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"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So
run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self control
in all things. . . . I therefore so run, as not uncertainly, so I strike (the word for boxing)
as not beating air; but I severely keep under (really give a black eye - another boxing
term) my body, and lead it captive, lest by any means, after having proclaimed to others, I
myself should become disqualified."
Turning now to Philippians 3:, let us note the context of the passage which deals with
the prize of the high calling. The understanding will be helped by observing the
corresponding section of the epistle to that which deals with Paul and the prize. Omitting
all detail for the present, the following will exhibit the chief points:--
Phil. 1: 27 - 4: 2.
A | 1: 27-2: 4. Stand fast, same love, same soul.
B | 2: 5. "The mind of Christ."
C | 2: 6-11. The sevenfold humiliation and consequent exaltation of Christ.
D | 2: 12-30. The Philippians. Paul. Timothy. Epaphroditus.
C | 3: 1-14. The sevenfold loss and gain of the Apostle Paul.
B | 3: 21. "The body of His glory."
A | 4: 1, 2. Stand fast, same mind.
The members B and C are the most important at present. The teaching of
B | 2: 5 and B | 3: 21, the intimate relation between the mind of Christ and the
future body of glory, we must leave till later. The members C | 2: 6-11 and
C | 3: 1-14 are those requiring immediate attention.
Before we proceed we must ask our readers to put aside any suggestion regarding this
epistle which they have not tested, particularly the one that Philippians is corrective of
failure to understand the teaching of Ephesians. A careful study of the epistle fails to
substantiate such an idea. What we have found is that unless Ephesians is believed and
understood, Philippians will remain a sealed book. Instead of Philippians being on a
lower plane than Ephesians, it is a step forward. It takes for granted that its readers
entertain the hope of the calling, and so leads them on to consider their place in relation
to the prize of the high calling. While the wonders of Ephesians arise from the fulness of
Christ, the marvels of Philippians flow from His self emptying, and the fellowship of His
sufferings. Philippians 1: 29 shows what a step forward is taken when it says:--
"For unto you it is graciously given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him,
but also to suffer for His sake."
Nine times does the Apostle speak of the gospel, but it is always the personal relation
of the believer to it, not what the gospel is in itself. To come to Philippians to discover
the gospel of the grace of God is to come to the wrong book. The intimate relation of
service and suffering connected with the gospel will be seen at a glance by the
following:--