Philippians 3:16

3:12-21 This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not mentioned as 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 as not to be content with past labours or present measures of grace. He reached forth, stretched himself forward towards his point; expressions showing great concern to become more and more like unto Christ. He who runs a race, must never stop short of the end, but press forward as fast as he can; so those who have heaven in their view, must still press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and constant 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. In 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 not of the same judgment in lesser matters, yet they must not judge one 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 sensual appetites. Sin is the sinner's shame, especially when gloried in. The way of those who mind earthly things, may seem pleasant, but death and 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 home are, and where he hopes to be shortly; he sets his affections upon 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 will appear at the resurrection. Then the body will be made glorious; not only raised again to life, but raised to great advantage. Observe the power by which this change will be wrought. May we be always prepared 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 souls unto holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to employ our bodies and souls as instruments of righteousness in his service.

Nevertheless Rev., only. Notwithstanding the minor points in which you may be otherwise minded. Whereto we have already attained (εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν) Whatever real christian and moral attainment you may have made, let that serve as a rule for your further advance. The character of this standard of attainment is illustrated by the words in Philippians 3:15, be thus minded, and by those in Philippians 3:17, as ye have us for an example. The individual variations are not considered. He regards rather the collective development, and assumes the essentials of christian attainment on the part of his readers. For attained, see on we are come, 2 Corinthians 10:14. Let us walk by the same rule (τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν) The idea of a regulative standard is implied, but rule κανόνι must be omitted from the Greek text. Rev. brings out the antithesis better: whereunto we have already attained, by that same rule let us walk. Omit let us mind the same thing.

Php 3:16 . Πλὴν , nevertheless ) The expectation of a new revelation should not make you yield the position which you now firmly hold.— εἰς ὃ ) in that, to which we have attained.— ἐφθάσαμεν , we have attained ) at a greater or less distance. They are admonished in order that the others should act with them that are perfect .— στοιχεῖν , to walk ) The infinitive, mildly for the imperative; Romans 12:15 .— κανόνι )[45] Al. Boern. Clar. Colb . 7. Copt . both the Hilarys ,[46] leave out this word; Facundus too, or, by comparing Pelagius, even Sedulius . The clauses thus correspond, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν , and τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν . Nor even do we follow the Latin Vulgate copies, which transpose the clauses, Covelianus 2 following them in this, since ἐφθάσαμεν and στοιχεῖν more nearly cohere with one another, and στοιχεῖν , which is metaphorical, is explained by the φρονεῖν which follows after. The word κανόνι seems evidently to have been brought hither from Galatians 6:16 .— τὸ ) There is here an Asyndeton.— τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν , to mind the same thing ) He returns to this topic, ch. Php 4:2 . [45] AB Memph. Theb. read only τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν : Hilar. 1097, “in ipso ingrediamur.” DG fg (‘convenire,’ for στοιχεῖν ) read τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν , τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν . Vulg., with Rec. Text, retains κανόνι , but transposes the Order. Rec. Text has τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν κανόνι τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν .—ED. [46] Viz., Hilary the deacon, and Hilary of Poitiers.—ED.

16. The expectation of a new revelation is not to make you less careful in walking according to whatever degree of knowledge of divine things and perfection you have already attained. God makes further revelations to those who walk up to the revelations they already have (Ho 6:3). rule, let us mind the same thing—omitted in the oldest manuscripts. Perhaps partly inserted from Ga 6:16, and Php 2:2. Translate then, "Whereunto we have attained, let us walk on (a military term, march in order) in the same (the measure of knowledge already attained)."

Verse 16. - Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing . Omit, with the best manuscripts, the words from "rule" to "thing," and translate, R.V. , only , whereunto we have already attained , by that same ( rule ) let us walk ; or, more literally, only , what we arrived at , by that same walk. Let there be no falling back; let us, at each point in our Christian course, maintain and walk according to that degree of grace at which we arrived. This explanation seems more probable than the other view, which understands the words, "by the same," of the rule of faith as opposed to the works of the Law. Philippians 3:16

(16) Let us walk . . . —In this verse the last words appear to be an explanatory gloss. The original runs thus: Nevertheless — as to that to which we did attain — let us walk by the same. The word “walk” is always used of pursuing a course deliberately chosen. (See Acts 21:24 ; Romans 4:12 ; Galatians 5:25 .) The nearest parallel (from which the gloss is partly taken) is Galatians 6:16 , “As many as walk by this rule, peace be upon them.” In this passage there seems to be the same double reference which has pervaded all St. Paul’s practical teaching. He is anxious for two things—that they should keep on in one course, and that all should keep on together. In both senses he addresses the “perfect;” he will have them understand that they have attained only one thing—to be in the right path, and that it is for them to continue in it; he also bids them refrain from setting themselves up above “the imperfect;” for the very fact of division would mark them as still “carnal,” mere “babes in Christ” ( 1Corinthians 3:1-4 ).

Php 3:16 . πλήν . It is quite common as introducing a parenthesis. “Only one thing! So far as we have come, keep the path” (Weizs.). For the word Cf. Schmid, Atticismus , i., p. 133, and Bonitz’s Index to Aristotle.— εἰς ὃ ἐφθάς . In later Greek (as in modern) φθάνω has lost all idea of anticipation and simply means “come,” “reach”. Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:14 (and see See Hatz., Einl, p. 199; Sources of N.T. Greek , p. 156). “So far as we have come.” In what? Weiss thinks in right φρονεῖν , connecting the words immediately with τοῦτο φρονῶμεν . Kleiss supposes the νόμος δικαιοσύνης , referring to the earlier part of the chap. (esp Php 3:9 ). Does he not rather mean the point reached on the advance towards the goal (the κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκειν ), which is the subject directly before his mind? The very use of στοιχεῖν seems to justify this interpretation.— τῷ αὐτῷ . It is, at first sight, natural to refer τ . αὐτ . immediately to ὅ preceding. And this may be right. But there is much force in the interpretation of Lipsius, who renders “let us walk on the same path” (so also Hlst.). The exhortation would then be directed against the difference of opinion and feeling which were certainly present in the Church at Philippi, and is suggested to Paul by the ἑτέρως φρον . of Php 3:15 . That this was an early interpretation is shown by the v.l. of TR.

The words κανονι το αυτο φρονειν (not found in the best MSS.) are evidently a gloss on the text. “Only, so far as we have come, let us keep to the same path.” τῷ αὐτῷ is an instance of a dative common after verbs of “going” and “walking” in N.T. Cf. Buttm., Gram. , p. 184.— στοιχεῖν . An imperatival infinitive found in Hom., Aristoph., Inscrptions (see Meisterhans, Gram. d. att. Inschrr. , § 88 A; Viteau, Le Verbe , p. 147). Probably this usage is closely connected with the origin of the infinitive, which was a dative, as is shown, e.g. , by the infinitive in English, e.g. , “to work”. This might easily become an imperative, “to work”! Analogous is the use of χαίρειν and ὑγιαίνειν in Letters. στ . is only found in late writers, although, from the frequency of στοῖχος , we may infer that it must have existed in earlier times. Literally it means “march in file”. Moule well observes that στ . more than περιπατεῖν (the common word) suggests the step , the detail.

Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained; however, let us, or we ought to, walk in obedience to Christ, love to him and each other, according to the light we have already received, trusting he would make known his mind more clearly to us. Our using the light we have well, is the ready way to have more: it behoves us, then, to live suitably to that degree of the knowledge of Christ we have attained, 1Jo 2:3-5 but still within our lines, with regard to the same rule. Let us walk by the same rule: whether in this metaphorical allusion the apostle do borrow his phrase from architects, soldiers, or racers, is not much material. Be sure he had an eye to that same rule which was well known to them, and by which he regulated himself, and therefore it was such a canon as really had a Divine stalnp upon it, that very canon in exact conformity whereunto God’s Israel might be sure of the best peace, Galatians 6:16 Philippians 4:7 .

The unerring word of God, exemplified in the condescending love of Christ, whom he had proposed to their imitation, in whom he was found, and the fellowship of whose sufferings he desired to know more perfectly, being heavenly-minded, in opposition to those who became enemies to his cross, Philippians 3:18,19 : With Galatians 6:14,15 ; the rule of faith, love, and a Christian life, or heavenly conversation, which he doth elsewhere call a walking in the Spirit, and according to the Spirit, in opposition to walking in and after the flesh, Romans 8:1,5 Ga 5:16 .