Philippians 3:11

"If by any means," saith he, "I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead." What sayest thou? All men will have a share in that. "For we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (1 Cor. xv. 51), and shall all share not only in the Resurrection, but in incorruption. Some indeed to honor, but others as a means of punishment. If therefore all have a share in the Resurrection, and not in the Resurrection only, but also in incorruption, how said he, "If by any means I may attain," as if about to share in some especial thing? "For this cause," saith he, "I endure these things, if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead." For if thou hadst not died, thou wouldest not arise. What is it then? Some great thing seems here to be hinted at. So great was it, that he dared not openly assert it, but saith, "If by any means." I have believed in Him and His resurrection, nay, moreover, I suffer for Him, yet I am unable to be confident concerning the Resurrection. What resurrection doth he here mention? That which leads to Christ Himself. I said, that I believed in "Him, and in the power of His resurrection," and that I "have fellowship with His sufferings," and that I "become conformed to His death." Yet after all these things I am by no means confident; as he said elsewhere, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. x. 12.) And again, "I fear lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected." (1 Cor. ix. 27.)

But its fruit is that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. For one reaches glory by sufferings endured here: "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a …

What then? If you had not suffered, Paul, would you not have risen? But by resurrection understand here His most glorious ascension on the clouds, because all will rise, but not all will be caught up on the clouds: sinners below await the Judge, while …

The happiness of heaven is here called the resurrection of the dead, because, though the souls of the faithful, when they depart, are immediately with Christ, yet their happiness will not be complete till the general resurrection of the dead at the last day, when soul and body shall be glorified together. Anastasis sometimes signifies the future state.

If by any means I, might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

If by any means - Implying, that he meant to make use of the most strenuous exertions to obtain the object. I might attain unto - I may come to, or may secure this object. The resurrection of the dead - Paul believed that all the dead would be raised Act 24:15; Act 26:6-8; and in this respect he would certainly attain to the resurrection of the dead, in common with all mankind.

If by any means--not implying uncertainty of the issue, but the earnestness of the struggle of faith (1Co 9:26, 27), and the urgent need of jealous self-watchfulness (1Co 10:12). attain unto the resurrection of the dead--The oldest manuscripts read, "the resurrection from (out of) the dead," namely, the first resurrection; that of believers at Christ's coming (1Co 15:23;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

The resurrection of the dead - That is, the resurrection of those who, having died in the Lord, rise to glory and honor; and hence St. Paul uses a peculiar word which occurs no where else in the New Testament, εξαναστασις. The words, as they stand in the best MSS., are as follow: εις την εξαναστασιν την εκ νεκρων, to that resurrection which is of the dead. This glorious resurrection, and perhaps peculiarly glorious in the case of martyrs, is that to which St. Paul aspired. The word αναστασις signifies the resurrection in general, both of the just and unjust; εξαναστασις may signify that of the blessed only.