Philippians 3:13-14 is Paul’s honest admission that he has not yet arrived spiritually, paired with his resolve to keep moving toward the goal. He tells the Philippian believers that he does not count himself as having fully grasped the life God intends, and he describes a single-minded pursuit: leaving the past behind and straining toward what lies ahead, with his eyes on the prize of God’s high calling in Christ Jesus.
Paul writes this letter from prison, probably in the 60s AD, to a church in Philippi, a Roman colony in northern Greece that he had helped found. The passage sits in a section where he warns against people who trust in their own credentials and confidence in the flesh, and then holds up his own knowing Christ as the only true gain.
13 Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 (WEB)
Philippians 3:13-14 Summary
Paul begins with a confession. Though he has given up everything he once valued and knows Christ intimately, he does not claim to have reached the finish line. The one thing he does is refuse to live in the rearview mirror, neither clinging to past achievements nor being crushed by past failures, and instead lean forward with his whole body and mind.
The second sentence gives the image. He is a runner who has spotted the finish tape, and every step is aimed at reaching it. The “prize” is not a trophy he earns by speed but the calling God has already issued to him in Christ, a calling he is pursuing because he has first been grasped by Christ himself.
Context of Philippians 3:13-14
The letter to the Philippians is warm and relational, full of thanksgiving and encouragement, yet in chapter 3 Paul turns sharply to guard the church against those who insist on outward markers such as circumcision and Jewish lineage as proof of standing before God. Paul answers by listing his own impressive credentials and then calling them loss compared to knowing Christ.
Verses 10 through 12 set up the thought. Paul longs to know Christ, share in his sufferings, and attain the resurrection, and he insists he has not already arrived. Verses 15 through 17 then turn outward, urging the mature to think the same way and asking the church to imitate him, which shows that this forward-leaning attitude is meant to shape the whole community.
Philippians 3:13-14 Verse by Verse
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
(WEB)
Paul assures the Philippians that the God who began a good work in them will complete it. This verse pairs well with the forward reach of chapter 3, because the pressing on is sustained by the confidence that God is faithful to finish what he starts.
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(WEB)
The writer of Hebrews describes believers as runners in a race, setting aside weight and sin and fixing their eyes on Jesus. The imagery of endurance and a fixed gaze echoes Paul’s picture of straining toward the goal.
A Prayer Based on Philippians 3:13-14
Lord, I confess that I often look backward more than I look ahead. Some days I replay my failures, and other days I rest on what I have already done for you. Help me to release both, to let go of what is behind and to lean forward into the calling you have given me in Christ. Give me a clear sense of the goal and steady strength to keep running toward it, one faithful step at a time. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “forgetting the things which are behind” mean in Philippians 3:13?
Paul is not describing memory loss but a choice not to let past achievements or failures control his present direction. He keeps the past in God’s hands and keeps moving forward. This allows him to focus on what God is calling him toward.
What is the “prize” in Philippians 3:14?
The prize is connected to “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” which points to the resurrection life and fellowship with Christ that Paul describes earlier in the chapter. It is best understood as the fulfillment of God’s call, received as a gift of grace. Paul pursues it because Christ has already grasped him.
Why does Paul say he has not yet taken hold of the goal?
Paul is honest that he has not reached full maturity or completion in Christ. This humility keeps him dependent on God and focused on growth. It also gives the church a model of pursuing holiness without pretending to be finished.
