Paul rejects his own "righteousness" (perfection) based on law-keeping (Philippians 3:9). His former "perfection" was a legalistic, external one.
He desires a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.
His goal is to know Christ intimately—to share in His sufferings and resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11).
He explicitly states he has not already obtained all this or been made perfect (Philippians 3:12).
His response is to press on, strain forward, and pursue the calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).
Paul is talking about moral and spiritual perfection in his relationship with Christ. He is on a lifelong journey of sanctification, becoming more like Jesus. This is a process.
The "Perfect Manuscripts" vs. The Perfect Goal
Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his letters, which became Scripture. The original documents (autographs) are considered inerrant in their teaching.
However, Paul himself would not have thought of his own handwritten letters as the final, complete "Perfect Bible." He was writing to specific churches for specific reasons. The canon of the New Testament wasn't finalized until centuries later.
More importantly, even holding the very words of God, Paul's own personal, existential journey was not yet complete. He had the perfect revelation, but he was still in the process of internalizing and living out its ultimate purpose: union with Christ.
Application to Bible Translation: What Should We Do?
1. We Should Absolutely Continue the Translation Work
To stop translating would be like Paul deciding to stop pursuing Christ because he hadn't reached him yet. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) inherently involves teaching, which requires communicating God's Word in a language people understand. This is an ongoing, essential mission for the church.
2. We Must Embrace a "Press On" Mentality in Scholarship
Paul's attitude is a model for translators and scholars:
We don't have the original manuscripts. We have thousands of incredibly reliable copies, but textual criticism is the science of comparing them to get as close as possible to the original text. This is a field where we continually "press on" as new discoveries are made and scholarship deepens.
Languages evolve. The English of the King James Version (1611) is not the English of today. New translations are necessary not because God's truth changes, but because our language does. We "press on" to make the Word clear for each new generation.
Understanding deepens. Archaeological discoveries, historical studies, and linguistic analysis give us fresh insights into the biblical world. This allows for more precise and nuanced translations. We "press on" in our learning.
3. We Pursue "Perfection" as a Goal, Not a Claim
Just as Paul pursued a perfection he knew he wouldn't fully attain in this life, we pursue the goal of the "perfect" translation—one that is perfectly faithful to the original meaning and perfectly clear to the modern reader—while knowing that no single human translation can fully capture the infinite depth of God's Word.
This humility prevents us from idolizing one particular translation (KJV-Onlyism).
It encourages us to use multiple translations for study.
It drives ongoing revision and new translation projects.
Conclusion: A Dynamic, Faithful Pursuit
So, what should we do? We should do exactly what the Apostle Paul did:
Be Grounded in What We Have: We have a Bible that is profoundly reliable and fully sufficient for salvation and for teaching us how to live (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We hold fast to it in faith.
Be Humble in Our Approach: We acknowledge that our understanding and our translations are part of a journey. We don't have all the answers, but we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Be Driven to Press On: We continue to translate, to learn, to study, and to refine our work. We do this so that more people can know Christ and, like Paul, "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
The work of Bible translation is not a sign of doubt in God's Word; it is an act of faith and obedience, a dynamic pursuit that mirrors the Christian's own journey toward the perfect knowledge of God. We translate because we believe God's Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and deserves to be communicated with as much clarity and accuracy as each generation can muster.
A translation isn’t a fossil; it’s a bridge. Languages shift; idioms slide around; cultures change their mental furniture. Every generation inherits Scripture, but it also has to re-voice Scripture so its power is heard without distortion. That re-voicing takes care, humility, hard work, and the willingness to admit we haven’t reached perfection.
There’s a danger if we stop. If translation work freezes, the text becomes distant and the living edges of meaning dull. Precision in ancient Hebrew poetry, nuance in Greek verbal aspect, and the thunderclap metaphors of the prophets can go blurry in a language that’s changed underneath them.
Paul’s pursuit of Christ wasn’t about chasing some sterile technical ideal. It was about aligning himself with the truth he proclaimed. Translators follow that same ethos: we keep refining, keep wrestling with idiom and syntax, keep comparing manuscripts, keep sharpening accuracy, because our understanding of languages and texts grows. The goal isn’t perfection in the sense of flawlessness; it’s faithfulness in the sense of “pressing on.”
Translation continues. Not because earlier work was bad, but because we’re walking the same road Paul walked: learning, adjusting, striving toward clearer expression of what is ultimately inexhaustible. In that sense, every new translation is part of the long pursuit of understanding, and each generation gets to take its turn in the relay.
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