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and I consider them refuse, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God. Since the heralds of the letter were very proud, both of circumcision and of their race from Israel, for this reason he despises it in his own person. For then the contempt is genuine, not when someone who does not possess them scorns them, but when, possessing them, he considers them small, and easily despised by the discovery of greater and surpassing things. He says therefore, that having all their venerable things, and having demonstrated such righteousness in the things of the law as no one else has, I have considered all things a loss and refuse, since the way of life according to Christ is of a certain surpassing excellence. And so great is the surpassing excellence, that I pray to be found having no legal righteousness of my own, so that I may gain the righteousness from God. See how he calls the righteousness from the law his own, but the evangelical righteousness, the righteousness of God, so that the distance between the two may be as great as that between man and God. By faith to know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead; not that I have already obtained it, or have already been made perfect; but I press on, if I may also take hold of that for which I was also taken hold of by Christ. He teaches what the righteousness from God is: faith in Christ, and the knowledge of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings. For these things, he says, being found in me, will cause me to attain to the resurrection from the dead. He did not say simply, I will attain, but, if somehow I may attain. He shows that even for those who have already received the gift of knowledge and the fellowship of sufferings, there is a need for great vigilance, lest they lose what they have received. And this is clear from what follows. For not that I have already obtained it, he says, and am now confident about the end; but I press on, that I may also lay hold of it. And what is it that he may lay hold of, but this gift for which he was also laid hold of by Christ? And in what was he laid hold of, but in the resurrection? For one died for all, that we all might live. Therefore, great fear 95.876 and anxiety are upon us, lest, even after rising, we be found unworthy of the one who raised us, and we hear, ‘I do not know you.’ Brothers, I do not yet consider myself to have taken hold. Still, in his own person, he introduces humility to them, especially since one must not call a man blessed before his death. Therefore, as long as the time of the contest is at hand, he has not yet taken hold. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He teaches how one might take hold; and how, but by forgetting the things behind? And by "behind," he means either the legal worship, or even the whole corrupt life, which one must forget while straining forward to what is ahead, that is, to pursue the evangelical way of life. For only in this way is it possible to obtain the prize of the upward call. Let those of us who are perfect, therefore, think this way. See again an excess of humility. For he did not say that one must simply think this way, but that the perfect must think this way. This way, how, but to not yet consider themselves to have taken hold? And if the perfect are this way, those who are not such, how ought they to consider themselves? And if you think anything differently, God will reveal this also to you. Even if you do not think this way, he says, as we say, God will fully convince you concerning this, that it is as we have taught. Nevertheless, as to what we have attained, let us walk by the same standard, let us be of the same mind. Even if we await, he says, the revelation from God concerning the things being sought, nevertheless hold fast now to this which you already have. And what was it that they had, but to think correctly concerning the faith? Be imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who walk in this way, as you have us for a model. For many walk, about whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For your citizenship is in heaven, from which also

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καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα εἶναι, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ ἔχων δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ νόμου, ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ, τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην. Ἐπειδὴ μέγα ἐφρόνουν οἱ τοῦ γράμματος κήρυκες, ἐπί τε περιτομῇ καὶ γένει τῷ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, τούτου χάριν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ αὐτὸ ἐξουθενεῖ. Τότε γὰρ ἀληθὴς ἡ ἐξουδένωσις, οὐχ ὅταν μὴ σχών τις καταπτύει ὧν ἔχει, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἔχων, μικρὰ αὐτὰ ἡγῆται, καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητα τῇ τῶν μειζόνων καὶ ὑπερβαλλόντων εὑρέσει. Λέγει οὖν, ὅτι Πάντα αὐτῶν σχὼν τὰ σεμνὰ, καὶ τοσαύτην ἐν τοῖς νομικοῖς ἐπιδειξάμενος δικαιοσύνην, ὅσην οὐκ ἄλλος τις, πάντα ἥγημαι ζημίαν καὶ σκύβαλα, ὑπερβολῆς τινος οὔσης τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν πολιτείας. Τοσαύτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπερβολὴ, ὥστε εὔχομαι μηδεμίαν εὑρεθῆναι ἔχοντα ἐμαυτὸν νομικὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἵνα τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην κερδήσω. Ὅρα πῶς τὴν μὲν ἐκ νόμου δικαιοσύνην ἑαυτοῦ φησι, τὴν δὲ εὐαγγελικὴν, Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, ἵνα τοσοῦτον ᾖ ἀμφοτέρων τὸ μέσον, ὅσον ἀνθρώπου καὶ Θεοῦ. Ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ, συμμορφούμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ, εἴ πως καταντήσω εἰς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν· οὐχ ὅτι ἤδη ἔλαβον, ἢ ἤδη τετελείωμαι· διώκω δὲ εἰ καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ κατελήφθην ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆ιδάσκει τίς ἡ ἐκ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη· ἡ πίστις ἡ εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ ἡ γνῶσις τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρεθέντα, φησὶ, καταντῆσαι ποιήσει εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν τὴν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ εἶπε, καταντήσω, ἀλλὰ, εἴ πως καταντήσω. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι καὶ ἤδη τοῖς λαβοῦσι τῆς γνώσεως τὸ χάρισμα καὶ τῶν παθημάτων τὴν κοινωνίαν, πολλῆς τῆς νήψεως χρεία, ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἔλαβον ἀπολέσωσι. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῶν ἑξῆς δῆλον. Οὐχ ὅτι γὰρ ἤδη ἔλαβον, φησὶ, καὶ δὴ περὶ τοῦ τέλους θαῤῥῶ· ἀλλὰ διώκω, ἵνα καὶ καταλάβω. Τί δὲ, ἵνα καταλάβῃ, ἢ τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα εἰς ὃ καὶ κατελήφθη ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ; ἐν τίνι δὲ κατελήφθη, ἢ τῇ ἀναστάσει; Εἷς γὰρ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα πάντες ζήσωμεν. Φόβος οὖν μέ 95.876 γας ἡμῖν καὶ ἀγωνία, μήποτε καὶ ἀναστάντες, ἀνάξιοι εὑρεθῶμεν τοῦ ἀναστήσαντος, καὶ ἀκούσωμεν τὸ, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Ἀδελφοὶ, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔπω λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι. Ἔτι ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην αὐτοῖς εἰσηγεῖται, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐ δεῖ μακαρίζειν ἄνθρωπον πρὸ τελευτῆς. Ἕως οὖν ὁ ἀγῶνος ἐνέστηκε καιρὸς, οὔπω κατείληφεν. Ἓν δὲ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω, ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. ∆ιδάσκει πῶς ἄν τις καταλάβοι· καὶ πῶς ἢ τῶν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος; Ὀπίσω δὲ, ἢ τὴν νομικὴν λατρείαν φησὶν, ἢ καὶ πάντα τὸν ἐφθαρμένον βίον, οὗ δεῖ ἐπιλανθανόμενον τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτείνεσθαι, δηλαδὴ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν πολιτείαν μετέρχεσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ μόνως ἔστι τυχεῖν τοῦ βραβείου τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως. Ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν. Ὅρα πάλιν ὑπερβολὴν ταπεινοφροσύνης. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἁπλῶς οὕτω δεῖ φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τελείους οὕτω δεῖ φρονεῖν. Οὕτω δὲ, πῶς, ἢ τὸ οὔπω ἑαυτοὺς λογίζεσθαι κατειληφότας; Καὶ εἰ οἱ τέλειοι οὕτως, οἱ μὴ τοιοῦτοι, πῶς ἑαυτοὺς ὀφείλουσι λογίζεσθαι; Καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει. Εἰ καὶ οὐχ οὕτω φρονεῖτε, φησὶν, ὡς ἡμεῖς λέγομεν, ὁ Θεὸς ὑμᾶς πληροφορήσει περὶ τούτου, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν ὡς ἐδιδάξαμεν. Πλὴν εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν κανόνι, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν. Εἰ καὶ ἀναμένομεν, φησὶ, τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀποκάλυψιν περὶ τῶν ζητουμένων, ἀλλ' ὅμως τούτου ἀντέχεσθε νυνὶ οὗ ἤδη ἔχετε. Καὶ τί ἦν ὃ εἶχον, ἢ τὸ φρονεῖν περὶ πίστεως ὀρθῆς; Συμμιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ σκοπεῖτε τοὺς οὕτω περιπατοῦντας, καθὼς ἔχετε τύπον ἡμᾶς. Πολλοὶ γὰρ περιπατοῦσιν, οὓς πολλάκις ἔλεγον ὑμῖν, νῦν δὲ καὶ κλαίων λέγω, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὧν τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια, ὧν ὁ θεὸς ἡ κοιλία, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντες. Ὑμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ