I'm convinced that the Apostle Paul is describing the process of sanctification. The culmination of Paul's testimony in verse 14 contains a statement about the goal and the prize God placed before him.

To him Christ was both the goal and the prize. In a human contest the goal and the prize could not, at least normally, be the same. The Bible speaks often of the process of maturing through which God takes His followers. Obviously this does not happen automatically. Full maturity will not be attained until the resurrection.

Someone mentioned Philippians 3:12 and stated, "He/Paul is working out his salvation." No he is not, believers do not work out their salvation to get saved or to stay saved. Paul is addressing believers already and confronting them at Philippians 2:1-4 for being selfish and not putting others first. They were not of the same mind and only looking out for their personal interest.

Paul uses Jesus Christ as the perfect example who, (vs6) "although (or in spite of the fact that) He existed in the for of God took on another form of a man/bond-servant humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross." In short, Jesus was a perfect example of selflessness.

The point of Philippians 2:12 is that Paul is telling the believers to work out the solution or deliverance of your problems. Why? Vs13, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and do His good pleasure. Vs14, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing."

I'm convinced that the Apostle Paul is describing the process of sanctification. The culmination of Paul's testimony in verse 14 contains a statement about the goal and the prize God placed before him.

To him Christ was both the goal and the prize. In a human contest the goal and the prize could not, at least normally, be the same. The Bible speaks often of the process of maturing through which God takes His followers. Obviously this does not happen automatically. Full maturity will not be attained until the resurrection.

Someone mentioned Philippians 3:12 and stated, "He/Paul is working out his salvation." No he is not, believers do not work out their salvation to get saved or to stay saved. Paul is addressing believers already and confronting them at Philippians 2:1-4 for being selfish and not putting others first. They were not of the same mind and only looking out for their personal interest.

Paul uses Jesus Christ as the perfect example who, (vs6) "although (or in spite of the fact that) He existed in the form of God took on another form of a man/bond-servant and humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross." In short, Jesus was a perfect example of selflessness.

The point of Philippians 2:12 is that Paul is telling the believers to work out the solution or deliverance of your problems. Why? Vs13, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and do His good pleasure. Vs14, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing."