Philippians 3:14

κατὰ σκ. “In the direction of the mark.” Exactly parallel is Acts 8:26, πορεύου κατὰ μεσημβρίαν. Perhaps akin are uses like Thucyd., 6, 31, κατὰ θέαν ἥκειν; Hom., Odyss., 3, 72, κατὰ πρῆξιν (“for the sake of business,” Ameis-Hentze). It is needless to distinguish between σκοπόν and βραβεῖον in the Apostle's thought. Both really point to that unbroken and complete fellowship with Christ which is attained through the power of His resurrection, that resurrection being the condition of the believer's victory over sin and death, and making it possible for him to enter the “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”. The purified life in heaven is, in a word, both the goal and the prize. Contrast with this exulting thought Omar Khayyám, xxxviii.: “The stars are setting and the caravan starts for the dawn of nothing”. εἰς τὸ βραβ. The word occurs in Comedy, Inscrr [1]. and N.T. (1 Corinthians 9:24). Cf. 1 Clem., 5:5, ὁ Παῦλος ὑπομονῆς βραβεῖον ὑπέδειξεν, where it is perhaps suggested by our passage. It is possibly one of those words which must have been common in colloquial Greek (cf. the frequent use of βραβεύς), but have survived only in a few books. εἰς must be read with the best authorities, for, as Lft [2]. notes, “the prize marks the position of the goal”. ἐπί is an explanatory gloss. τῆς ἄνω κλ. “The upward calling.” The Apostle seems to mean that the βραβεῖον is the ἄνω κλῆσις (so also Lips [3].). κλῆσις is the technical word in the Epistles for that decisive appeal of God to the soul which is made in Jesus Christ: the offer of salvation. Those who listen are designated κλητοί. Cf. Romans 8:30 and Hltzm [4]., N.T. Th., ii., p. 165 ff. This κλ. is not merely to “the inheritance of the saints in light”. Its effect must be seen in the sanctification of the believer's life on earth. But here the addition of ἄνω suggests that the Apostle has before him the final issue of the calling which belongs to those who have endured to the end, who have run with patience the race set before them. The phrase seems to carry much the same meaning as Hebrews 3:1, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου. Cf. the suggestive comment of Chr [5]., τοὺς μάλιστα τιμωμένους τῶν ἀθλητῶν καὶ τῶν ἡνιόχων οὐ στεφανοῦσιν ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ κάτω, ἀλλʼ ἄνω καλέσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκεῖ στεφανοῖ. ἐν Χ. Ἰ. Although it would give a satisfactory sense to take these words with διώκω (so e.g., Myr [6]., Ws [7].), it is far more natural to join them closely with τ. ἄνω κλ. This is emphatically ἐν Χ. Ἰ. Only in connexion with Him has the κλῆσις either in itself or in its goal any meaning.

[1] scrr. Inscriptions.

[2] Lightfoot.

[3] Lipsius.

[4] tzm. Holtzmann.

[5] Chrysostom.

[6] Meyer.

[7]. Weiss.