A Rhetorical Analysis of Philippians 3:12–21

The purpose of this article is to reconstruct Paul's rhetorical strategy in Phil 3: 12–21 from the text itself. It is argued that the dominant rhetorical strategy in this section could be described as “encouraging the Philippians to persevere in pursuing the goal of gaining Christ”. The section is divided into three phases, namely 3: 12–14 (reassuring the Philippians that he has not yet reached perfection, but is pressing on toward the goal); 3: 15–16 (exhorting the Philippians to aspire to perfection) and 3: 17–21 (commanding them to follow his and others' example). The section and its phases are demarcated by rhetorical considerations.In analyzing the rhetorical strategies and techniques in 3: 12–21 the focus is on the way Paul argues, on the type of arguments he uses and on the rhetorical techniques that could enhance the impact of his communication. All these strategies and techniques serve to encourage the Philippians to persevere in pursuing their goal, in response to a situation where they were experiencing great adversity and were tempted to abandon their struggle.