philippians-3:12-14

Holding fast (1907) (epecho from epí = upon + écho = have, hold) means literally have or hold upon. To hold fast. To hold firmly to (hold firmly to a particular belief) To direct towards. To give attention to. To hold out, then to hold one's mind toward. To observe. It is found in the phrase in secu... Read More

Impartially (678) (aprosopoleptos from a = not, without + prósopon = face + lambáno = receive) (this verse is only Scriptural occurrence) literally means "not receiving face" which then came to mean “without respect of persons”. Aprosopoleptos is derived from a Hebrew idiom "to receive the face" of ... Read More

Laid up (606) (apokeimai from apó = from, away + keímai = to lie, to be laid up, to set away) means to put something away for safekeeping, to store away in a place for preservation (secular usage referred to money laid up or hidden). In the present verse laid up speaks of the the totality of gloriou... Read More

Life (2222) (zoe) in Scripture is used (1) to refer to physical life (Ro 8:38-note, 1Co 3:22, Php 1:20-note, Jas 4:14, etc) but more often to (2) to supernatural life in contrast to a life subject to eternal death (Jn 3:36, see all 43 uses of "eternal life" below). This quality of life speaks of ful... Read More

Lord (2962) (kurios from kuros = might or power) has a variety of meanings/uses in the NT and therefore one must carefully examine the context in order to discern which sense is intended by the NT author. For example, some passages use kurios only as a common form of polite address with no religious... Read More

Loss (2209)(zemia) describes the state of coming into a worsened situation from previous advantage. Thus zemia is translated as damage, disadvantage, loss, forfeit. In Herodotus zemia usually meant ‘punishment’ but in the NT it is only used of in reference to suffering the loss of something, with th... Read More

Maranatha (3134) (Maranatha) is transliterated into English from two Aramaic words which are rendered either as "Marana and tha," which is translated as a prayer "Our Lord, come" (מָרַנָא תָא) or alternatively as "Maran and atha" (מָרַן אֲתָא) which is translated as a declarative statement "Our Lord... Read More

Moral excellence (virtue) (703) (arete) refers to any preeminence (moral, intellectual, military). Arete is a term denoting consummate ‘excellence’ or ‘merit’ within a social context. To the Greek philosophers, it meant “the fulfillment of a thing.” Arete came to mean quality of life which made some... Read More

Are in opposition (480) (antikeimai from antí = against, opposite + keimai = to be placed, to lie or be laid down) means literally to line up against or to lie opposite to, both ideas giving us a vivid picture of the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. The present tense emphasizes that this o... Read More

Holding fast (1907) (epecho from epí = upon + écho = have, hold) means literally have or hold upon. To hold fast. To hold firmly to (hold firmly to a particular belief) To direct towards. To give attention to. To hold out, then to hold one's mind toward. To observe. It is found in the phrase in secu... Read More