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!
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.
2 Watch out for the wolves, those who do evil, those who insist on physical circumcision—
Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.
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 circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;
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:
though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:
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 the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning 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!
concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
7 But in whatever way such things gained me anything, I count them as a loss for Christ.
However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.
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.
Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ
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.
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by 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,
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,
11 so that somehow I might be part of the resurrection from the dead!
if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from 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.
Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
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.
Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before,
14 I run towards the finish line to win the prize of God's invitation to heaven through Christ Jesus.
I press on towards the goal for the prize of the high calling of God 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.
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.
16 We just need to make sure that we follow what we already have understood.
Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.
17 My friends, copy my example as others do and take note of the way to behave since you have us as a model.
Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.
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 many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of 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.
whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
20 But our homeland is heaven, and we're waiting for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from there too.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for 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 will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.
