Philippians 3:15

τέλειοι. What Paul understands by τέλ. we can easily discover from Ephesians 4:13-14; Colossians 1:28; Colossians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 2:6 (Cf. also the definition of the word in Hebrews 5:14 taken in connexion with Hebrews 6:1). In all these passages τέλ. depends upon knowledge, knowledge gained by long experience of Christ, resulting both in firm conviction and maturity of thought and conduct. It has not so much our idea of “perfect” = “flawless,” as of “perfect” = “having reached a certain point of completeness,” as of one who has come to his full growth, leaving behind him the state of childhood (νήπιος). Cf. chap. Philippians 1:9-10. Lft [8]. supposes a reminiscence of the technical term τέλειος, used in the Mysteries to denote the initiated, and imagines Paul to speak with a certain irony of people at Philippi who claimed to be in this fortunate position as regards the Christian faith. There is no need to assume here the language of the Mysteries (as Anrich shows, Das Antike Mysterienwesen, Gött., 1894, p. 146, n. 1), or to find irony in Paul's words. Probably there were some (see on Philippians 3:13 supr.) at Philippi who boasted of a spiritual superiority to their brethren and who may have called themselves τέλειοι. This may have been due to special equipment with the Spirit manifesting itself in speaking with tongues, etc. See 1 Corinthians 12 passim. But Paul takes the word seriously and points out what it involves. [Wernle's attempt in Der Christ u. die Sünde bei Paul., pp. 6 7, to show that this passage is no argument against Christian perfection which he believes Paul to hold, rests on the erroneous association of τέλ. with the Mysteries.] τοῦτο φρ. Let us show our humble conviction that we are still far from the goal which we desire to attain. καὶ εἴ … ἀποκαλ. If, in the case of any separate detail of character or knowledge, you imagine yourselves to be τέλειοι, to have reached the highest point, God will reveal the truth (the true standpoint of humility) on this matter also. The form of the conditional sentence suggests that Paul knew of persons at Philippi who had erroneous views on this subject. But his hint of rebuke is very delicately put. εἴ τι κ. τ. λ. It is far-fetched to take this (as Hpt [9]. does) of their judgment on the Judaisers. Paul has forgotten, for the time, the special anxiety which weighs upon him, and has become absorbed in the glorious vista which unfolds itself to the Christian. καὶ τοῦτο κ. τ. λ. A firm conviction of the Apostle's. See esp [10]. 1 Corinthians 2:10 (and Cf. Von Soden, Abhandlungen C. v. Weizs. gewidmet, p. 166).

[8] Lightfoot.

[9] Haupt.

[10] especially.