Philippians 3:15 Meaning: Mature Enough to Keep Growing
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you:
As many, therefore, as are perfect--let us think this, and if in anything ye think otherwise, this also shall God reveal to you,
As many therefore as [are] perfect, let us be thus minded; and if ye are any otherwise minded, this also God shall reveal to you.
Meaning in one sentence
Paul calls believers 'perfect' while admitting he isn't. Learn what true Christian maturity looks like and how God reveals truth to the humble.
Context
Paul has just shared his own story: he gave up every religious credential, counted it all loss, and now strains forward toward Christ. He does not claim to have arrived. Then he turns to the Philippians. 'Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way.' The word 'perfect' catches your ear because he just used a different form of it to say he is not yet made perfect. But he is not contradicting himself. He is calling those who are mature in faith to share his mindset: keep pressing, keep forgetting what is behind, keep reaching for what is ahead. This verse sits right at the heart of Paul's argument that genuine spiritual growth never stops.
Key Words
Two Greek words do the heavy lifting here. The first is teleioi, often translated 'perfect.' But in this context it means mature, full-grown, like an adult compared to a child. Paul used a different word in verse 12 (teteleiōmai, 'perfected') to say he had not yet reached the finish line. Here he calls those who are spiritually adult to have a certain mindset. The second word is phroneō, translated 'think' or 'be minded.' It means more than an opinion. It is the settled direction of your thoughts and affections, what you set your heart on. Paul used it earlier in chapter 2: 'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.' To 'think this way' means to orient your whole life around Christ. The third word is apokaluptō, 'God will reveal.' It means to uncover, to draw back the curtain. Where you are still confused or mistaken, God Himself will teach you.
How Christians Read This Verse
Different traditions have noticed the tension here. Some, like the Methodist commentator Adam Clarke, take 'perfect' to mean those who are fully instructed in the Gospel, adults in Christian knowledge. The Cambridge Bible suggests Paul may be addressing those who claimed a kind of perfection, using their own word with loving irony: if you are truly mature, you will be the first to admit you have not arrived. Reformed commentators like Calvin see Paul establishing a rule for all who are 'perfect', that they must renounce confidence in everything but Christ. Where these readings agree is that maturity, whatever it is, points away from self and toward Christ. The details are worked out differently, but the direction is the same.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Paul contradicts himself: he says in verse 12 that he is not perfect, then in verse 15 he addresses 'as many as are perfect.' This leads some to believe Paul teaches sinless perfection for a few spiritual elites. In fact, Paul uses a different Greek word for 'perfect' here. In verse 12 it means 'completed, fully finished.' In verse 15 it means 'mature, full-grown.' The two do not conflict. The mature Christian is the one who knows they are not yet completed, and that keeps them pressing on.
Living This Out
This verse asks something of you this week. When you feel behind in your faith, maybe you struggle with a persistent sin or a doubt that won't leave, Paul says the mature thing is not to pretend you have it together. It is to keep your eyes on Christ and keep moving. And when you feel proud of how far you have come, when you compare yourself to others and feel superior, Paul says the mature thing is to remember you have not arrived. There is more to learn. Hold your opinions loosely, ready for God to reveal what you have missed. That is the mindset of an adult in the faith.
Main takeaway: Christian maturity is not having all the answers but holding everything loosely so God can keep teaching you.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
When you learn something new, it feels good. But even when you know a lot, there is always more to learn about God. That is what Paul means by being 'perfect', not that you know everything, but that you are ready to keep learning.
For ages 9, 12
You might think being a 'perfect' Christian means never making mistakes. But Paul says something different. He says mature Christians are the ones who know they still have room to grow. They don't pretend to have all the answers. They keep their eyes on Jesus and trust God to show them what they don't understand yet. That is real maturity.
Questions People Ask
Does Paul think some Christians are already perfect?
Not in the sense of sinless perfection. In verse 12 he says he himself is not yet made perfect. Here he uses a different Greek word, teleios, which means 'mature' or 'full-grown.' He is referring to those who are spiritually adult, not those who have reached final perfection.
Why does Paul say 'if you are otherwise minded, God will reveal it'?
Paul is gentle with those who don't yet see things the way he does. He trusts that God will teach them. This shows humility and patience. The mature believer does not force agreement but prays, teaches, and waits for God to work.
What does it mean to 'think this way'?
Paul has just described his own mindset: forgetting what is behind, straining forward to what is ahead, pressing toward the goal. To 'think this way' means to adopt that same posture, not resting in past achievements but always reaching for more of Christ.
How can I know if I am 'perfect' in Paul's sense?
If you are aware of how much you still need to grow, you are likely more mature than you think. Paul's 'perfect' person is not the one who has arrived, but the one who is eager to keep learning and pressing forward. The person who thinks they have nothing to learn is still a child in the faith.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study