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.

[Now there are] other things [that I want to write about]. My fellow believers, continue to rejoice because [you belong to] the Lord. [Though] I will [now] write to you about those same matters [that I mentioned to you before, this is] not tiresome for me, and it will protect you [from those who would harm you spiritually].

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

Beware of those [people who are dangerous] [MET] [like wild] dogs. They are [dangerous] evildoers [DOU]. Beware of them [since they are like people who] cut [other people’s] bodies [MET]. [They will harm you spiritually by insisting that you must let someone circumcise you in order for you to become God’s people] [MTY, MET].

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—

[Those people think that they are God’s people because someone has circumcised them]. But we, [not they], are [truly God’s people] [MET], [whether or not someone has] circumcised [us]. God’s Spirit [enables us to] [MTY] worship [God]; we praise Christ Jesus [because he has enabled us to become the people of God]. We do not believe [that God will consider/make us his people as a result of what someone has done to our] bodies [MTY, SYN].

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

[We do not trust in those rituals to make us acceptable to God], although I could very well do that [if it would be useful for me]. Philippians 3:4b-6 [In fact], [if I could benefit from it for my salvation], I could rely upon what I have done and who I am [MTY, SYN] more than anyone else could! I will tell you why.

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;

I [was circumcised] {[Someone] circumcised me} when I was one week old. I am from the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am completely Hebrew in every way. [While I was] a member of the Pharisee [sect], I [strictly obeyed] the laws [that God gave Moses].

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

I was [so] zealous [to make people obey those laws that] I caused the people who believe in Christ to suffer [because I thought they were trying to abolish those laws. Indeed], as far as my obeying those laws is concerned, no [one could] have accused [me by] saying that I had disobeyed any of those laws.

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

Nevertheless, all such things as those, which I used to [consider to] be useful to me, those [very] things I now consider worthless, because I [want to know] Christ (OR, in order that I [may know] 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

More than that, I consider all things to be worthless, compared to how great it is to know Christ Jesus my Lord. Because I [want to know] him [better] (OR, In order that I [may know] him [better]), I have rejected all things as worthless. I consider them [as useless as] [MET] rubbish, in order that I may have [a close relationship with] Christ [MET],

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 in order that I may completely belong to him. It was not as a result of [my obeying] the laws [he gave Moses] that God erased the record of my sins. Instead, it is because I have trusted in Christ [that God] has declared that I am no longer guilty for my sins, and he enables me to act righteously. [It is] God [himself who] has erased the record of my sins, and he enables me to act righteously, [only] because I have trusted [in Christ].

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,

I [want] to know Christ [better and better]. Particularly, I [want] to continually experience [his working] powerfully in my life, [just like God worked powerfully when he] caused Christ to become alive after he died. I [also want to be continually willing] to suffer [in order that I may obey God], just like Christ suffered [in order that he might obey God. I also want] to be completely willing to die for [Christ], even as he died for me,

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

[because I expect that, as a result of God’s goodness], he will cause me to live again after I have died.

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.

I do not claim that I have already become completely like Christ Jesus; that is, I have not already become all that God intends me to be [DOU]. But I earnestly try to become [more and more like Christ], because he chose me [in order that I might become like him].

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,

My fellow believers, I certainly do not consider that I have already become completely like Christ. But I [am like a runner. A runner does not look backward] [MET]. Instead, he leans/stretches forward as he runs straight toward the goal [in order that he might win the race and get the prize. Similarly], I do not think about what I have already done.

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

Instead, I concentrate only on [continuing to become more and more like Christ right up to the end of my life] [MET]. As a result, because of my relationship with Christ Jesus, God will call/summon me to receive a reward from him [in heaven].

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, all of us who are [spiritually] mature should think this [same way]. If any [of you] do not think this same way regarding what I [have written here], God will reveal that to you.

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

What is important is that we must conduct our lives according to what [God has already revealed to] us.

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

My fellow believers, [all of] you should follow my example, and observe those people who act as I do, [in order that you may imitate them also].

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.

[Keep in mind that] there are many people [who say that they believe in Christ, but] who act [in such a way that shows] that they are opposed to [the teaching about] Christ [dying on] the cross [MTY]. I have told you about those people many times [before], and now I am sad, even crying, as I tell you [about them again].

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

[God] will severely punish them. The things their bodies desire [MTY] have become [like] gods to them [MET]. They are proud of the things they should be ashamed of. They think only about what unbelievers [MTY] think about.

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

[But remember] that we are citizens of heaven. And we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [to return] from there.

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.

By the power that enables him to put everything under his own control, he will change our weak bodies to become like his glorious body.