Philippians 3:13–14

[For the first two posts in this series, click here and here]

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The Context

Despite writing from a Roman prison cell (1:17), Paul reported that he had come to understand how to be joyful regardless of circumstance (1:3–8; 3:1). Longing for the believers in Philippi to also understand this truth, the apostle urges them to examine Jesus Christ; think long and hard about he who is the perfect model of humility (2:1–11). Paul encourages his readers that, it was only by pouring out his own life for the sake of Christ that he was able to find true joy and contentment (3:7–11). In terms of his pursuit of Christlikeness, Paul writes that he is “forgetting what lies behind” (3:4–8), embracing his present state (3:10–11), and, admitting he has not yet arrived (3:12), acknowledging his continual pursuit of that final goal (3:13–14).

The Passage

Paul re-gathers the attention of his audience through the personal, affectionate address of “brothers” (see also 4:1; Romans 1:13; 7:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2:1; Ephesians 6:23), as well as the vivid metaphor of a runner to describe his own life story of progressive sanctification.

The Apostle strongly emphasizes that he has not yet obtained the goal for which he passionately strives (3:13a), that is to find himself completely conformed to the image of Christ. This is not a self-realization that Paul comes to lightly but rather one that is the product of a great deal of objective introspection and careful study. Certainly if an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ admits to merely being en route to Christlikeness, let no other person in the church make the claim to have arrived!

While Paul admittedly has not arrived at his goal, this does not prevent him from aggressively remaining in pursuit (3:13b). The “but one thing I do” (literally but this one thing) is a forceful interjection that suggests a narrow, singleness of purpose (see, by comparison, 1 Corinthians 12:20). This statement of single-mindedness naturally leads into the next clause of the passage in which Paul explains how he is a determined runner. He does not spend time looking backward.

The word translated “forgetting” can also carry the connotation of to be inattentive or to care nothing about. It is clear from other passages that Paul did not forget the events of his past (for example, 3:4–8; Acts 22:3–21; 1 Corinthians 15:9). However, he did not let them hinder his current ministry and service of Jesus Christ.

It is of little benefit for a sprinter in the middle of a race to focus her attention on how poor of a start she had out of the blocks, on the competitor a few feet behind, or on the race she won a month previous. Likewise, it is of little benefit for that same runner to focus on her retirement party that is planned for two months in the future. No, in the middle of the race a seasoned runner focuses on the tape that stretches across the track and nothing else. Their focus is narrowed for optimal performance.

It is with this focus that Paul moves through the Christian life (3:14a), undistracted from the finish line of his race—”the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

The greatest reward is to know fully, and so to be in perfect fellowship with, the one who had apprehended Paul on the Damascus road. And this prize Paul wants his readers also to grasp.

O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, 433.

The Principle

Christian’s are to actively pursue Christlikeness, taking care to not allow the events of their lives to distract their focus on this goal.

The Application

In the fourth movie in the famous boxing saga, Rocky Balboa is training in Russia for a bout with Ivan Drago. At one point in the film, the main character tapes a picture of his opponent to his bedroom mirror signifying the single-mindedness and the distraction-repelling mindset of his training. A good coach will advice athletes that, while they would be foolish not to learn from past losses, to spend time mourning those defeats will only hinder the preparation and training that leads to improvement and later success.

So often the mistakes, and even the successes, of our lives can distract us from the actual purpose for which we live. As Christians the events of our lives can draw our attention away from the goal. We must symbolically place a picture of our goal on our bedroom mirrors. Believers must be diligent in constantly reminding ourselves of of the purpose for which we “compete” and the reason to avoid distractions.