Philippians 3
1 To sum up: my dear friends, delight in the Lord! It's not a burden for me to repeat these things to you—it's to keep you safe!
In conclusion, my brethren, be joyful in the Lord. For me to give you the same warnings as before is not irksome to me, while so far as you are concerned it is a safe precaution.
2 Watch out for the wolves, those who do evil, those who insist on physical circumcision—
Beware of 'the dogs,' the bad workmen, the self-mutilators.
3 for it's we who are truly circumcised, worshiping by the Spirit of God, placing our assurance in Christ Jesus. We have no confidence in human abilities—
For we are the true circumcision--we who render to God a spiritual worship and make our boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in outward ceremonies:
4 for if there was a way to rely on human nature then I myself could have that confidence! If anyone thinks they have confidence in such human things, then I outdo them:
although I myself might have some excuse for confidence in outward ceremonies. If any one else claims a right to trust in them, far more may I:
5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, I'm an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, a true Hebrew. Regarding legal observance I'm a Pharisee;
circumcised, as I was, on the eighth day, a member of the race of Israel and of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew sprung from Hebrews; as to the Law a Pharisee;
6 as for religious dedication I was a persecutor of the church; while in regard to doing right according to the law I was blameless!
as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness which comes through Law, blameless.
7 But in whatever way such things gained me anything, I count them as a loss for Christ.
Yet all that was gain to me--for Christ's sake I have reckoned it loss.
8 Truly, I count everything as loss in exchange for the incredible benefit I've gained through knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I've thrown away all these things for him, and consider them trash, so that I might gain Christ.
Nay, I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. And for His sake I have suffered the loss of everything, and reckon it all as mere refuse, in order that I may win Christ and be found in union with Him,
9 I want to be found in him, not being right because of what I've done, or what the law requires, but made right through confidence in Christ, set right by God through trusting in him.
not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the Law, but that which arises from faith in Christ--the righteousness which comes from God through faith.
10 I want to really know him, and the power of his resurrection—to take part in his suffering and become like him in his death,
I long to know Christ and the power which is in His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings and die even as He died;
11 so that somehow I might be part of the resurrection from the dead!
in the hope that I may attain to the resurrection from among the dead.
12 Not that I've already got it all, or that I'm already perfect—but I run so that I might win what was won for me by Christ Jesus.
I do not say that I have already won the race or have already reached perfection. But I am pressing on, striving to lay hold of the prize for which also Christ has laid hold of me.
13 My friends, I don't consider that I've already won, but this is my one objective: disregarding what is behind me, I strain forward to what is in front of me.
Brethren, I do not imagine that I have yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do--forgetting everything which is past and stretching forward to what lies in front of me,
14 I run towards the finish line to win the prize of God's invitation to heaven through Christ Jesus.
with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus.
15 Those of us who are spiritually mature should think like this, and if you think anything different, then God will reveal this to you.
Therefore let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect you think differently, that also God will make clear to you.
16 We just need to make sure that we follow what we already have understood.
But whatever be the point that we have already reached, let us persevere in the same course.
17 My friends, copy my example as others do and take note of the way to behave since you have us as a model.
Brethren, vie with one another in imitating me, and carefully observe those who follow the example which we have set you.
18 The way some people live makes them enemies of the cross of Christ—as I've often told you before and repeat again though it pains me so much I want to weep.
For there are many whom I have often described to you, and I now even with tears describe them, as being enemies to the Cross of Christ.
19 They will end up being completely lost, these people whose “god” is their physical desires and who are proud of what they should be ashamed of, thinking only about the things of this world.
Their end is destruction, their bellies are their God, their glory is in their shame, and their minds are devoted to earthly things.
20 But our homeland is heaven, and we're waiting for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from there too.
We, however, are free citizens of Heaven, and we are waiting with longing expectation for the coming from Heaven of a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 He will re-create our defective human bodies so that they will be made like his glorious body using the power by which he brings everything under his control.
who, in the exercise of the power which He has even to subject all things to Himself, will transform this body of our humiliation until it resembles His own glorious body.
