PHP 3:12-16

Pressing on toward the Goal

12Not that I have already obtained this or have already been brought to completion, but I press on to take hold of it, because I have also been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing: forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead,

14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15As many of us then as are mature — let us think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal that also to you.

16Only, to what we have already attained, let us hold to that same standard.

In the world it was spoken into

In Philippi, a Roman colony with a strong Greco-Roman cultural ethos, the metaphor of pressing toward a goal would resonate deeply with listeners familiar with athletic competitions, particularly the footraces and archery contests common in civic games. The term , often used for hunting or military pursuit, conveys urgency and single-minded focus, aligning with the Stoic ideal of disciplined striving toward virtue. The concept of (being perfected) would evoke the philosophical pursuit of moral completeness, a goal shared by Stoics and Epicureans alike. For Jewish listeners, the language of perfection and maturity might recall the Psalms’ call to integrity or the Torah’s demand for wholehearted devotion. Paul’s emphasis on forgetting what lies behind and straining forward reflects the Roman cultural value of forward momentum and the Jewish hope of eschatological fulfillment. The prize evokes the laurel wreaths awarded to victors, symbolizing honor and divine favor, while the 'upward calling' suggests a heavenly citizenship countering Philippi’s Roman imperial identity.

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How other translations render this

PHP 3:12

KJV: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
BSB: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Koinōnos: Not that I have already obtained this or have already been brought to completion, but I press on to take hold of it, because I have also been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

PHP 3:13

KJV: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
BSB: Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Koinōnos: Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing: forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead,

PHP 3:14

KJV: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
BSB: I press on toward the goal to win the prize of Godʼs heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
Koinōnos: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.

PHP 3:15

KJV: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
BSB: All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.
Koinōnos: As many of us then as are mature — let us think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal that also to you.

PHP 3:16

KJV: Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
BSB: Nevertheless, we must live up to what we have already attained.
Koinōnos: Only, to what we have already attained, let us hold to that same standard.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

PHP 3:12

have been perfected,:The word translated 'have been perfected' refers to being brought to a state of completion or fulfillment, not necessarily moral flawlessness. It implies reaching an intended end or purpose.
I am pursuing:The term translated 'I am pursuing' carries a strong sense of intense, eager pursuit, often with the imagery of chasing after something or someone, like a hunter after prey.

PHP 3:14

[the] goal:The word translated '[the] goal' literally refers to a mark or a target, like the finish line in a race or an object to be aimed at, emphasizing a specific, fixed objective.

PHP 3:15

[are] mature,:The word translated '[are] mature' describes someone who has reached their full development or intended purpose, like an adult compared to a child, rather than simply being without fault.