14 Paul says he "pursues"; what he pursued and what it involved we must consider in a

separate paper.

In our last article we were considering the apostle's words, "but I pursue", and if we

take note of the passage and context where he again uses these words, we shall obtain

light upon the section we have to study together in this article. The words occur again in

verse 14, rendered in the A.V. and R.V., "I press". In verse 14 the prize is that which

is in mind, in verse 12 it is to lay hold upon that for which he was laid hold upon by

Christ Jesus to which he presses.

By viewing these two statements together we shall be led to conclude, seeing that but

one thing is said to be pursued, that the object for which the apostle had been laid hold

upon by Christ Jesus was the prize of the high calling.

We must notice at the outset that the passage under consideration is possible of a

rather different meaning. While the A.V. has no marginal note, the R.V. margin gives as

an alternative, "apprehend, seeing that I also was apprehended". Rotherham renders the

passage, "if you may even lay hold of that for which I have also been laid hold of by

Christ Jesus", and gives as a footnote "lay hold inasmuch as". The words that cause the

uncertainty occur in Rom. 5: 12 (A.V. margin) "in whom", while the R.V. gives "for

that" with no marginal alternative. They are in Greek eph hõ.

The meaning of the apostle therefore is either that he desired to lay hold of something

FOR WHICH Christ had laid hold upon him, or he desired to lay hold on something,

SEEING THAT Christ had laid hold on him. In the first case he desired to attain to the

full, the standard and the blessing for which Christ had chosen him; in the second, he

desired to attain to the highest because Christ had so graciously and so wonderfully laid

hold upon him.

After all, the practical results of either interpretation would be the same. If the Lord

has chosen and saved me, set my feet in the way, and bidden me run for the prize that He

has chosen me to obtain, or if out of gratitude and a desire to magnify His grace I do my

utmost to attain to the prize, seeing that He has so graciously, in the first place, laid hold

upon me, I shall use all diligence so to run that I may obtain.

In the next verse the apostle continues, "Brethren, I myself do not reckon yet to have

laid hold". The fact that Christ had laid hold upon him for this prize, or that he desired to

go on because Christ had laid hold upon him, did not cause Paul to slacken or to assume

an unspiritual certainty. "One thing" summarized the apostle's attitude and aim:--