SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:12
No que ya lo haya alcanzado, ni que ya sea perfecto; mas sigo para asir de aquello como tambin soy asido del Cristo Jess.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philippians 3:12
Verse 12. Not as though I had already attained] ouc oti hdh elabon? For I have not yet received the prize; I am not glorified, for I have not finished my course; and I have a conflict still to maintain, and the issue will prove whether I should be crowned. From the beginning of the 11th to the end of the 17th verse there is one continued allusion to the contests at the Olympic games; exercises with which, and their laws, the Philippians were well acquainted. Either were already perfect] h hdh teteleiwmai? Nor am I yet perfect; I am not yet crowned, in consequence of having suffered martyrdom. I am quite satisfied that the apostle here alludes to the Olympic games, and the word teteleiwmai is the proof; for teleiwqhnai is spoken of those who have completed their race, reached the goal, and are honoured with the prize. Thus it is used by Philo, Allegoriar. lib. iii. page 101, edit. Mangey: pote oun, w yuch, malista nekroforein (nikoforein) seauthn upolhyh? arage ouc otan teleiwqhv kai brabeiwn kai stefanwn axiwqhv "When is it, O soul, that thou shalt appear to have the victory? Is it not when thou shalt be perfected, (have completed thy course by death,) and be honoured with prizes and crowns?" That teleiwsiv signified martyrdom, we learn most expressly from Clemens Alexand., Stromata, lib. iii. page 480, where he has these remarkable words:-teleiwsin marturion kaloumen, ouc oti telov tou biou o anqrwpov eleben, wv oi loipoi, all oti teleion ergon agaphv enedeixato? "We call martyrdom teleiwsiv, or perfection, not because man receives it as the end, telov, or completion of life; but because it is the consummation teleiov, of the work of charity." So Basil the great, Hom. in Psalm cxvi. 13: pothrion swthriou lhyomai? toutesti, diywn epi thn dia tou marturiou teleiwsin ercomai? "I will receive the cup of salvation; that is, thirsting and earnestly desiring to come, by martyrdom, to the consummation." So OEcumenius, on Acts x18: panta eth apo thv klhsewv tou paulou, mecri thv teleiwsewv autou, triakonta kai pente? "All the years of Paul, from his calling to his martyrdom, were thirty and five." And in Balsamon, Can. i. Ancyran., page 7l14: ton thv teleiwsewv stefanon anadhsasqai is, "To be crowned with the crown of martyrdom." Eusebius, Hist. Eccles, lib. vii. cap. 13, uses the word teleiousqai to express to suffer martyrdom. I have been the more particular here, because some critics have denied that the word has any such signification. See Suicer, Rosenmuller, Macknight, &c. St. Paul, therefore, is not speaking here of any deficiency in his own grace, or spiritual state; he does not mean by not being yet perfect, that he had a body of sin and death cleaving to him, and was still polluted with indwelling sin, as some have most falsely and dangerously imagined; he speaks of his not having terminated his course by martyrdom, which he knew would sooner or later be the case. This he considered as the teleiwsiv, or perfection, of his whole career, and was led to view every thing as imperfect or unfinished till this had taken place.
But I follow after] diowkw de? But I pursue; several are gone before me in this glorious way, and have obtained the crown of martyrdom; I am hurrying after them.
That I may apprehend] That I may receive those blessings to which I am called by Christ Jesus. There is still an allusion here to the stadium, and exercises there: the apostle considers Christ as the brabeus, or judge in the games, who proclaimed the victor, and distributed the prizes; and he represents himself as being introduced by this very brabeus, or judge, into the contest; and this brabeus brought him in with the design to crown him, if he contended faithfully. To complete this faithful contention is what he has in view; that he may apprehend, or lay hold on that for which he had been apprehended, or taken by the hand by Christ who had converted, strengthened, and endowed him with apostolical powers, that he might fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Not as though I had already attained , etc.] Or received; he had received much grace out of the fulness of it in Christ; he had received the gift of righteousness, the forgiveness of his sins, and the adoption of children; he had attained to a lively hope of the incorruptible inheritance, and had received a right unto it, and had a meetness for it; but as yet he had not received the thing itself, nor was he come to the end of his race, and so had not received the crown of righteousness laid up for him; he had not yet attained to perfect knowledge, nor perfect holiness, nor perfect happiness: wherefore he adds, 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 ( Philippians 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, ana jhr , 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 9:3-6 26:13-18), 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-21 - This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not mentioned a if the apostle had gained the prize, or were already made perfect in the Saviour's likeness. He forgot the things which were behind, so a not to be content with past labours or present measures of grace. He reached forth, stretched himself forward towards his point; expression showing great concern to become more and more like unto Christ. He wh runs a race, must never stop short of the end, but press forward a fast as he can; so those who have heaven in their view, must stil press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and constan endeavours. Eternal life is the gift of God, but it is in Christ Jesus through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him There is no getting to heaven as our home, but by Christ as our Way True believers, in seeking this assurance, as well as to glorify him will seek more nearly to resemble his sufferings and death, by dying to sin, and by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts. I these things there is a great difference among real Christians, but all know something of them. Believers make Christ all in all, and set their hearts upon another world. If they differ from one another, and are no of the same judgment in lesser matters, yet they must not judge on another; while they all meet now in Christ, and hope to meet shortly in heaven. Let them join in all the great things in which they are agreed and wait for further light as to lesser things wherein they differ. The enemies of the cross of Christ mind nothing but their sensua appetites. Sin is the sinner's shame, especially when gloried in. The way of those who mind earthly things, may seem pleasant, but death an hell are at the end of it. If we choose their way, we shall share their end. The life of a Christian is in heaven, where his Head and his hom are, and where he hopes to be shortly; he sets his affections upo things above; and where his heart is, there will his conversation be There is glory kept for the bodies of the saints, in which they wil appear at the resurrection. Then the body will be made glorious; no only raised again to life, but raised to great advantage. Observe the power by which this change will be wrought. May we be always prepare for the coming of our Judge; looking to have our vile bodies changed by his Almighty power, and applying to him daily to new-create our soul unto holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to employ our bodie and souls as instruments of righteousness in his service __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ουχ 3756 οτι 3754 ηδη 2235 ελαβον 2983 5627 η 2228 ηδη 2235 τετελειωμαι 5048 5769 διωκω 1377 5719 δε 1161 ει 1487 και 2532 καταλαβω 2638 5632 εφ 1909 ω 3739 και 2532 κατεληφθην 2638 5681 υπο 5259 του 3588 χριστου 5547 ιησου 2424
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Not as though (ouc oti). Lit., not that, as Rev. By this I do not mean to say that. For similar usage, see John vii. 22; 2 Cor. i. 24; Philip. iv. 17.
Had attained - were perfect (elabon - teteleiwmai). Rev., have attained, am made perfect. There is a change of tenses which may be intentional; the aorist attained pointing to the definite period of his conversion, the perfect, am made perfect, referring to his present state. Neither when I became Christ's did I attain, nor, up to this time, have I been perfected. With attained supply the prize from ver. 14. Rev., am made perfect, is preferable, as preserving the passive form of the verb. I follow after (diwkw). Rev., better, press on. The A.V. gives the sense of chasing; whereas the apostle's meaning is the pressing toward a fixed point. The continuous present would be better, I am pressing.
May apprehend (katalabw) American Rev., lay hold on. Neither A.V.
nor Rev. give the force of kai also; if I may also apprehend as well as pursue. For the verb, see on John i. 5.
For which also I am apprehended. Rev., correctly, was apprehended.
American Rev., laid hold on. Paul's meaning is, "I would grasp that for which Christ grasped me. Paul's conversion was literally of the nature of a seizure. That for which Christ laid hold of him was indeed his mission to the Gentiles, but it was also his personal salvation, and it is of this that the context treats. Some render, seeing that also I was apprehended. Rev., in margin.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:12 {Not that} (ouc hoti). To guard against a misunderstanding as in #Joh 6:26; 12:6; 2Co 1:24; Php 4:11,17. {I have already obtained} (d elabon). Rather, "I did already obtain," constative second aorist active indicative of lambanw, summing up all his previous experiences as a single event. {Or am already made perfect} ( d tetelei"mai). Perfect passive indicative (state of completion) of teleiow, old verb from teleios and that from telos (end). Paul pointedly denies that he has reached a spiritual impasse of non- development. Certainly he knew nothing of so-called sudden absolute perfection by any single experience. Paul has made great progress in Christlikeness, but the goal is still before him, not behind him. {But I press on} (diwkw de). He is not discouraged, but encouraged. He keeps up the chase (real idea in diwkw, as in #1Co 14:1; Ro 9:30; 1Ti 6:11). {If so be that} (ei kai). "I follow after." The condition (third class, ei--katalab", second aorist active subjunctive of katalambanw) is really a sort of purpose clause or aim. There are plenty of examples in the _Koin_ of the use of ei and the subjunctive as here (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1017), "if I also may lay hold of that for which (eph' h"i, purpose expressed by epi) I was laid hold of (katelmphthn, first aorist passive of the same verb katalambanw) by Christ Jesus." His conversion was the beginning, not the end of the chase.
