This verse does not contain a purpose clause, as the NASB translation "in order that" implies. A better translation would be "if somehow" (NASB margin) or "and Song of Solomon , somehow" (NIV). It expresses expectation. [source][source][source]
Superficially this verse seems to suggest that Paul had some doubt about the certainty of his resurrection. However elsewhere in his writings he was very confident that God would resurrect him and all believers (e.g, Romans 8:11; Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 15:12-57; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Timothy 2:18). The Bible teaches that God will resurrect all people, believers and unbelievers, if they have died (e.g, Daniel 12:2; Matthew 22:29-32; Luke 20:37-38; John 6:39-40; John 6:44; John 6:54; John 11:25; Acts 4:2; Acts 17:18; Acts 23:6; Acts 24:15; Hebrews 6:2; Revelation 20:4-6; Revelation 20:13). Consequently we must look for another explanation of this verse. [source][source][source]
"Now, if Paul believed in one general resurrection at the end in which all people, the saved and lost, would participate, it is difficult to understand his use of this language in relation to his personal participation. There would be no question of his being a part of such a resurrection." [1][source]
One possibility is that Paul was thinking of his spiritual co-resurrection with Christ. [2] In the context he had been speaking of suffering and dying with Him. Yet these were evidently physical experiences, not spiritual realities. Furthermore the resurrection he said he hoped to attain was still future whereas he had already experienced spiritual resurrection with Christ to newness of life ( Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 2:20). [source][source][source]
Another view is that Paul was hoping that he would persevere faithfully in his quest to know Christ until he died. The logical progression in Paul"s thought in Philippians 3:10-11 was from suffering to death to resurrection. Perhaps he meant he wanted to experience suffering for Christ"s sake and was even willing to die for Him to arrive at his resurrection in a manner that would enable him to face His master unashamed. [3] The problem with this view is the unusual word used for the resurrection (Gr. exanastasin, lit. out-resurrection). [source][source][source]
The words that Paul used seem to indicate that he was thinking of a resurrection from among those who were dead. The Greek phrase is ten exanastasin ten ek nekron. The use of the preposition ek twice in the phrase, the first usage being in exanastasin, suggests a resurrection out from a group not resurrected. The NASB translators captured this idea when they rendered this phrase "the resurrection from among the dead." The NIV translators simply translated it "the resurrection from the dead."[source]
This is a good example, by the way, of the characteristic difference between these two translations. Generally the NASB is more literal, translating a Greek word with the same English word wherever the Greek word occurs. The NIV is more paraphrastic, translating a Greek word with any number of English synonyms to make the English translation more readable. [source][source][source]
This understanding of exanastasin would point to the resurrection of believers that will result in Christians rising from among the unbelieving dead, those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. [source][source][source]
Paul was probably speaking of the Rapture. [4] When that event takes place God will snatch Christians out from among the spiritually dead (unbelievers). This explains the unusual word Paul employed that appears only here in the Greek New Testament. But the Rapture is not an event that Christians need to strive to attain. All Christians living and dead will be caught up when it occurs. [3] Probably Paul meant that he hoped he would live to experience the Rapture, the "out-resurrection from among the dead," before he died. The verb katavtao ("attain") means to come to, to arrive at, or to attain to something. Paul evidently expected that the Rapture could happen before he died ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). [source][source][source]
Another, less likely, possibility is that Paul meant faithful Christians will experience a better resurrection than unfaithful believers. [source][source][source]
"The out-resurrection is a special reward which only faithful believers will receive. While the exact nature of that reward is unclear here, it can generally be understood as a sort of abundance of life. All believers will be resurrected and have joy forever. Faithful believers only will obtain this out-resurrection and have abundance of joy forever. Hebrews 11:35 is instructive here. It speaks of believers who "were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." All believers will be resurrected, but there is a better one for those who endure. Obviously this out-resurrection is something which is capable of many degrees depending on the measure of one"s faithfulness. Thus the degree to which we are faithful to use our talents, treasures, gifts, abilities, resources, and opportunities in life to please Him is the degree to which we will obtain this out-resurrection abundance of life." [6][source]
There is no question that there will be differences of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 3:12-15). However there is no other Scripture that teaches a difference in the resurrection of faithful and unfaithful believers. It seems strange that if Paul wanted to distinguish between faithful and unfaithful believers here he would use the resurrection to do so. Other Scripture points to the judgment seat of Christ as the time when God will make this distinction, not the resurrection. Moreover the term "out-resurrection" seems to stress separation from others at the time of resurrection rather than separation from others following resurrection. [source][source][source]
Robert Wilkin, the writer quoted above, later changed his view and adopted the "spiritual resurrection view."[source]
"The spiritual resurrection view posits that the out-resurrection refers to the attainment of Christlike character in this life." [7][source]
However exanastasis seems to be a very unusual word to use to describe the attainment of Christ-like character. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Philippians 3:1-12 - Losing All To Know Christ
Precept must be on precept, line on line. The false teachers who dogged Paul's steps insisted on rigid conformity to Judaism, with its rabbinical accretions, as the condition of being saved by Christ. Paul's answer was that he had gone through all the requirements of Judaism, but had found it absolutely unsatisfactory and inefficient to subdue the sin of his soul. But in Christ he had found everything he needed. What had been gain to him now seemed but dross. He had found the pearl of great price, and was only too glad to sacrifice all else to purchase and keep it, as the talisman of complete victory.
The essence of Judaism was not external but within. True circumcision was deliverance from the self-life, and that could only be gained by the Cross of Christ. The "Israelite indeed," like Nathanael, had three traits of character-his worship was spiritual, he gloried in the Crucified, and he was delivered from reliance upon the self-life. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to teach us to know Jesus in the intimacy of personal fellowship, to feel the pulse of His resurrection life, to experience the power of His death, and to realize the whole of His divine program. For this we might be more than content to trample on our boasted pride. [source]
Chapter Summary: Philippians 3
1He warns them to beware of the false teachers; 4showing that himself has greater cause than they to trust in the righteousness of the law; 7which he counts as loss, to gain Christ and his righteousness; 12acknowledging his own imperfection and pressing on toward the goal; 15He exhorts them to be thus minded; 17and to imitate him, 18and to decline carnal ways
Greek Commentary for Philippians 3:11
If by any means I may attain [ει πως καταντησω] Not an expression of doubt, but of humility (Vincent), a modest hope (Lightfoot). For ει πως ei pōs see note on Romans 1:10; and note on Romans 11:14 where παραζηλωσω parazēlōsō can be either future indicative or aorist subjunctive like καταντησω katantēsō here (see subjunctive καταλαβω katalabō in Phlippians 3:12), late compound verb κατανταω katantaō Late word, not in lxx, but in Polybius and one papyrus example. Apparently Paul is thinking here only of the resurrection of believers out from the dead and so double εχ ex Paul is not denying a general resurrection by this language, but emphasizing that of believers. [source]
If by any means [εἴ πως] For the form of expression compare Romans 1:10; Romans 11:14. Not an expression of doubt, but of humility. [source]
The resurrection of the dead [τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν] Rev., more correctly, from the dead. Lit., the resurrection, that, namely, from the dead. Compare Acts 4:2. This compound noun for resurrection is found only here, and expresses the rising from or from among ( ἐξ ), which is further emphasized by the repetition of the preposition ἐκ (from ). The kindred compound verb occurs Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28; Acts 15:5, but in neither passage of raising the dead. The word here does not differ in meaning from ἀνάστασις , commonly used, except that the idea is more vividly conceived as a rising from the earth. See Matthew 22:31; Luke 20:35. The phrase resurrection of or from the dead does not often occur in the Gospels, and resurrection ἐκ fromthe dead only twice in the New Testament, Acts 4:2; 1 Peter 1:3. For the phrase, see on Luke 16:31. Resurrection of the dead is a generic phrase, denoting the general resurrection of the dead, bad and good. Resurrection from the dead, in the only two passages where it occurs, signifies resurrection unto life. In 1 Peter 1:3, it is applied to Christ. [source]
What do the individual words in Philippians 3:11 mean?
ifby any meansI may attaintotheresurrection-out fromdead
Greek Commentary for Philippians 3:11
Not an expression of doubt, but of humility (Vincent), a modest hope (Lightfoot). For ει πως ei pōs see note on Romans 1:10; and note on Romans 11:14 where παραζηλωσω parazēlōsō can be either future indicative or aorist subjunctive like καταντησω katantēsō here (see subjunctive καταλαβω katalabō in Phlippians 3:12), late compound verb κατανταω katantaō Late word, not in lxx, but in Polybius and one papyrus example. Apparently Paul is thinking here only of the resurrection of believers out from the dead and so double εχ ex Paul is not denying a general resurrection by this language, but emphasizing that of believers. [source]
For the form of expression compare Romans 1:10; Romans 11:14. Not an expression of doubt, but of humility. [source]
See on Acts 26:7. [source]
Rev., more correctly, from the dead. Lit., the resurrection, that, namely, from the dead. Compare Acts 4:2. This compound noun for resurrection is found only here, and expresses the rising from or from among ( ἐξ ), which is further emphasized by the repetition of the preposition ἐκ (from ). The kindred compound verb occurs Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28; Acts 15:5, but in neither passage of raising the dead. The word here does not differ in meaning from ἀνάστασις , commonly used, except that the idea is more vividly conceived as a rising from the earth. See Matthew 22:31; Luke 20:35. The phrase resurrection of or from the dead does not often occur in the Gospels, and resurrection ἐκ fromthe dead only twice in the New Testament, Acts 4:2; 1 Peter 1:3. For the phrase, see on Luke 16:31. Resurrection of the dead is a generic phrase, denoting the general resurrection of the dead, bad and good. Resurrection from the dead, in the only two passages where it occurs, signifies resurrection unto life. In 1 Peter 1:3, it is applied to Christ. [source]