Exploring Paul's Insightful Message

We’ve talked about the mysteries that God desires his children to seek out and find. Tonight, we come across something that is certainly not secret knowledge or something only special people might discover but it is something that is truly insightful to what God is doing – and has been doing in the lives of those who seek and love him. Paul references the insight in Philippians 3 and it’s a passage that used to give me pause every time I ran across it.

Let me read a few verses to set the stage as Paul writes, speaking of himself:

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Winning Christ

Now we know that when Paul writes this that he has been saved, for goodness sakes, but here he speaks of a “possibility of winning Christ,” saying, “that I MAY win Christ.” (First clue. Verse 9)

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (so, tied to the desire and possibility of winning Christ, Paul speaks to faith and the righteousness of God which is by faith – WHY? Verse 10 where Paul says)

10 That I may (1) know him, and (2) the power of his resurrection, and (3) the fellowship of his sufferings, (and 4) being made conformable unto his deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God.;

The Resurrection of the Dead

And then he adds the kicker – ready?

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

And then he wraps the idea up with verses 12-14 saying

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

From these passages we can plainly state the following about Paul the Apostle:

He talks about winning Christ in the future even though he is saved. He clearly links faith in Christ to this potential win. He maintains that by faith the road to winning Christ includes first, KNOWING HIM, second, “and the power of His resurrection” and third, what he describes as “the fellowship of His Sufferings,” and fourth, he says, “being made conformable to His death.”

Paul's Hope and Uncertainty

What does Paul hope to accomplish in and through all of this? He tells us by declaring at verse 11

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

If by any means I MIGHT attain unto the resurrection of the dead? I might? Didn’t Jesus say all would be resurrected? He certainly did? So, what is Paul talking about here when he appears to hope to attain it?

Let’s look to men for a moment and hear what they have traditionally said about this passage – to summarize we generally get three views of Paul’s meaning here.

The first says that Paul was not certain of going to heaven (which is total BS and in contradiction to all Paul has said about salvation coming by God’s grace through faith) and the second says Paul was uncertain that he would be resurrected, (which is also baloney since Christ taught that all would be resurrected – good and evil – and Paul confirms his agreement with this when he wrote Romans 8:38-39 and 1 Corinthians 15).

Then the last view put forth suggests that Paul was openly hoping and striving to obtain not just a reward in heaven but a specific reward.

So again, and for whatever reason, we know that Paul does reveal his desire to attain unto what he calls “the resurrection of the dead,” and he was uncertain about its reality as an afterlife reward – whatever it is that he is speaking about.

So again, where Paul says, “If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead,” he was not sure, according to whatever he meant by “resurrection of the dead” that he would attain or receive it. That is plain as the Greek here.

The Concept of the "Out-Resurrection"

Translated to “if by any means” cannot mean any other than that of uncertainty. So we have an issue because the resurrection was a certainty among followers in Christ – as taught by Paul. But here he is uncertain about attaining to what he describes as the resurrection. Or does he?

The key to this is in the fact that the term translated “resurrection” here is not the normal Greek term for resurrection which is anastasis. Paul uses the term exanastasis. In other words, Paul knew all people would be resurrected (anastasis) but he strived to attain exanastasis, which our more literate Greek scholars define as meaning “an out-resurrection.”

The Meaning of "Out-Resurrection"

What could the Out-Resurrection mean to Paul who hoped “by any means” that he could attain or receive it? In light of all we have read what we can say here is whatever it was that Paul hoped to gain was something other than the normal resurrection of all believers from the dead. In fact, what he longed for and strived for was a resurrection that was OUT FROM THE ONE ALL OTHERS WOULD RECEIVE!

HAVE YOU EVER ALLOWED YOURSELF TO SEE OR RECEIVE THIS IDEA? Have you heard it taught? It is really an important concept to sons and daughters of God so I hope you will consider thinking about it.

Conditions of "Out-Resurrection"

How is it unique to anastasis or resurrection? First of all, we can see that Paul considered this “out-resurrection” conditional for believers. And is predicated on some things Paul describes as important to receiving it. Those conditions are described in verse ten briefly as Paul says:

10 That I may (1) know him, this is written in the “genitive of the articular second aorist (ingressive) active infinitive (purpose) of ginôskô,” and that means “to have personal acquaintance with Christ BY EXPERIENCE – which is one of Paul’s major passions – to get more knowledge of Christ by experience. The next thing he mentions is “and (2) the power of his resurrection,” with power in the sense of assurance to believers to triumph over sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. and the flesh ultimately and to be fully ensconced in the things of light, life and love. Then he says and (3) the fellowship of his sufferings, he literally describes partnership in (objective genitive) the sufferings of Jesus before him, which was an honor prized by Paul (Colossians 1:24). To suffer with him or as He suffered (and 4) being made conformable unto his death; the Present passive participle of “summorphizô,” a late verb from summorphos, which is found only here. To be conformed to His death is a literal description of being configured to his agony at Gethsemane, not to mention Calvary, which will be reproduced in some way or another in the faithful servants of Christ.

Clearly then, more than faith in Christ is involved in the process of attaining unto this particular “out-resurrection.” He seems to be speaking of some deep sanctification here. At verse 14 Paul describes it as “pressing on toward the prize” and if a prize that requires “pressing into it,” then this resurrection is not a free gift bestowed.

Interesting, the word “prize” in verse 14 is “brab eion,” which means “an award bestowed” and is only used twice in the New Testament, here and in 1 Corinthians 9:24. And in that place (1st Corinthians 9”24) we recall that Paul wrote: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but [only] one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may . . . obtain it.”

Most see that passage as referring to eternal rewards which believers can obtain for “faithfulness in this life” and therefore it is a word used in connection with “rewards and awards” for striving and arriving at personal excellence. Because Paul repeatedly asserts that spiritual regeneration is not a result of our faithfulness, good deeds, or strivings (Romans 3:23-26; 4:5; Galatians 2:16; 3:6-14; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) we know that the meaning of this passage is clear. It deals directly with discipleship, not rebirth or regeneration. It pertains to believers, not unbelievers. It concerns rewards (not kingdom entrance) which a believer can obtain through allowing God to produce good fruits in and through us.

It seems, therefore, to be a reward for the individual believer who let God exude from his or her person in the form of agape loveSelfless love marked by patience, mercy, and humility—central to living in spiritual liberty. while in the flesh. And again, the meaning of “out-resurrection” to which Paul seeks (exanastasis) appears.

Understanding Resurrection

To refer to “a resurrection that is outside of the standard resurrection all people will receive believer and not. It is something outside of that. So, where all believers will be resurrected generally, Paul longed to receive the specially given out-resurrection which appears to be awarded as something better then what the standard believer receives. This makes Hebrews 11:35 very instructive as it refers to the faithful who “were tortured, not accepting deliverance, in order that they might,” as the writer says, “obtain a better resurrection.”

The Concept of Out-Resurrection

In the end, all believers will be resurrected to life, but there is a better resurrection, and out-resurrection, reserved for those who pursue knowing Him, who seeks to live “by the power of His resurrection,” who “endure partnership with his sufferings,” and who “conform their flesh to His death.” Obviously, this out-resurrection must be relative to the individual involved and is clearly dependent on of God who gives it, so therefore there would probably be all sorts of types and shapes distributed in the kingdom—perhaps the reward is also contingent on how people use their talents and gifts, where a person laid their treasures, and above all, the love the individual believe allowed God to extend out to others through them.

In the end, this out-resurrection is something to consider, something to desire – just like Paul desired it. So at this point I see the Good News looking something like this:

Good News Breakdown

WHAT? WHO? BECAUSE OF

SAVED FROM SIN DEATH AND HELL
All people
Yeshua’s victory for world

SAVED TO THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM of GODGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future.
People of faith
God’s grace given through faith on His Son

RESURRECTED (anastasis)
All people
Bestowed on all by God

OUT-RESURRECTION (exanastasis)
Apparently few
Given by God to some as reward for heart fruits in life

• To me then, the goal is therefore exanastasis and nothing less. The Out-Resurrection, meaning outside that which is normally bestowed on all.
• How is it obtained? It remains a mystery and it is not assured or known until after death. But there are somethings that cannot hurt the bestowal, including:
  • Faith in God through Christ

Essential Attributes of Love for God and Man

• Humility before our maker in all things
• Merciful heart
• Patience
• Forgiveness for all

Characteristics Complementing Love

• Not of this world
• Eye single to God
• Spirit lead
• Dead to the flesh
• Contrite
• Generous
• Applier of talents
• Selfless

The Role of Reliance and Service

• Reliant on God for all things
• A bondservant to Christ
• Benevolent
• Kind
• Sacrificial
• Suffering for the Will of God
• Longsuffering
• Lover of Light
• Hopeful (expectant)
• Encouraging
• Teacher
• Servant/Slave