"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. 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus", (Phil. 3:12-14).
    Paul has just finished expressing the highest ambition of his Christian life - to so fully enter into the experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ as to be identified with Him in His sufferings, His death, the power of His risen life and the righteousness of God which is by faith. This is his ideal; his goal. In this lesson he shows how he expects to lay hold on the reality of what his faith has envisioned.
    This man lays no claim to having already attained the fulness of that for which his heart yearns. He has no one to impress. But, far too often, men who profess to serve the Lord Jesus have claimed some superior sanctity for themselves, and have so looked down on their brethren as to cause just irritat-

    When Paul addressed his second letter to the church at Thessalonica, it was designed to correct a perversion of eschatological teachings by certain unnamed deceivers and to comfort the saints, by reminding them of the eschatological order that he had previously taught among them. And the order that he had set forth was one that fully harmonized with a grammatical-historical approach to the teaching of the Old Testament prophets, and of the Lord Jesus, (2 Thes. 2:1-8).
    Based on the coming "body-presence" (parousia) of Jesus, and our gathering together unto Him (at that time), Paul counseled his brethren that they "be not soon shaken in mind, or troubled" by any form of teaching that the Day of Christ was IMMINENT! It WAS NOT! (comp. Matt. 24:4, 23-27; Rev. 12:9 19:20).
    Two things must come to pass before that day would EVER BE IMMINENT! 1) First, there must come a "falling-away" (apostasy) - a deliberate standing off from, and revolt against, God's revealed order, on the part of His own people, (Matt. 24:10-13; I Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 18-

19; comp. Lk. 18:8). 2) Then there must be the REVELATION (uncovering) of the MAN OF SIN (lawlessness) - the son of perdition, (Dan. 7:25; 8:25; 11:36; Rev. 13:5).
    This coming one will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, (comp. Isa. 14:12-14). He will sit in a rebuilt temple (in Jerusalem) - declaring himself TO BE GOD, and demanding that all men worship him, (Rev. 13). Paul reminds his brethren that he had previously taught them about these things. Furthermore, he had identified for them a certain restraining power ("what withholdeth", vs. 6) that would assure his "uncovering" at the time divinely appointed.
    It is MY OPINION that this restraining power is that of "civil government", (Gen. 9:1-6; Rom. 13:1 Tit. 3:4; I Pet. 2:13-16). Civil authority is a necessary part of God's order in this age. And we are responsible to submit ourselves to it , as unto the Lord, except

in matters that would clearly violate the revealed will and express command of God.
    The "mystery of lawlessness", ("anomia", I Jn. 4:3) was already at work in Paul's day, (contr. I Tim. 3:16). But this lawless spirit of anti-christ is under restraint. The word "letteth" (vs. 7) is from the Greek "kateko", and means: "to seize", (Matt. 21:38); "to stay", (Lk. 4:42); "to keep", (I Cor. 11:2); "to possess", (I Cor. 7:30); "to hold", (Rom. 1:18); "to hold fast", (I Thes. 5:2 and "to withhold", (2 Thes. 2:6). Thus, the idea is "to hinder, restrain, or hold back". It is NOT the "man of lawlessness' that is being held in check, a fully-ripened system of lawlessness that will ultimately find its embodiment in the PERSON of a man whom Paul identifies as "the man of sin ... the son of perdition".
    "Until he be taken out of the way" is a careless and unfortunate rendering of the Greek phrase: "Heos ek mesou genetai" - a phrase which actually reveals the secret of this MAN'S origin! "Heos" - until. "Ek mesou" - out of the midst, or from among the midst. "Genetai", (from "ginomai") - to come into existence, to be born, or to arise. Stated in the 3rd person singular, "He becomes, or arises". The literal rendering, then, would be something like this: "Until he (the man of sin) arise from (out of) the midst" - the midst of that abounding lawlessness that has, for centuries, been held under restraint. When this lawless spirit becomes fully embodied IN A MAN

the restraining power will be totally disintegrated!
    Any Christian should be aware of the disintegration of civil order as a present, on-going reality. Not only is this evident in an almost universal spirit of anarchy and rebellion against the established order, but in the daily legislative and judicial compromise of the high principles that civil government was established to uphold.
    With the disintegration of civil government will come the revelation of that WICKED ONE whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth (Isa. 11:4; Rev. 2:16; 19:25), and destroy with the brightness (epiphany - I Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 1:10; 4:1, 8; Tit. 2:13) of His coming (parousia) - confirming Daniel's prophecy, (Dan. 7:10-14; comp. Zech. 14:1-4; 12:9-10; Rev. 19:15, 20). E.G.


ion. Rather, Paul flatly states that he has not yet so seized, as to take possession of, that for which Christ has seized him. He has not yet arrived at his goal. He sees that God's work in him is not yet complete (Gk. "teleioö"); he is deeply conscious of his own imperfection, (comp. I Cor. 13:10). Thus, with a holy dissatisfaction of WHAT HE IS, he yearns to reach a loftier height in his experience of Christ's fulness, (Eph. 3:17- 19; 4:13-16; Col. 1:28).
   With a holy zeal, motivated by a deep hunger and thirst after righteousness, this man "presses on" - confidently pursuing (as in

a race) a definite goal, (I Cor. 9:24; Gal. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:5). His desire is to lay hold on that for which he has been apprehended by his Lord, (I Tim. 1:11-12, 19; Heb. 12:1; Acts 9:5; Lk. 9:62; Heb. 6:1; 2 Tim. 1:9; 4:7-8). The whole man is gathered up in this all-absorbing quest: "that I may KNOW HIM!" (vs. 10). To any true Christian, who is walking by faith, Jesus Christ is the supreme object of his heart's desire; the true goal of his whole life! There is no room for careless self-complacency, either in thought or deed.
    In what almost amounts to a shout, the holy apostle sums up the all-absorbing object of his single-eyed vision. Here is real concentration. "...Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!"
    This man of God will not be lulled to sleep by satisfaction with past victories. He will, rather, use them as incentives to greater effort, (I Cor. 4:11-16; 9:19-27; 2 Cor. 11:23-12:6). Like a professional runner, he pictures himself as eagerly leaning forward; he is on the home stretch - straining for the goal! For those who run well there awaits a PRIZE - a crown of righteousness, (2 Tim. 2:10; 4:7-8; Rev. 2:10). The receiving of this prize is closely related to one's attitude toward "the high calling of God IN CHRIST JESUS".
    The calling of God is "holy" (2 Tim. 1:9) and "heavenly" (Heb. 3:1). It is NOT a call to the ex-

perience of initial salvation from sin-guiltiness. Rather, it is UNTO such a life as leads to fellowship and partnership with Christ in His coming glorious kingdom! (I Thes. 2:12). By the Gospel of the kingdom we are called to the obtaining of glory , (I Thes. 2:12). And the blessings of this calling are secured by walking before the Lord in a worthy manner, (2 Pet. 1:10; Eph. 4:1-3).
    If ever there was a need for concentration on this goal, it is surely TODAY - when so many voices compete with each other in an effort to distract and divert us from walking in the way of God's commandment! Let us, therefore, learn to pursue the goal with a single, one-eyed vision on the ONE THING that is really worthwhile - and that will pay eternal dividends!

    One of the greatest hindrances to an understanding of the Scriptures is to bring one's pre-conceived philosophy to the book in an attempt to make the Word of God fit the philosophy of man. Others fail to grasp the meaning of the Word because of an unwillingness to believe what they cannot fully comprehend, or because it seems contrary to human reason. Any system of interpretation that refuses to accept, at face value, the normal, grammatical-historical sense of the Word (with proper allowance for the use of figures, symbols, etc., where obviously required) is, in reality, a form of UNBELIEF, and can only lead to disaster all along the line!
    Never is it safe to formulate a doctrine on the basis of a single, isolated passage; this is especially true with regard to the parables! One must learn to accept the totality of biblical teaching on any given subject - carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture - if he is to grasp the general tenor of the Word.
    The Word of God is A UNIT - with no conflict between the Old Testament and the New (provided one deals with each in its proper context). Both are verbally inspired and essential to a proper understanding of God's purpose as progressively revealed in His covenants to men. Terminology defined (through usage) in the Old Testament will have the SANE MEANING in the New. Since God's purpose has not changed, there is a consistency throughout His Word. E.G.