What Does Resurrection Mean in Philippians 3:10-14?

Summary

Grace in Focus Podcast: What Does Resurrection Mean in Philippians 3:10-14?

Episode Date: May 5, 2026
Host: Bob Wilkin
Guest: Sam Marr
Theme: Exploring the meaning of "resurrection" in Philippians 3:10–14, clarifying Paul's intent, and distinguishing between justification, sanctification, and the concept of eternal rewards.

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Episode Overview

In this concise yet theologically rich episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr respond to a listener's question about Philippians 3:10–14: Does Paul view "the resurrection" here as a reward or something Christians must strive toward, perhaps even suggesting conditional participation in the first resurrection? Their discussion navigates Free Grace Theology's distinct lines between justification and sanctification, offering clarity on eternal security, Paul's use of "resurrection," and the concept of spiritual power and rewards.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Context and the Question ([01:02])

• Listener Cal asks whether Paul thought of "the first resurrection" as a prize or reward believers must strive for.
• Bob Wilkin immediately clarifies: Philippians 3 is not about the first resurrection as described in Revelation, which is for all believers.

2. What Is the “First Resurrection”? ([01:45])

• The "first resurrection" in Revelation refers to all believers being raised before the millennium, while the "second resurrection" is for the unsaved dead after the millennium.
• Quote (Bob Wilkin, [01:45]):
  “Every believer takes part in the first resurrection whether they’re faithful or unfaithful… all believers will be resurrected and be with him forever.”
• Cross-reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:10 – Whether "watchful or morally asleep," all believers will be with Christ forever.

3. Paul’s Actual Focus in Philippians 3 ([03:10])

• Not about attaining future resurrection; rather, Paul desires to know Christ more deeply now, experience “the power of his resurrection,” and share in Christ’s sufferings.

• “Resurrection” here refers to a quality of life — living now with the empowerment that comes from Christ’s resurrection.

• Quote (Bob Wilkin, [03:43]):
  “He’s not saying that I want to be resurrected in the future, he’s saying I want the power of his resurrection now.”

4. The Prize and the Goal ([04:55])

• Paul’s striving is for the "prize"—not the resurrection itself, but rulership with Christ and eternal rewards.
• The Greek word for “prize” (brabaion) refers to something earned, contrasting with the free gift of eternal life.
• Quote (Bob Wilkin, [05:38]):
  “He’s not talking here about the first resurrection… What he’s talking about is rulership with Christ in the life to come. That’s what he’s pressing on toward.”

5. Suffering and Resurrection Power—It’s for Now ([05:43])

• Sam Marr notes: After resurrection, believers can’t suffer or die—so Paul must be speaking about daily life.
• Quote (Sam Marr, [05:43]):
  “Fellowship of his sufferings and conformed to his death… that’s clearly referring to this life.”

6. Pressing On and Maturity ([06:04])

• Paul hasn’t claimed perfection, but strives for growth and conformity to Christ, which is the lifelong process of sanctification.

• Sam Marr ([06:51]):
  “He’s saying that’s the goal: I’m striving towards being more like Christ, being perfected. And that’s where the prize lies.”

7. Forgetting What Lies Behind ([04:23])

• Paul’s call to "forget what’s behind" refers to both failures and achievements—continuing to press forward rather than resting on spiritual accomplishments.
• Bob Wilkin ([04:30]):
  “He’s not resting on his laurels. He’s not going, wow, I’ve had many years of effective ministry—it’s time for me to retire. No, he’s… reaching forward.”

8. Parallels with Other Paul’s Writings ([07:45])

• 2 Timothy 4:6-8: At life’s end, Paul says he’s finished the race—no more striving necessary.
• 1 Corinthians 9:24–27: Only one receives the prize; Paul admonishes believers to run to obtain it—symbolic of eternal rewards.

9. Lordship Salvation vs. Free Grace ([08:55])

• Lordship theology misreads the passage as Paul’s fear of missing out on the resurrection, but in Free Grace, Paul’s confidence in eternal life is secure.
• Bob Wilkin ([09:03]):
  “Paul of course knew he had everlasting life… This is metaphorically talking about resurrection in terms of the power—the resurrection power of Christ.”

10. Practical Application for Church Unity ([10:07])

• Paul’s teaching aims to encourage all believers to strive for maturity and unity, not just share personal journeys.
• Pressing on for the prize should unite the church, building a corporate Christ-likeness.
• Sam Marr ([11:27]):
  “If we’re all pressing toward the goal of the prize… the church as a whole becomes more and more the body of Christ instead of being a dismembered body.”

11. Eternal Rewards—A Spiritual Retirement Account ([11:48])

• Acts of love, generosity, and service accrue "fruit to your account"—your “eternal retirement account.”
• Encourages practical ways to lay up treasure in heaven and invest in others through discipleship, giving, and sharing faith.

12. Encouragement for Deeper Study ([12:35])

• The hosts encourage listeners to use passages like Philippians 3:10–14 as fruitful ground for group Bible study or Sunday School.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bob Wilkin ([01:45]):
  “Every believer… will be resurrected and be with him forever.”
• Bob Wilkin ([03:43]):
  “He’s not saying that I want to be resurrected in the future, he’s saying I want the power of his resurrection now.”
• Sam Marr ([05:43]):
  “Those are things that won’t occur to us once we’ve been resurrected… So that’s clearly referring to this life.”
• Bob Wilkin ([05:38]):
  “He’s not talking here about the first resurrection… He’s talking about rulership with Christ in the life to come.”
• Bob Wilkin ([09:03]):
  “This isn’t really talking about what is called the first resurrection. This is metaphorically talking about resurrection in terms of…the resurrection power of Christ.”

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Listener question & context: [01:02]
• Defining “first resurrection”: [01:45]
• Experiential knowledge of Christ: [03:43]
• Pressing onwards for the prize: [04:55]
• Suffering & daily “resurrection power”: [05:43]
• Parallels with other Pauline texts: [07:45]
• Free Grace vs Lordship interpretations: [08:55]
• Unity & practical application: [10:07]
• Eternal rewards and the “account”: [11:48]

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Summary

This episode of Grace in Focus delivers a theologically grounded yet accessible explanation of Philippians 3:10–14. Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr clarify that Paul’s desire to “attain the resurrection from the dead” is not a reference to future bodily resurrection as a reward for faithfulness. Instead, it signifies the pursuit of a Christ-empowered, resurrection-like life now, demonstrated in suffering with Christ and ongoing spiritual maturity. The real “prize” is not resurrection itself, which all believers share, but the eternal rewards—like sharing in Christ’s future rulership—achieved by pressing on toward Christlikeness. The hosts urge listeners to unify in this pursuit, emphasizing both the assurance of salvation and the encouragement to strive for deeper fellowship with Christ and one another.

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For further study and resources: faithalone.org

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. When Paul talks about knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection in Philippians Chapter three, what is he driving at? Let's have a discussion about that today here on Grace in Focus. Thank you for joining us friend, for this broadcast and podcast ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our web site is faithalone.org Running out of time for pre registration for our national annual conference. Of course we will have registration on site as well, but you will have an advantage if you go ahead and get it done. Now bring your kids with you. Let us know if they're coming. We'll be ready for them in vbs. Our theme will be Believe in Christ for life and for the kids, rewards and crowns. You don't want to miss it. You've been thinking about it. Go ahead, get signed up [e-mail] now with today's question and answer discussion, here is Bob Wilkin along with Sam Marr.

[B]

Okay Bob, we've got a question from Cal and he's asking about Philippians 3, 10, 14. I'll read a little bit of that and then we'll get into his question. Okay, so Paul says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Or and skipping to verse 14, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So Cal's question is based on these verses. Did Paul view resurrection what he calls the first resurrection, Cal, not Paul. Did Paul view the first resurrection as a reward or something that we had to strive towards?

[C]

Okay, so good question. And first thing I would say is that this passage is not talking about the first resurrection in other scriptures. In the Book of Revelation, the first resurrection refers to the resurrection of believers. And of course Jesus is the first fruits of the first resurrection. And then all who are in Jesus are going to be raised before the millennium. Then the second resurrection refers to the resurrection of the unsaved dead after the millennium. So this is not talking about the first resurrection. And he's not saying that the resurrection, the first resurrection, is in some sense a reward. Every believer takes part in the first resurrection whether they're faithful or unfaithful. In 1st Thessalonians 5, 10, Paul says that whether we are watchful or whether we are morally asleep, we're going to be together with the Lord forever. So all believers will be resurrected and be with him forever. We what's going on in this passage is Paul is using this term resurrection to refer to the power of Christ and resurrection. Notice he says that I may know him. Well, Paul already knew the Lord Jesus Christ. He actually met him face to face on the road to Damascus. But he wants to have a deeper experiential knowledge of him and he wants to know the power of his resurrection. He's not saying that I want to be resurrected in the future, he's saying I want the power of his resurrection now. And he's saying, and that I may have fellowship of his sufferings. Well, this reminds us of Romans chapter 8, where he says that those who suffer with Christ are going to be co heirs with Christ. So he wants to experience sharing in his sufferings and he wants to be conformed to his death. That is, as Jesus laid down his life for the brethren, we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren in first John. And so he's saying all of this. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead. What he means is right now, that right now I may have a resurrection sort of life. I would have a life that's empowered by Christ's resurrection. Then notice he says, not that I've already attained or I'm already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Jesus Christ laid hold of me. And he says, brethren, I do not count myself to apprehend it, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind him, reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Notice Sam, that in verse 13 he says forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I think when he says forgetting the things that are behind, a lot of people think that just means bad things, right? I would think that includes good things. In other words, he's not resting on his laurels. He's not going well. Wow. I've had many years of effective ministry. It's time for me to retire. No, he's forgetting the things that lies behind and he's reaching forward. And notice then in 14 he talks about the prize. Well, you know, in our Greek class we were doing a couple weeks ago, we translated First Corinthians 9, 24, 27, where he does talk about the prize. And that prize there is the imperishable crown. And the Greek word is. And brabaon is used as something that is a reward or a prize. It's Not a free gift. So he's not talking here about the first resurrection. That's not a prize. What he's talking about is rulership with Christ in the life to come. That's what he's pressing on toward.

[B]

Going back to verse 10, the words he uses to describe when he expands on the power of his resurrection, he says the fellowship of his sufferings and conform to his death. Those are things that won't occur to us once we've been resurrected. Once we have resurrected bodies, then we won't need to experience suffering and we can't experience death. So that's clearly referring to this life.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So then when he goes on to say I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, I think you're absolutely right. This is attained to the same kind of power that Christ. By that power Christ was able to resurrect from the dead. So then when he's talking about pressing towards the goal for the prize, the upward call of God, it's clearly related to or it's conditioned on being conformed to the image of Christ, sharing in his sufferings, being conformed to his death. And then we're in verse 12 he says, not that I've already attained or am already perfected, but pressing on. So it's clearly he's not saying I'm already perfected and that's why I'm doing this. He's saying that's the goal is I'm striving towards being more like Christ, being perfected. And that's where the prize lies.

[C]

That's a good point. In fact, the pressing on reminds me of the First Corinthians 9, 24, 27 passage where he says all those who run in a race run, but only one receives the prize. And then he says run that you may obtain it. And he says they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.

[A]

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[C]

the end of Paul's life in 2 Timothy 4, 6, 8, he says, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. And then he says, henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me, and not to me only, but to all who have loved his appearing. I think this verse that you're citing here about him pressing on basically is similar to what 1st Corinthians 9, 24:27 says and 2nd Timothy 4, 6, 8, except in 2 Timothy 4, 6, 8. He doesn't need to press on anymore because he's going to be martyred the next day or very soon. He's going to be martyred. And he knows the Lord has revealed to him that he has finished the race. He has kept the faith, he has fought the good fight. And I think I understand now where Cal is coming from, because you could see how a lordship salvation person would read this passage completely differently. They would say Paul was striving so that he might make it into the kingdom. Right?

[B]

Right. They'd read verse 11, as if by any means. I surely, really, really hope I'll attain to the resurrection of the dead or something like that in the future at

[C]

the end of my life. And they would see this as the resurrection of believers, but they would say, man, I really hope I'm going to get into Christ's kingdom and I'm not going to be condemned to the lake of fire. But that's not at all what's going on. Paul, of course, knew he had everlasting life. Paul knew he was born again. He knew he was secure. He knew his name was in the book of life. He. This isn't really talking about what is called the first resurrection. This is metaphorically talking about resurrection in terms of the power, the resurrection power of Christ. We get something similar in Romans chapter 5, where he says, we shall be saved from wrath through his life. The shall be saved by his life. There is not talking about saved from eternal condemnation. It means that we would be empowered to experience his resurrection life here and now. It's basically Romans 5 through 8 is about sanctification.

[B]

Yeah. And I think it's important to put these verses in the context of Philippians, which, if I'm not mistaken, a lot of this letter is about church unity and the disagreements and the arguments that they're having. And we're getting close to the end of the book and, and Philippians chapter four, one of my favorite passages. But there's a lot in there about being united and being prayerful and leaning on God. But before we get there, right after verse 14, verse 15 he says, Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. So this is what he was just talking about is not being physically resurrected right now, but having the mind of sharing in Christ's suffering, sharing in his death, all the things we just listed. So let us, as a collective body of believers, have this mind and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal this even to you, then verse 16 nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained. So that goes back to his verse 12 that says, not that I've already attained or I'm already perfected. So to the degree that we've already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. So so the reason Paul's writing these things to them is not just to tell them where he's at in his walk. Not to just tell them the things he's hopeful for, but it's to encourage them. Have this mind. All of us together if we're all pressing toward the goal of the prize, of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, then not only are we each individually striving for that prize and becoming more like Christ, but the church as a whole becomes more and more the body of Christ instead of being a dismembered body.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good point. We have some articles dealing with the day of Christ Jesus in [e-mail] it appears in the first chapter and also in chapter two and throughout the book. In fact, you mentioned chapter four 417 talks about the fact that he doesn't seek their financial gift, but he seeks the fruit that abounds. To your account. We all have a kind of an eternal retirement account. We can lay up fruit toward that account as we are giving toward our local church and toward missionaries. And if we are giving to brothers and sisters in need, as we are loving one another, as we are sharing our faith, as we are discipling people, etc. So anyway, Cal, great question. I would encourage you to study this passage. It makes a great Bible study or Sunday school class. Philippians 4. You could do 10 through 14 or 7 through 14, but it's a wonderful passage. Well Sam, let's all keep grace in focus.

[A]

Would you be interested in some free ebooks on topics you hear on this program? Well, if you are, you need to come Visit [e-mail] that's faithalone.org we would love to hear from you. Maybe you've got a question, comment, or some feedback. If you do, please don't hesitate to send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radioaithalone.org and when you do very important, please let us know your radio station call letters and the city of your location on our next episode. What does 2 John mean? Does not have God? Let's talk about it next time. And until then, let's keep Grace in focus.

[B]

The proceeding has been a listener supported

[A]

ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.