I know of few passages in the New Testament that are more difficult to translate than Phil. 3:13-14. So this morning I thought I try and tackle it head on.
I love these verses in Philippians. It's Paul's advice for the New Year in a nutshell. Not to mention the fact that he is drawing heavily from the Olympic Games of his day. I love it when Paul does this. Here he uses two primary metaphors:
- That of a runner in a footrace.
- And that of an award ceremony after the race.
As a runner, I am fascinated by this language. I've been a runner now for 8 years. Not a fast one. Not an award-winning one. Not a naturally-gifted one. But a runner nonetheless.
Most of running is not racing but training. About 99 percent of it. Running is something we'd do even if we never raced. However, like everyone else, runners like to be challenged. Racing allows that. I've participated in tons of races, including 20 marathons, which Roger Bannister once called the "acme of athletic heroism." The marathon is the classic trial for anyone who is void of talent but determined to finish. In every one of my races (whatever the distance) my opponent is myself. Only secondarily do I race against others. I've never won a race or even my age group. A few times I've come in second place.
I'm a big guy, and running is a sport where bigger is not better. David beats Goliath every time. In fact, did you know that weight is a greater handicap than age? So I've never anticipated winning a race. "You beat all those people who didn't show up" is about the best I can do.
Win or not, at the end of every race you get a medal. It's a way the race organizers acknowledge your participation in their event. It's a very nice touch. I don't do much with my medals. I usually just throw them over the banister on my way upstairs to take a post-race shower.
There's no place in my daily runs for going all out or for pushing my limits. Those tortures come on race day. For most amateur runners, winning means being able to say "I didn't quit."
That's why, to me, every finisher warrants a medal, including those who finish farthest back. No one in a race does less than their best, and that should be rewarded.
Let's get back to Phil. 3:13-14. Here Paul seems to be emphasizing three main points:
1. The importance of completely forgetting past attainments. I can never say "I have arrived."
2. The importance of continual concentration on the future. The word Paul uses here for "stretching forward" pictures the Christian as a runner in the stadium with his head fixed forward and his eyes fastened on the goal.
3. The importance of "chasing down" (so the Greek) the goal with relentless determination.
This brings us to verse 14 -- one conundrum of a verse in my opinion. Here's what the Greek looks like.
Referring to the Greek games, here Paul pictures the post-race celebration that takes place before a crowd of spectators. After each event the name of the winner was announced along with the name of his father and country. The athlete would then receive an award from the hands of the judges. Just what that award is when it comes to the Christian is uncertain. Here's where the Greek gets a bit tricky. The ESV reads, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." The CSB reads a bit differently: "I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." God's Word has, "So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above." Finally, the NLT reads, "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Lots of disagreement here. However, I agree with Gerald Hawthorne that, once you look at the context of the letter of Philippians, the prize we are after is Christ himself. If I would hazard a translation of verse 14, it might look like this:
"Like an athlete with every nerve and muscle taut, I keep on relentlessly chasing down the goal, running straight for the coveted award to which God is calling me up to the winner's stand to receive-- the prize of Christ Jesus himself."
This gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. It helps me understand what Paul is talking about here. Signing up for a race leads to increased energy, dedication, discipline, and a belief that goals are worth chasing down. Getting ready for a marathon is like preparing for battle. This is where dedication and discipline are born. The veteran Christian knows that running the race of faith takes you to the limits. If you want to follow Jesus, you are in store for pain and fatigue like you've never felt before or even imagined. And even the most experienced runner worries that they won't have the toughness to carry if off. If the runner does have what it takes, it's only because the judge himself has enabled and empowered him to do so.
What mindblowing truth. Think about it. The runner takes his rights and privileges of being in Christ and makes them obligations. He is no longer free to dispose of his life as he sees fit. There's a race to be run, for the glory of God. There's a battle to be fought, in the strength of the Lord. There's a reward to be granted, by the grace of the Lord. And there's a defeat to be risked, and constantly overcome.
