Philippians 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.
Philippians 3:12 nkjv
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Philippians 3:12 niv
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians 3:12 esv
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Philippians 3:12 nlt
I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
Philippians 3 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Phil 3:10 | that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, | Know Him, His Power, Resurrection |
| Gal 2:20 | I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, | Union with Christ, Faith, Christ Livin in Us |
| Rom 8:4 | that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. | Fulfillment of Law, Spirit's Work |
| Eph 4:13 | until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; | Attaining Maturity, Fullness of Christ |
| Col 1:29 | For this I toil, striving with His great might that works within me. | Toil, Striving, Christ's Power Within |
| 1 Cor 9:24 | Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. | Running the Race, Obtaining the Prize |
| Heb 12:1 | Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, | Endurance in the Race, Laying Aside Hindrances |
| John 17:3 | And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. | Knowing God, Eternal Life |
| 2 Cor 3:18 | And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. | Transformation into Christ's Image, Lord is the Spirit |
| Rom 6:3-4 | Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. | Baptism, Death and Resurrection, Newness of Life |
| 1 Pet 1:3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, | Born Again, Living Hope, Resurrection of Jesus |
| Phil 1:21 | For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. | Christ as Life, Christ as Gain |
| Gal 6:14 | But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. | Boasting in the Cross |
| Phil 3:7-8 | But whatever gains I had, I counted these as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. | Counting All Loss for Christ |
| 2 Tim 2:11 | The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; | Dying and Living with Christ |
| Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. | Power of the Holy Spirit |
| Col 2:11-12 | In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made by hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. | Circumcision of Christ, Burial and Raising with Christ |
| 1 Cor 15:57 | But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Victory through Christ |
| John 15:5 | I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. | Abiding in Christ, Fruitfulness |
| Phil 3:13-14 | Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my goal. But 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 upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | Pressing On, Goal, Upward Call |
| Heb 11:1 | Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. | Assurance of Hope, Conviction |
Philippians 3 verses
Philippians 3 12 Meaning
Paul expresses his intense desire and continuous effort to grasp Christ's reality more fully and to be shaped by His resurrection power. It is a relentless pursuit of deeper spiritual maturity and union with Christ, driven by the transformation that comes from His sacrifice and the promise of His resurrection. This is not about achieving perfection but about experiencing the ongoing work of Christ in the believer's life.
Philippians 3 12 Context
In Philippians chapter 3, Paul is contrasting his own passionate pursuit of Christ with the dangerous teachings of those who emphasized ritualistic requirements and legalistic adherence to the Old Testament Law for salvation and spiritual maturity. These "enemies of the cross" (v. 18) were advocating circumcision not as a symbol but as a means of justification. Paul recounts his own exemplary life of outward religious observance under Judaism, but declares he now counts all of it as loss compared to the unparalleled value of knowing Christ. He has abandoned all self-reliance and boasting in his past achievements, embracing Christ as his sole source of righteousness and hope. This verse, therefore, is a pivotal declaration of Paul's ongoing commitment to actively experience the transformative power that stems from Christ's resurrection, to apprehend or grasp the reality of Christ's finished work and its implications for his present life. He's not resting on past conversion but continually striving to know Christ and His resurrection power more deeply.
Philippians 3 12 Word Analysis
- εἰπεῖν (eipēn) - "to say," "to speak." Here, it implies "I want to say," or "my aim is," indicating Paul’s fervent desire or objective.
- μὴ ὅτι (mē hoti) - "not that," "not because." This phrase introduces a clarification, distinguishing between his ultimate goal and a mere initial grasp.
- ἤδη (ēdē) - "already," "now." It signifies something achieved or attained up to this point.
- ἔλαβον (elabon) - Aorist active indicative of λαμβάνω (lambanō), meaning "to take," "to receive," "to grasp." It denotes a completed action in the past. Paul states he hasn't fully grasped or attained everything yet.
- ἠτέλεστην (ētelestēn) - Perfect passive indicative of τελέω (teleō), meaning "to complete," "to finish," "to make perfect." It implies that the process of reaching perfection or consummation in Christ has not yet been finalized for him.
- ἐπιλαβόμενον (epilabomenon) - Present middle participle of ἐπιλαμβάνω (epilambanō), meaning "to lay hold of," "to seize," "to grasp firmly." This is the key verb expressing Paul's active, continuous pursuit. It's a vigorous seizing, not passive reception.
- οὗ (hou) - Genitive masculine singular relative pronoun, "of whom" or "in whom." Refers back to Christ Jesus.
- Χριστοῦ (Christou) - Genitive singular of Χριστός (Christos), "Christ," "Anointed One." The source and object of Paul’s pursuit.
- Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou) - Genitive singular of Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous), "Jesus."
- καὶ (kai) - "and." Connects "know Him" with "apprehended."
- ἵνα (hina) - "in order that," "so that." Introduces the purpose of his pursuit.
- καταλάβω (katalabō) - Aorist subjunctive of καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō), "to seize," "to grasp," "to comprehend," "to overtake." It carries a sense of achieving a goal, overtaking it, or thoroughly grasping it. This is similar to ἐπιλαβόμενον, emphasizing an active grasping.
- καὶ (kai) - "and."
- ἐφ’ ᾧ (eph’ hō) - "on which account," "for which reason," "in which." It points to the basis or cause of his pursuit – Christ.
- καὶ αὐτὸς (kai autos) - "and I myself," "and I also." A reinforcing emphasis on Paul's personal involvement and appropriation.
- κατειλήφθην (kateilēphthēn) - Aorist passive indicative of καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō). "I was apprehended," "I was seized," "I was grasped." This passive form highlights how Christ first apprehended Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-6; Gal 1:15). Paul's active grasping (ἵνα καταλάβω) is a response to Christ's initial, sovereign apprehension of him.
Group of words analysis:
- "μὴ ὅτι ἤδη ἔλαβον ἢ ἤδη ἠτετελεσμαι" - This phrase succinctly states Paul's present realization: he hasn't fully grasped Christ nor is he yet complete or perfected. This acknowledges ongoing progress, not arrival. It counters any sense of complacency.
- "ἐπιλαβόμενον οὗ καὶ αὐτὸς κατειλήφθην" - This encapsulates the relational dynamic: Paul's active pursuit (epilabomenon) is rooted in Christ’s prior, decisive action of apprehending him (e.g., the Damascus Road conversion). His chasing Christ is a response to being caught by Christ.
Philippians 3 12 Bonus Section
The verb "apprehend" (κατελήφθην - kateilēphthēn) used passively to describe how Christ apprehended Paul highlights divine sovereignty in salvation. Paul's entire Christian journey began with God's initiative. His active striving to apprehend Christ ("ἵνα καταλάβω" - hina katalabō) is his divinely-empowered response to that initial divine grasp. It’s a covenantal relationship: God apprehends us, and we respond by pursuing Him with all our being. The contrast between "I have not yet attained" (οὐχ ὅτι ... ἤδη ἔλαβον) and "that I may apprehend" (ἵνα ... καταλάβω) illustrates that maturity is a progressive journey, a lifelong pursuit of Christ. The goal isn't a final status earned by works but an ever-deepening communion and assimilation into Christ's resurrected life.
Philippians 3 12 Commentary
Paul emphasizes that his Christian life is not about reaching a finished state where all striving ceases. Instead, it's a dynamic, ongoing process. He desires to fully "apprehend" (seize, grasp) Christ, meaning to enter into a deeper, more intimate, and experiential knowledge of Him, His power, and His resurrected life. This active pursuit is fueled by the understanding that Christ Himself first apprehended Paul – Jesus apprehended him on the road to Damascus. Therefore, Paul's grasping is a response to being grasped. He’s not seeking his own merit or attainment but striving to increasingly live out the reality of what Christ has already accomplished and what Christ’s resurrection means for him now. This active striving is crucial; it's a passionate running towards Christ.