In Philippians 3:11 there is a unique Greek word. Years ago I became aware of this word and its great, and puzzling, significance. The Greek word is εξαναστασιν (exanastasin). This Greek word is translated simply as "resurrection" by the great majority of translators.
I don't remember where I first saw a different translation, years ago, but it is likely that it was in "The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament" by Alfred Marshall. Today looking in BibleHub.com, I found this same alternate translation in only one English version, which I had never heard of before, the "Worrell New Testament":
if by any means I may attain to the out-resurrection from the dead.
Marshall has:
ει πως καταντησω εις
if (some)how I may attain to to
την εξαναστασιν την εκ νεκρων.
the out-resurrection - from (the) dead.
The usual word for "resurrection" is αναστασις (anastasis) which comes from ανα (ana) which means "up" and στασις (stasis) which means "stand". So it simply is the idea of standing up (from the grave).
But this unique word εξαναστασιν has a prefix εξ (ex) from which we get our English word "exit". εξ means "out" (or "from"). If you want to get out from a building, you look for the "Exit" sign. εξ in Greek is actually an alternate prefix form of the base word "εκ" (ek) which means "out". εξ (ex) is a "softened" form when used as a prefix combined with certain words, like αναστασιν, which starts with a vowel sound.
The last Greek word in this verse νεκρων means "dead" but it is plural. So Paul is not talking about "the dead" as his own individual death, as that would not be plural. There are a few English versions that have a rendering that I think is a little better for this word, although I know of no translation that has it with "out-resurrection" also. So combining the two, I would translate this verse as:
"if somehow I may attain into the out-resurrection from among the dead."
And you may note one more little variation, I have "into" which is also a more literal translation of the Greek word "εις".
So is Paul really wondering about his own resurrection? Is he wondering "if somehow" or as in some translation "if by any means I might attain" the resurrection. If Paul was wondering if he would be able to attain the resurrection, what about the rest of us, what hope do we have.
But I suggest to you that this little prefix gives us an insight into something very profound in this verse.
Paul is not wondering if he will be raised from the dead in the last day, but something much more profound than that.
Let us look at the words of Jesus in John 11. Here we have the story of Lazarus who was sick and has died and Jesus is finally close to Bethany when Martha hears that He is coming, and goes out to meet Him. In verse 20 we pick up the story:
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
We see that Martha already knew and understood the resurrection at the last day. She was not wondering about that. She was wondering about "right now", not "the last day." She said "But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Quite clearly she is wondering if Jesus might raise Lazarus from the dead, because Jesus had already raised a few people from the dead.
So to her statement, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day”, Jesus responds in verse 25a:
25a Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life."
Then He follows with two more statements, in 25b and 26.
25b He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
and,
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
In verse 25b Jesus restates what Martha already said she believed, and clarifies the condition necessary for that result.
The condition necessary to get that result is "he who believes into me." And the result "though he may die, he shall live."
Again notice that I corrected the translation with the word "into" because the Greek word here is "εις" (eis), the same as in Philippians 3:11 above. Here it is vitally important. It is not a matter of believing all the right doctrines about Jesus, and believing they are all true; but rather, "into" means a change of where you are. to believe into Him means you become part of His one body, a functioning member of His body.
This is the "condition" that is necessary to attain the result "he shall live." This is true because "[He is] the resurrection." This result will be yours even "though you may die."
Jesus is filling out the necessary condition to receive what Martha already said she believed.
But in verse 26 Jesus makes another statement that goes beyond what she said she believes:
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
In this statement, which could start with "also" or "furthermore";
"Whoever _lives_ and believes into me ..."
there is an additional word in the condition in order to get the second result. "whoever _lives_ and believes into me"
Now this results in something far beyond what Martha already said she believed. This result is "shall never die." And that is why Jesus asks Martha, "Do you believe this?"
This word "lives" goes beyond "physical life."
There is a Greek word in 1 Timothy 6:19 that has a variation among the manuscripts. In the Greek text that the King James was translated from, called the Textus Receptus (or "Received Text") the word is αιωνιου (aioniou), which occurs in very many places as an adjective before "life," and is translated "eternal life." But in this verse there is a long list of manuscripts which have a different adjective here. The Greek word in these is οντως (ontos) which means "indeed", "truly" or "really." So with this word, 1 Timothy 6:18-19 reads like this:
18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, 19 treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
(Berean Standard Bible)
Here it is "truly life". This is the life that you "may take hold of". This is beyond the "physical life." This is the life that Jesus spoke about to Martha. "Whoever _lives_ and believes into me will never die." This is indeed "truly life!"
These days, I often hear Christians and pastors say, "we're all going to die." But from my teenage years on, I have heard the teaching of the "rapture" that in that moment Christians will fly away to heaven, leaving their clothes behind, and their cars rolling down the road with no drivers, etc.
And I, for decades believed since I was born in the "end times" I would see that day, assuming I lived a normal life time.
Today my understanding of the "rapture" is quite a bit different, but I still believe there will be those who are "alive and remain until the coming of the Lord", just as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. I will start in verse 13 to make very clear what Paul is talking about:
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Now when Paul refers to "those who have fallen asleep" he is talking about physical death, using exactly the same "parable picture" that Jesus used concerning Lazarus. Remember His words to His disciples in John 11:11-15:
11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
So Jesus makes His language very clear, "sleep" is a "picture" of physical death, and Paul is using it in exactly the same way.
So Paul is talking about two groups of people; those who have died, and those who remain alive. These who "remain alive" are the ones who "never die," meaning they do not experience "physical death."
Paul elaborates about this reality in a number of other places also, which when taken together gives us a very clear picture of how this all fits together.
In 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 Paul expounds on these things:
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Oh, there is so much here!
I thank God for my heart attack on October 31, 2024, because it caused me to re-evaluate what I had believed since I was a teenager. My understanding, for decades, had been that I was "lucky", (or really, blessed by God) to be alive to see the "rapture" and the end of the age, and would never die.
My heart attack was like a slap on the arm, saying "wake up, you better make sure you understand this better!" It was like saying "It's not about being 'lucky' to have been born at the right time! That is not enough!" Oh, and "its not enough to be a real born-again Christian, because they still 'may die.'" Please understand I am not talking about "eternal salvation" here, but "never dying." For that, there is one more condition added in Jesus words to Martha. It is the word "lives." "Whoever 'lives' and believes int me."
You see, that is what Paul is talking about in verse 53 and 54:
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
At this point in my writing, I feel like I am at a five-way intersection. There are five directions I want to take you in the scripture, because there are so many more things to say! I just have to pick one, write about it and then come back and "write" about the second, then the third, and so on.
So I will pick "the narrow path" first:
Jesus taught His disciples about this "way" in Matthew 7:13
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Christians nearly all understand this to be about heaven or hell. But for numerous reasons, I believe this is talking about the same thing Jesus was talking about with Martha. The two statements He said in John 11:25b and 26.
25b He who believes into Me, though he may die, he shall live.
and,
26 And whoever lives and believes into Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Do you see the parallel here?
There are two statements in John 11, one where you "may die" which corresponds to "destruction" of your physical mortal body, and the other "... shall never die" where the required condition for that result is the word "lives," which corresponds to the few who find "the path that leads to life"
And, oh, now I see the road intersects again with the next verse that I wanted to write about:
In 2 Corinthians 5:4 Paul describes the same thing in another way:
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
So here again, Paul is first describing our longing to have our new glorified immortal body, but in verse 4 he goes a step further by saying:
4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
That is "not because we want to 'die' (be unclothed)," "but further clothed." That means that we may receive that life that is "really life" while we are still alive in this tent. so that "mortality may be swallowed up by life."
So if "mortality is swallowed up," then death will not happen to us; we will never die.
But that is the "narrow gate" and the "difficult way" of which there are only "few who find it."