Philippians 3:12–16, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
Philippians 3:12–16
Keep Pursuing the Goal Christ Has Set
The mature press on without pretending they have arrived.
Paul has not already obtained this or already been made perfect. He presses on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. Forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead, he presses toward the prize of God's upward call in Christ Jesus.
Those who are mature are to share this mind. If they think differently about something, God will make that clear; meanwhile they are to hold to what they have already attained. Pressing on is directed pursuit, not anxiety. Maturity is the same honest unfinishedness, not arrival.
How this should shape us
Keep the next faithful step without advertising arrival or panicking about unfinishedness. If you already know a true thing, walk in it while you wait for clearer sight.
Teach it back
Explain Philippians 3:12–16 in your own words. State its main movement, why it appears here, and one boundary on application.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
What nuance does 'upward call' carry?
Why it fits: The preceding goal is resurrection and the next paragraph names heavenly citizenship.
Difficulty: The expression can describe the origin or character of the call, not only its destination.
Why it fits: God is the caller and the call is in Christ.
Difficulty: This can become abstract if separated from the resurrection goal.
Best judgment: The call is God's Christ-centered summons toward the resurrection goal; 'upward' likely carries heavenly direction without supporting worldly status advancement.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: The KJV wording and immediate English context for Philippians 3:12–16.
eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Philippians 3; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and punctuation used as the base text for this passage.
Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Phil.txt, Philippians 3, verses within Philippians 3:12–16.
Supports: Material English translation choices, syntax notes, and textual variants identified for this passage.
NET Bible, Philippians 3, translator and textual notes attached to the verses in Philippians 3:12–16.
Supports: Passage structure, historical setting, Greek analysis, and interpretive alternatives tested against the primary text.
Paul A. Holloway, Philippians: A Commentary (Hermeneia), pp. 171–177.
Supports: A cross-check of the Greek forms and reasonable lexical range for words surfaced to readers.
STEP Bible Data repository, Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Greek lexical records, Philippians 3, verses within Philippians 3:12–16.
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The KJV wording and immediate English context for Philippians 3:12–16.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Philippians 3; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and punctuation used as the base text for this passage.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Phil.txt, Philippians 3, verses within Philippians 3:12–16.
Open the Philippians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Philippians with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Material English translation choices, syntax notes, and textual variants identified for this passage.
Exact location: NET Bible, Philippians 3, translator and textual notes attached to the verses in Philippians 3:12–16.
Open NET Philippians 3 ↗A major interpretive source
Philippians: A Commentary
Paul A. Holloway
Fortress Press, Hermeneia, 2017
Supports: Passage structure, historical setting, Greek analysis, and interpretive alternatives tested against the primary text.
Exact location: Paul A. Holloway, Philippians: A Commentary (Hermeneia), pp. 171–177.
Open the book record ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: A cross-check of the Greek forms and reasonable lexical range for words surfaced to readers.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository, Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Greek lexical records, Philippians 3, verses within Philippians 3:12–16.
Open source ↗