< 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.
As to the rest, my brothers, rejoice in the LORD; indeed, [it] is not tiresome to me to write to you the same things, and for you [is] sure.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
Look out for the dogs! Look out for the evil-workers! Look 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 we are the circumcision, who are serving God by the Spirit, and glorying in Christ Jesus, and having no trust 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 also have [cause of] trust in flesh. If any other one thinks to have trust in flesh, I 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;
circumcision on the eighth day! Of the race of Israel! Of the tribe of Benjamin! A Hebrew of Hebrews! According to law—a Pharisee!
6 as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
According to zeal—persecuting the Assembly! According to righteousness that is in law—becoming blameless!
7 But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
But what things were gains to me, these I have counted loss, because 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, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom I suffered loss of all things, and count them to be refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him,
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.
not having my righteousness, which [is] of law, but that which [is] through faith from Christ—the righteousness that is of God by 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,
to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
if anyhow I may attain to the resurrection of 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 already obtained, or have already been perfected, but I pursue, if I also may lay hold of that for which I was also laid hold of by Christ Jesus;
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 reckon myself to have laid hold [of it], but one thing [I do]—indeed forgetting the things behind, and stretching forth to the things before—
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
I pursue to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in 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.
As many, therefore, as [are] perfect—let us think this, and if [in] anything you think otherwise, this also will God reveal to you,
16 Nevertheless, we must live up to what we have already attained.
but to what we have attained—walk by the same rule, think the same thing;
17 Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.
together become my followers, brothers, and observe those thus walking, according as you have us—a pattern;
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.
for many walk of whom I told you [about] many times—and now also weeping tell—[they are] the enemies of the Cross of the Christ,
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] destruction, whose god [is] the belly, and whose glory [is] in their shame, who are minding the things on earth.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
For our citizenship is in the heavens, from where we also await a Savior—the Lord 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 to its becoming conformed to the body of His glory, according to the working of His power, even to subject all things to Himself.

< Philippians 3 >