Paul saw this vision, knew this matter, and understood that this was serious. He lived under this vision and dared not be loose in any way. He told the Corinthian believers, “Lest perhaps having preached to others, I myself may become disapproved” (1 Cor. 9:27). When we read Paul’s word, we can sense his state of mind. He saw the future judgment, the coming glory of the kingdom, and the prize that the Lord had set before him for him to obtain in Christ Jesus. He saw that the prize was glorious. He used an illustration, saying that not everyone who runs on a racecourse receives the prize; only the one who runs well, who does not fall down, and who finishes first receives the prize (v. 24).
We know that today’s races in track and field events are from the Greek culture. Paul wrote concerning this to the Corinthians. At that time Corinth was a great city in Greece, and running races was very popular among the Corinthians. Thus, Paul used this as an illustration to show the Corinthian believers that from the time they were saved, they were running on a racecourse. God had set them on a racecourse; this is the second step of God’s administration. Depending on how they ran the race, there would be a result, which is the third step of God’s administration. If they ran well and finished ahead of the other runners, they would receive the prize, but if they did not run well, they would suffer loss. Paul said that he was running, not as though without a clear aim (v. 26a). He knew that there was a clear aim for which the Lord Jesus had called him. Therefore, he said, “I box in this way, not as though beating the air” (v. 26b). What did he do? He said, “I buffet my body and make it my slave” (v. 27a). Paul made his body submissive to him. He did not submit to his body but made his body submit to him. Why did Paul treat himself this way? It was because he feared that he would be loose and thus not submit to God’s authority and be under the ruling of the heavens. If this had been the case, Paul, having preached to others the glorious message of the reward of the kingdom, might himself have become disapproved. Hence, Paul seriously buffeted his body by exercising self-control in order to run the race before him.
Paul first wrote the book of 1 Corinthians, and then a few years later he wrote the Epistle to the Philippians. From 1 Corinthians we can see that from the early stage of his service to the Lord, Paul was already running on the path of following the Lord. When he wrote the book of Philippians, he was older and was imprisoned in Rome. Even in this situation he said, “Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected” (3:12a). He told the Philippians, “One thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal” (vv. 13b-14a). He knew that there was a prize set before him, but still he dared not say that he had obtained it. This may be compared to students taking examinations in school. From the first day of school they study diligently, and after some time examinations come. Prior to this time no one dares to say that he will surely obtain the prize for receiving the highest score.
This is similar to the situation of Paul when he was in prison in Rome. At that time he was nearing the end of his race, but he still dared not say that he would obtain the prize from the Lord. He knew that he was about to die, and he was assured that he would one day be resurrected. In 1 Thessalonians 4, when Paul spoke concerning the hope of the believers, he said that all the believers would be resurrected (vv. 16-17). Paul knew that he would certainly be resurrected and that in the future, when the saints are resurrected, there will be a group of believers who will obtain an extra-resurrection. All the dead believers will be resurrected, but only some will obtain an extra-resurrection, an out-resurrection (Phil. 3:11).
The resurrection spoken of in Philippians 3 is not an ordinary resurrection but an out-resurrection. Here in Greek the prefix before the word resurrection indicates that this is an out-resurrection. This word is inadequately translated not only in the Chinese Union Version but also in many other versions, including many English versions. This kind of resurrection is not merely a resurrection but an out-resurrection, an extra-resurrection. Some may ask, “What is the out-resurrection, the extra-resurrection?” It is easy to understand if we again use the illustration of students taking an examination. For instance, there may be fifty students in a class, and all of them must take the examination. The top student takes the examination as everyone else does, but the examination to him is an outstanding examination. Everyone, including him, takes the examination. However, to others, their taking of the examination is ordinary, but his is outstanding because he not only passes the examination but also receives the prize. Hence, we need to see that overcomers, such as the apostle Paul, will not only be raised from the dead in a general way, as all Christians will, but will also receive the prize in resurrection. Thus, the resurrection to them will be an out-resurrection, an extra-resurrection.
In his later years in the Roman prison Paul still did not dare say that he had already obtained the prize of the out-resurrection. This is similar to someone running on a racecourse. Not until the last step can he say that he has obtained the prize. In 2 Timothy 4:6 Paul said that the time of his departure was at hand; that is, he was about to be executed and martyred. We see that even Paul’s death was not an ordinary death. He was a drink offering poured out before the Lord. In verse 6 he said, “I am already being poured out.” Paul’s entire life was a drink offering; his life was wine poured out before the Lord whom he loved, served, and followed. He poured out his life before the altar. Because he knew that he was about to be poured out and that the time of his departure was at hand, he declared victoriously, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (vv. 7-8a). The crown is a symbol of reigning and of receiving a reward. Hence, Paul was saying that a reward was prepared for him. Moreover, he went on to say, “With which [the crown of righteousness] the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing” (v. 8b).
In 2 Timothy 4 Paul solemnly charged Timothy by the appearing of Christ Jesus and His kingdom to faithfully carry out his work (vv. 1-2). Before Paul’s death he gave Timothy a charge. Why did Paul charge Timothy by the Lord’s appearing and the Lord’s kingdom? Paul did this because he knew that the matter of the Lord’s appearing and His kingdom is a solemn and grave matter. He knew that when the Lord comes, all the saved ones will stand before Him and be judged by Him according to what they have done. Paul knew that this is a serious matter. He also knew that when the kingdom comes, some will receive a reward, and some, a punishment. Paul, of course, knew that the Lord’s salvation is sweet and is a cause for our singing, but he knew all the more that the Lord’s appearing is fearful and that the Lord’s kingdom is righteous. When the Lord comes, we will stand before Him to settle our account with Him, making everything clear and answering for everything. Matters such as how we conduct ourselves and how we work after we are saved must be clearly examined before the Lord.
This settling of accounts will determine our position in the glory of the millennial kingdom. Determining our position in the kingdom is a serious step of God’s administration, God’s government, in us. The Lord cannot treat everyone alike and bring all the saved ones into His glorious kingdom. If He did this, it would indicate that God had no administration or government. We know, however, that God has His administration and government. He will determine our position in the glory of the kingdom according to our submission to the heavenly ruling from the time of our salvation. This is a serious exercise of God’s administration, God’s government. It is for this reason that the Lord’s appearing and His kingdom were a warning as well as an incentive to the apostle Paul. He was one who daily lived in the light of the Lord Jesus’ coming, who was under the Lord’s judgment, and who faced the glory of the kingdom. This resulted in his following the Lord with fear and trembling. This was the reason he charged his beloved Timothy by the Lord’s appearing and His kingdom.
Thus, we see that God’s kingdom is God’s administration, and since it is God’s administration, it is a warning as well as an incentive to us from God. May the Lord be gracious to us that all of us saved ones will see that the Lord not only dispenses grace to us but also exercises His administration, His government, upon us. He will never act against this principle. We should never think that because everything is peaceful today, we can be at ease. One day the Lord will return; He will come to examine all matters. Therefore, His appearing and His kingdom should be a warning, an alerting word, as well as an incentive to us. May the Lord have mercy on us that we will be faithful to this word.