Philippians 3:10-14 "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection..."

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:10-14)

Comment:

As is true of many of Paul’s letters, the overall purpose of his epistle to the church in Philippi (a city in Macedonia) is to quiet disruptions and quarrels within the membership, and call the followers of Jesus Christ to put aside unimportant differences for the sake of the larger, common goal. He cites Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples of staying focused and committed, and then offers himself as another example. He is writing from prison, and he has “suffered the loss of all things” (3:8), but none of that matters. His one, central goal is that of “knowing Christ,” of following the example and call of Jesus Christ to fully express our own Christ nature, as Jesus expressed his, and to dissolve the illusion of death and limitation and transform this life experience. Nothing else matters—not the resentments of the past nor the challenges of the future—compared to this overriding possibility. We may have different opinions, experiences, beliefs. But we will find our innate unity if we stay focused on “pressing on toward the goal.”

Blessings!

Rev. Ed