How the readers of The Berean Expositor view this matter we do not know, but in face

of the awful uncircumcision of the flesh, and the poverty of our practical manifestation of

His grace, the writer, while penning these articles and expressing in them what he sees to

be the truth, feels how very far from the mark his walk must be, and how slender the

prospects of ever attaining to such a height as is this prize of the high calling of God in

Christ Jesus.

The apostle has been speaking in Phil. 3: 4-14 in the first person. I, me, mine, are

the recurring pronouns, "that I may know Him", "if by any means I might attain",

"I press according to a mark toward the prize". Shall we conclude therefore that this

peculiar prize so fervently desired by the apostle, and beset with so many difficulties, was

for him alone, and that we, the ordinary members of the One Body, are not called upon to

run this race? This question we feel is answered in the verses that follow.

The apostle now turns to his readers, and would join them with himself in this great

contest, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded". Dr. Macknight

renders this passage as follows, "as many therefore as wish to be perfect, let us think

this"; in either case the verb has to be supplied, and "wish to be" has as much right to be

inserted as "be". He calls attention to the way in which the Hebrew active verbs express

intention even though the thing attempted did not take place. Exod. 8: 18, "and the

magician did so (i.e. attempted to do so) with their enchantments, but they could not",

Deut. 28: 68, "ye shall be sold (i.e. set to sale), and no man shall buy you".

The apostle we believe intends us to understand that he speaks to those who would be

perfect, who would together with himself go on unto perfection, and we adopt as the true

reading, "as many therefore as would be perfect". What has the apostle to say to such?

He says, "let us mind this", he brings us back at once to "the mark", which we saw had

connection with "the mind that was in Christ Jesus", and was in direct contrast to those

who "mind earthly things", "and if ye are any otherwise minded, even this God will

reveal to you". It will be noticed that both the hope and the prize are subjects of

revelation, not merely because they are contained in the Scriptures, but that they are

taught of God Himself through the Scriptures in a very special manner.

In Eph. 1: 17, 18 the apostle prayed that God "may give unto you the spirit of wisdom

and REVELATION. . . . that ye may know what is the hope of His calling". The God

who gives the calling makes it known; so with the prize. The mind and the mark that are

essential for the contest are revealed by God Himself; this does not mean of course that

any fresh "revelation" will be given, but it does indicate that each individual is thrown in

a special manner upon the teaching of the Lord Himself.