his back is turned, his eye does not wander back over it and measure its extent, it is even banished wholly from his memory, there is room in his mind for only one thing. He stretches forward to the things which are before, i.e. the part of the course that is vet to be traversed. His eye stretches away over it, and, as Bengel puts it, the e,·e rea~Lioa before draws on the hand, and the hand reaching before draws on the foot. See how hi: energies are on the stretch and a.re bent toward their aim. Mark where he is at present, and -see him again how he is st~adi_ly, unweariedly, pressing on. ~is tbouaht is to be the first to grasp that pole which 18 the goal-the first to grasp it, then °he shall be called forward by the president of the games to obt.ain the prize, to be crowned with the laurel Such a rnnner was Paul. One thing he did. He had a singular unity of ~ even ~hen_ he was mista~en in bis end. . As. a Chris~ian runner he girt up the loms of hlB mmd, gathered hlB scattered energies into a umty, l rought them ~ hls one purpose. He did not please hi~self by dwelli~g on the past, telling the .Philippians and others what he had accomplished. No; his thought was \\"hat was yet to be accomplished. What was there yet possible to him of Christian experience, of Christian usefulness? It was o".er this ~hat his eye was stre~hed. It was toward this as an earnest runner that hie energies were bent. See him when he is writing one Epistle, how earnest he is I See ~im again when there is taken up another production of his pen, how be is st.ill pressmg on I As he comes nearer the goal, with associations c,f martyrdum, how he increases in eagernesR I His thought i~ u, grasp whe.t God had appoillted him in his earthly career of Christian perfection, cu. m. 1-21.] 'l'IIE EPISTLE ·ro 'fIIE PmLIPPIANS. 139