"leaving" and "going on unto", "forgetting" and "stretching out to". The Israelites'

failure to "leave" and "go on" was used by the apostle to impress his teaching in the

epistle to the Hebrews, and it will have the same effect in the epistle to the Philippians.

(Hope8 and Prize, 87-89)

We quote again, a further extract, this time from No.21, found in Volume IX, pp. 118,

Many have a difficulty regarding this subject by reason for failure to distinguish

clearly Prize from the Hope. In an early article of this series we endeavoured to draw the

distinction between "the Hope", and "the Prize", and said, "There can be no greater

contrast than that of Ephesians and Philippians in their point of view. Ephesians teaches

boldness with confidence, because there the question has entirely to do with being

accepted in the Beloved;  Philippians speaks of fear and trembling, because it has

reference to the service, the running, and the contest of the believer subsequent to his

perfect acceptance in Christ".  The "Hope" does not figure in the epistle to the

Philippians; the very word is used only by the apostle there with reference to himself.

Phil. 1: 20, his hope of deliverance and faithful testimony; 2: 19, 23, his hope of sending

Timothy to the Philippians.  To have misgivings therefore about the "hope", when

reading Phil. 3: about the "Prize" is an evidence of failure to discern the things that

differ. The hope of the believer is that of being with the Lord in glory and of sharing in

the resurrection. This is a part of redemption; unto this every member of the One Body is

sealed and pledged by the Holy Spirit "until the redemption of the purchased possession,

unto the praise of His glory". No conditions are attached to the hope, no fears are

expressed regarding its attainment, and no efforts are called for to qualify for it.

The prize forms no integral part of the unity of the Spirit, but the "one hope" does

(Eph. 4: 4). A crown that may be won, may be lost, and the glory of reigning with Christ

is directly connected with "enduring", whereas living with Him is simply the outcome of

"having died with Him", a participation which is the joyous reckoning of every believer

(II Tim. 2: 11-13). When the hope of the one body is spoken of in Col. 3: we do not

read, `when Christ the righteous judge shall appear', but "when Christ who is our life

shall appear, then shall we appear with Him in glory", and here, in Colossians, is exactly

the same argument that we found in II Tim. 2: 11, "ye died, and your life is hid with

Christ in God". The apostle who wrote these inspired words, who so fully taught the

perfect acceptance of the believer in the Lord, did not entertain any doubt regarding the

hope when he penned the, "if by any means" of the prize. To be exercised in mind as to

any question of worthiness regarding the Hope, and to assume certainty with regard to the

Prize and the Crown, are alike to be shunned.

(Hope9 and Prize, 118, 119)