Thomas Aquinas Commentary Philippians 3:9-14

"and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, [even] that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 3:9-14 (ASV)

Above, he showed that he scorned past gains for the sake of Christ, that is, in order to know and win Christ. Here he intends to explain these things: first, how he desires to gain Christ and be found in Him by righteousness; and second, by enduring sufferings (Philippians 3:10). Regarding the first point, he does two things: first, he shows which righteousness he abandoned; and second, which one he now seeks (Philippians 3:9).

It should be noted that righteousness is sometimes understood as the specific virtue through which a person fulfills what is right in matters of social life, in the sense that it directs a person in this area. Temperance deals with one’s own internal passions, but righteousness deals with another person. In another way, righteousness is a general virtue, insofar as a person observes the law for the common good. This is the sense in which it is used in Scripture for the observance of the divine law: “I have done what is just and right” (Psalms 119:121), that is, the law, which he obeyed out of love, as though moved by his own initiative.

In this way, it is a virtue. But it is not a virtue if he is moved in some other way, such as by an external cause, for the sake of gain, or because of punishments, where obeying might be personally displeasing. According to this, there are two kinds of righteousness: one is moral righteousness, and the other is legal righteousness, which makes one obey the law not from love but from fear. Therefore, he says, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, because as Augustine says, “The slight difference between the Law and the Gospel is fear and love.” As it is written, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship” (Romans 8:15).

But if this righteousness is your own, how is it from the Law? I answer that it is indeed mine, because I accomplish such works with human power without the inward garment of sanctifying grace; but it is from the Law as the one that teaches. Or, it is mine to presume to obey it by myself: “Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it” (Romans 10:5).

Concerning the righteousness which he seeks, he states three things: its method of acquisition, its author, and its fruit. The method is that it is not obtained except by faith in Christ: “Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1); “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:22). The author is God and not man: “It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33); “And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). Therefore he says, the righteousness from God that depends on faith: “The Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him” (Acts 5:32). The fruit is knowledge of Him, the power of His resurrection, and fellowship in His sufferings.

These things can be explained in two ways according to the two forms of knowledge. The first is in terms of the knowledge available in this life. In that case, one must know three things about Him:

1. His person, namely, that He is true God and true man. Hence he says, that I may know him: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
2. The glory of His resurrection. Hence he says, and the power of his resurrection, that is, the powerful resurrection performed by His own power.
3. How to imitate Him. Hence he says, and may share his sufferings, namely, to be associated with Him in His passion: “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

The other way is by practical knowledge, which begins from what is later—the last thing accomplished but the first thing intended. In this way:

1. The first thing intended is the knowledge of God through His essence, to which faith leads: “They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Jeremiah 31:34). Therefore, he says, that I may know him.
2. Second, not only will the soul be glorified, but the body also. Hence he says, and the power of his resurrection, namely, the power by which we shall rise: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14).
3. Third, the value of sharing His suffering, because we shall know how much it benefits us to be associated with His passion: “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

Then when he says, becoming like him in his death, he shows how he would like to grow and be found in Him by enduring His sufferings. First, he mentions the endurance; second, its fruit (Philippians 3:11).

He says, therefore: let me be found not only having righteousness but also conformed to his death, that I might suffer for righteousness and truth as Christ did: “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17). 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 resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5); “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him” (2 Timothy 2:11); we are “fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him” (Romans 8:17).

He says, if possible, because of the difficulty, arduousness, and labor involved: “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14); “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12). For Christ rose by His own power, but we do not rise by our own power, but by the grace of God: “He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). Or it can refer to meeting the saints, when they shall meet Christ descending from heaven to judge.

Then when he says, not that I have already obtained this, he shows how his desire is deferred. First, he shows what he thinks of himself; second, he asks them to think the same thing of themselves (Philippians 3:15). The first part is divided into two: first, he shows how far short he is of the intended perfection; second, he explains this (Philippians 3:13). Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he shows that he has not arrived at perfection; second, that he is pressing on toward it (Philippians 3:12b).

In pressing toward it he seeks two things: to obtain what he desires, and to enjoy it. For he would be seeking in vain if he were not to enjoy it and abide in it. Therefore he says, not that I have already obtained, namely, the glory I seek: “But the righteous live forever... therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord” ; or am already perfect: “When the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:10).

But this attitude seems contrary to the command to be perfect (Matthew 5:48 and Genesis 17:1). I answer that perfection is twofold: of heaven and of earth. A person’s perfection consists in adhering to God through charity, because a thing is perfect to the degree it adheres to its perfection. The soul can adhere to God in two ways. One way is perfectly, so that a person actually refers all his actions to God and knows Him as He can be known; this is the perfection of heaven. The other way is adherence in this life, which is also of two kinds. One is necessary for salvation, and all are bound to it: that a person in no case place his heart in anything against God, and that he habitually refer his whole life to Him. The Lord says of this way: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). The other is of supererogation, when a person adheres to God above the common way. This is done when he removes his heart from temporal things in order to better approach heaven, because the smaller covetousness becomes, the more charity grows. Therefore, what is said here refers to the perfection of heaven.

Then when he says, but I press on, he shows his efforts toward it, saying, I press on, namely, after Christ: “He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12) and “My sheep hear my voice... and they follow me” (John 10:27). And this is to make it my own [to comprehend Him]: “So run that you may obtain the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

But on the other hand, God is incomprehensible, because it is said in Jeremiah: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the descendants of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:37). I answer that in one sense, to comprehend means to enclose, as a house comprehends us. In another sense, it means to attain and hold. In the first sense, God is incomprehensible, because He cannot be enclosed in a created intellect, since He is most simple and because you do not know or love Him to the degree that He is knowable and lovable. This is like a person who knows a truth by opinion but not by demonstration; he does not know it as perfectly as it can be known. But God knows Himself as far as He is knowable. The reason for this is that a thing is known according to the mode of its own being and truth. God, however, is infinite light and truth, whereas our light is finite.

Hence he says, but I press on to make it my own, that is, to comprehend Him in the second way, by attaining Him: “I held him, and would not let him go” (Song of Solomon 3:4), because Christ Jesus has made me his own. This can be understood in three ways. First, all glory depends on apprehending God, that is, on God being present to our soul. But not all have equal happiness, because some will see more clearly, just as some will love more ardently and will rejoice more. Hence each person will have a definite measure according to God’s predestination. Therefore, he says, because Christ Jesus has made me his own, as if to say: I intend to comprehend in such a measure as has been decided by Christ. Second, I press on to make it my own, as I am owned (apprehended). As if to say: that I may see Him as He sees me: “We shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2), not through a likeness, but through His essence. Third, to make it my own, by seeing Christ in glory, in which I am apprehended, that is, in that glory in which He appeared when I was converted.

Then when he says, brethren, I do not consider... he explains what he had said: first, about his lack of perfection; second, about the consequence (Philippians 3:13b).

He says: I do not consider that I have made it my own. As if to say: I am not so vain as to attribute to myself something I do not yet have; but I press on toward the goal. This can be understood in three ways. One way is: but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind... I press on toward the goal. A second way is: I do not consider that I have made it my own, but I press on toward one thing, namely, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. A third way is: I do not consider that I have made it my own, namely, that which is above: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after” (Psalms 27:4). Then he shows what he deserted: temporal things or past merits, because a person should not count his past merits.

Second, he shows what his destination is: straining forward to what lies ahead, that is, to what pertains to faith in Christ, or greater merits, or heavenly things: “They go from strength to strength” (Psalms 84:7). He says straining forward, because a person who wishes to take anything must exert himself as much as he can. The heart should stretch itself by desire: “The desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom” . He presses on for the prize, which is the reward only of those who run: “In a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). This prize is destined for me by God, namely, the prize of the upward call of God: “Those whom he predestined he also called” (Romans 8:30), and this is in Christ Jesus, that is, by faith in Christ.