Philippians 3:13

Again Paul disclaimed having attained conformity to Christ. He viewed his experience as similar to a runner’s. He did not look back. The apostle did not mean that he refused to remember things that had happened to him in the past. He had just reviewed some of those things. He meant that he did not rest in his heritage (Philippians 3:5-7) or in his past attainments (Philippians 3:9-12). He had abandoned the unworthy goal that he had pursued in the past. Now he had a new goal toward which he was looking and running.

"Forget those wrongs done, e.g. the persecution of the church (Philippians 3:6), and so on, whose memory could paralyze one with guilt and despair. Forget, too, those attainments so far achieved as a Christian, the recollection of which might cause one to put life into neutral and to say, ’I have arrived.’ Forget in such a way that the past, good or bad, will have no negative bearing on one’s present spiritual growth or conduct." [Note: Hawthorne, p. 153.]

Fee believed that Paul was referring to looking at the other runners in the race when he spoke of not looking back. [Note: Fee, Paul’s Letter . . ., p. 347.] I think this is less likely what he had in mind.