Philippians 3
1 As to the rest, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not wearisome, but to you it is necessary.
In conclusion, my Brothers, all joy be yours in your union with the Lord. To repeat what I have already written does not weary me, and is the safe course for you.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Beware of those ‘dogs’! Beware of those mischievous workers! Beware of the men who mutilate themselves!
3 For we are the circumcision, who in spirit serve God; and glory in Christ Jesus, not having confidence in the flesh.
For it is we who are the circumcised — we whose worship is prompted by the Spirit of God, who exult in Christ Jesus, and who do not rely upon external privileges;
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinketh he may have confidence in the flesh, I more,
though I, if any man, have cause to rely even upon them. If any one thinks he can rely upon external privileges, far more can I!
5 Being circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; according to the law, a Pharisee:
I was circumcised when eight days old; I am an Israelite by race, and of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, and the child of Hebrews. As to the Law, I was a Pharisee;
6 According to zeal, persecuting the church of God; according to the justice that is in the law, conversing without blame.
as to zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; as to such righteousness as is due to Law, I proved myself blameless.
7 But the things that were gain to me, the same I have counted loss for Christ.
But all the things which I once held to be gains I have now, for the Christ’s sake, come to count as loss.
8 Furthermore I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ:
More than that, I count everything as loss, for the sake of the exceeding value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And for his sake I have lost everything, and count it as refuse, if I may but gain Christ and be found in union with him;
9 And may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, which is of God, justice in faith:
any righteousness that I have being, not the righteousness that results from Law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ — the righteousness which is derived from God and is founded on faith.
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death,
Then indeed I shall know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and all that it means to share his sufferings,
11 If by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the dead.
in the hope that, if I become like him in death, I may possibly attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not as though I has already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus.
Not that I have already laid hold of it, or that I am already made perfect. But I press on, in the hope of actually laying hold of that for which indeed I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do: forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to those that are before,
For I, Brothers, do not regard myself as having yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do — forgetting what lies behind, and straining every nerve for that which lies in front,
14 I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus.
I press on to the goal, to gain the prize of that heavenward Call which God gave me through Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded; and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you.
Let all of us, then, whose faith is mature, think thus. Then, if on any matter you think otherwise, God will make that also plain to you.
16 Nevertheless whereunto we are come, that we be of the same mind, let us also continue in the same rule.
Only we are bound to order our lives by what we have already attained.
17 Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model.
Brothers, unite in following my example, and fix your eyes on those who are living by the pattern which we have set you.
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping), that they are enemies of the cross of Christ;
For there are many — of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears — who are living in enmity to the cross of the Christ.
19 Whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly; and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things.
The end of such men is Ruin; for their appetites are their God, and they glory in their shame; their minds are given up to earthly things.
20 But our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ,
But the State of which we are citizens is in Heaven; and it is from Heaven that we are eagerly looking for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory, according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto himself.
who, by the exercise of his power to bring everything into subjection to himself, will make this body that we have in our humiliation like to that body which he has in his Glory.
