Philippians 3

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in Sovereign. For me to write the same things to you is not troublesome and for you it is the safe thing.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!

Watch out for the ‘dogs’, watch out for the bad workers, watch out for the mutilation!

3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

For it is we who are the circumcision, the ones who worship by God's Spirit and glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in flesh

4 though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

(though I myself actually have basis for such confidence). If anyone else thinks he has basis for confidence in flesh, I even more:

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; with respect to the Law, a Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

with respect to zeal, persecuting the Church; with respect to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.

7 But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.

But such things as were gain to me, these I have considered loss for the sake of the Christ.

8 More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Yes indeed, in fact I actually consider everything to be a loss for the sake of the excelling thing, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord—for His sake I have already lost everything (and consider it as trash), so that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

and be found in Him, not having as my righteousness that of the Law but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God based on that faith;

10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,

so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,

11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

and so, somehow, that I may arrive into the resurrection from among the dead

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

—not that I have already obtained it or have already been perfected; but I press on to actually claim that for which Christ Jesus claimed me.

13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Brothers, I do not consider that I have already claimed it, but this: forgetting the things behind and straining toward those ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

I press on toward the goal for the prize, the upward call from God because of Christ Jesus.

15 All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.

So then, those of us who are mature should have this mentality, but if on some point you think differently, God will reveal that to you as well.

16 Nevertheless, we must live up to what we have already attained.

Only, in what we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

17 Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.

Brothers, join together in imitating me, and having us as a pattern take note of those who walk in the same way.

18 For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Because many are walking as enemies of the cross of Christ—of whom I told you often, and now tell you even with tears—

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

whose end is ruin, whose god is their stomach, and whose glory is in their shame; their mind is only on earthly things.

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

But our citizenship is in Heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly await our Deliverer, Sovereign Jesus Christ;

21 who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

who will transform the body of our humiliation so that it will be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the working by which He is indeed able to subject all things to Himself.