Short answer: Philippians 3:13–14 records Paul saying, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (KJV). Using the image of a runner, Paul says he has not arrived, refuses to be defined by what is behind him, and drives forward toward Christ — the goal and the prize.
The context: a résumé Paul threw away
Philippians 3 begins with a warning against those insisting on circumcision as a requirement for Gentile believers. Paul answers by listing his own credentials: circumcised the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, blameless as to the law's righteousness (3:4–6).
Then he says he counts all of it loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord (3:8). Verses 10–11 state what he wants instead: to know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.
Verse 12 sets up our passage directly: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (KJV). Verses 13–14 restate and expand that. Paul, near the end of a life of extraordinary ministry, is writing from imprisonment and describing himself as still in the middle of the race.
What it means, phrase by phrase
"I count not myself to have apprehended." Paul disclaims arrival. This is aimed partly at anyone in Philippi claiming spiritual completeness. The most mature Christian in the letter says he is not finished.
"But this one thing I do." Singular focus. A runner does not divide attention.
"Forgetting those things which are behind." In the athletic image, a runner who looks back loses ground. The Greek word does not mean losing memory; it means refusing to let the past control the present. For Paul this cuts both ways. Behind him are his failures — he had persecuted the church (3:6) — and his achievements, the pedigree he just listed. Both can stop a runner: guilt paralyzes, and past success invites coasting.
"Reaching forth unto those things which are before." The verb pictures a runner's body straining forward, stretched toward the line.
"I press toward the mark." Mark here is the goal marker at the end of the course. The verb is vigorous — pursue, chase down.
"For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." In Greek games, the prize was awarded at a raised platform where the victor was summoned by name. The phrase can be read as the prize belonging to the upward call, or the call itself being the prize. Either way the prize is not a possession but a relationship: knowing Christ (3:8, 10).
Where faithful Christians differ: what "the prize" and the "perfect" of verse 12 refer to, and how this striving relates to salvation by grace. Some traditions emphasize the prize as resurrection and final conformity to Christ, entirely a gift; others emphasize rewards for faithful running. Nearly all agree Paul is not describing a way to earn salvation — he has just spent verses 8–9 rejecting righteousness of his own.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 — run that you may obtain; keeping the body under.
- Hebrews 12:1–2 — lay aside every weight and run with patience, looking unto Jesus.
- 2 Timothy 4:7–8 — I have finished my course; a crown of righteousness laid up.
- Philippians 1:6 — he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it.
- Isaiah 43:18–19 — remember not the former things; behold, I will do a new thing.
- Philippians 3:8–9 — counting all things loss, not having my own righteousness.
- Luke 9:62 — no one putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom.
How to apply it today
Ask which past is slowing you. For some it is failure — a sin, a wrecked relationship, a season you cannot stop replaying. Paul's own record was worse than most, and he refused to run while facing backward. For others it is achievement. A church, a ministry, a personal spiritual high from years ago can become a place to camp.
Second, take seriously "this one thing I do." Most of us are running several races at once and wondering why we are not gaining. Focus is not a personality trait here; it is the discipline the metaphor requires.
Third, keep the goal correctly named. The mark is Christ, not a version of yourself you are trying to build. Paul's aim in 3:10 is to know him. Spiritual striving detached from that becomes performance.
Finally, take comfort in verse 13's honesty. If Paul had not apprehended it, your unfinished state is not disqualifying. The race is not over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does "forgetting those things which are behind" mean I should not remember my past? The Greek does not mean erasing memory. It means refusing to let the past govern the present, the way a runner refuses to look back mid-race. Paul clearly remembered his past — he describes it in detail in the same chapter and elsewhere. What he would not do is let either his guilt or his credentials determine his direction.
What is "the prize of the high calling"? The imagery comes from Greek athletic games, where the winner was called up to a platform to receive the award. Paul's stated aim throughout the chapter is knowing Christ and attaining the resurrection (3:10–11), so the prize is best understood in those terms. Christians differ on how much emphasis to place on final salvation versus rewards for faithfulness.
Does this passage teach that Christians must earn salvation by effort? Paul rules that out just a few verses earlier, saying he desires to be found in Christ "not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law" (3:9, KJV). The straining he describes is the response of someone already apprehended by Christ (3:12), not a means of securing God's acceptance.
Why does Paul say he has not "already attained" when he was such a mature believer? It is partly a corrective to anyone in Philippi claiming to have reached spiritual completion. It also reflects Paul's own view that growth in knowing Christ continues for a lifetime. Writing from imprisonment late in his ministry, he still describes himself as mid-course.