The passage
      v12. Paul announces that he has not as yet obtained "all this." The "all this" is obviously not the glory promised at the day of resurrection, v11. The glory he has not "already attained" is the fullness of his desire expressed in v10. He has not yet attained:
        i] Complete full knowledge/union with Christ;
        ii] Holiness;
        iii] Victory over sin.
      Paul, like all of us, is not perfected, but he presses on to take hold of "all this." It is for this very purpose that Jesus reached out to him, that he might possess the "all this."
      v13-14. So, having not yet attained it, forgetting the failures of the past, he strains/presses toward the prize for which God has called him:
        i] Perfect union with Christ;
        ii] Glorification, Christ likeness;
        iii] Total control of the self.
      This then is the eternal prize awaiting all of us.
      v15. Having underlined the fact that he has not yet attained to the perfection hoped for in v10, Paul now declares that those who are spiritually mature do understand that this race is not yet won. Although the prize is promised, we still strain to cross the finishing line. Some in Philippi may not yet accept this fact, but Paul knows that God will inevitably make this truth plain to them.
      v16. This verse sums up Paul's exhortation that we should view our Christian hope, expressed in v10, as if it were a "goal", a finishing line in a race that we must strive to cross. Although we have partly realized this goal, we must still press on to the finishing line. The NIV is somewhat misleading, so we are best to go with Richard Weymouth's translation: "but whatever be the point that we have already reached, let us persevere in the same course."

Press on toward the finishing line
      "All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and to share in his sufferings", Phil.3:10.

      Paul's hope, expressed in Philippians 3:10, is even now an eternal possession on the basis of Jesus' death and resurrection. The believer is:
        i] fully reconciled with God in Christ, a friend for eternity;
        ii] a righteous, godly new person;
        iii] free from the power and curse of sin.

      Yet, it is true to say that the reality of our perfection, as a gift of grace appropriated through faith in Christ's saving work, in no way matches our performance.
      In our life's journey the believer:
        i] struggles to experience union with Christ;
        ii] constantly falls far short of the righteousness of Christ;
        iii] is regularly overtaken by habitual/recurrent sin.
      Although our performance never matches our standing, it also never undermines our standing. Our standing is a gift of grace appropriated through faith, and is not of works. None-the-less, we are encouraged to push our performance toward our standing. Let us "press on toward the goal to win (take) the prize."

      Paul doesn't take us through the reasons why we should "strain toward what is ahead", yet, consider the four following reasons:
        i] The struggle of life, under the guiding hand of the Spirit, prepares us for our rule with Christ in eternity, 2Tim.2:21-22.
        ii] To comply with the indwelling compelling of the renewing work of the Spirit is comfortable, but to oppose the Spirit's work of renewal is frustrating, Gal.5:16-18.
        iii] The desire to affirm our relationship with God through Christ motivates behavior pleasing to Christ, 2Cor.5:9,10.
        iv] Pressing toward the good produces positive results. Knowing this serves to impel us toward perfection, Heb.4:12.
      So, "whatever be the point that we have already reached, let us persevere in the same course."

v13
      egw emauton "I" - I myself. Emphatic position in the Gk.
      ou logizomai "do not consider" - do not think. "I do not regard", Barclay.
      kateilhqenai (katalambanw) perf. inf. "to have taken hold of [it]" - to have laid hold of. The infinitive may be treated as complementary, completing the sense of the verb consider, or introducing dependent statement of perception, "I know that I have not yet taken hold of it." The object "it" = "all this" = v10 = the prize, v14. The object is supplied. "that I have already won it", TEV.
      epilanqanomenoV (epilanqanomai) pres. part. "forgetting" - [the things behind] forgetting. The participle is probably modal, expressing the manner of the doing, so also "straining toward." The present tense indicating continuation, "keep forgetting", in the sense of paying no heed to what was in the past
      epekteinomenoV (epikteinomai) part. "straining toward" - stretching forward like the runner about to hit the line. Here, striving to realize v10. "Strain every nerve to reach", Barclay.

v14
      skopon (oV) "goal" - mark, target. If athletic imagery is intended, which seems obvious, then the line, or mark, upon which the athlete fixes their eye is the tape at race end; "I run straight toward the finishing line."
      to brabeion (to) "prize" - The prize given to the winner of the race. Lightfoot says it is "our heavenly rest." It is certainly "heavenward", or literally "above" and is the fulfilment of our "calling", v10.
      thV anw klhsewV (iV ewV) gen. "for which [God] has called me heavenward" - of the high/upward calling. The "upward" calling possibly means high in quality, but more likely high, as in heavenly. Probably a genitive of apposition; the prize consists of the heavenly life hoped for in v10.

v15
      teleioi (oV) "mature" - perfect, completely good.... / full-grown, mature. "Called perfect", JB is a possibility, but the sense of having reached maturity in the Christian life is more likely. "All of us who are mature Christians", Barclay.
      fronwmen (fronew) pres. subj. "should take such a view [of things]" - let us think, take on this way of thinking, take on this attitude. Hortatory subjunctive is likely. "This must be how all of us ... feel about life", Barclay.
      ei + ind. "if" - Forming a conditional sentence, 1st class, where the condition stated in the protasis is a reality. Many will think differently.
      eJterwV adv. "differently" - otherwise. Lightfoot suggests that here the word may mean "amiss". So, "if on some issues our attitude is amiss ......", "if at present you cannot see this", Phillips.
      apokaluyei (apokaluptw) "will make clear" - reveal, unveil. Possibly here "remove". If on some points we are amiss (our thinking and behavior is otherwise than it should be) God will "remove" the failing, he will not count it. Yet, surely the sense "clarify" is more likely; "this also God will make plain to you", REB.

v16
      Note textual problems caused by the elliptical nature of this verse (words seemingly left out for brevity), and attempts to rectify the problem by copyists. Lit. "nevertheless/whereunto, to what we attained, by the same (rule?) to follow/walk (+, "let us mind [think] the same thing", AV).
      plhn "only" - nevertheless, but. This conjunction often takes an adversative sense, "but", sometimes, as possibly here, a condition, so NIV. Possibly introducing a concluding statement, a summing up, a kind of "but I would make this point"; "this one thing I say", Barclay.
      tw/ autw/ "to what" - by the same, in conformity with. Dative of rule.
      stoicein (stoicew) inf. "live up to" - to walk in a straight line as in marching order, to carefully follow a direction or principle, to live... Most like an imperatival (commanding) infinitive, rare in the NT. An exhortation to press on toward the finish line, "the goal." The addition of an object "rule" or "standard" is unnecessary and actually imports a foreign idea. See TEV, Barclay ....
      efqasamen (fqanw) aor. "already attained" - arrive at, come to reach. Although "anticipate / precede" is not the usual NT meaning, the word does carry this meaning and would suit the present context, given that Paul's point is that we haven't arrived, but do anticipate arriving at the finish line. Yet, it is quite possible that Paul is pointing out that to some degree we have realized v10 (arrived), but should continue to press on; "but whatever be the point that we have already reached, let us persevere in the same course", Weymouth.