philipinaH 3

1 he bhrAtaraH, zeSe vadAmi yUyaM prabhAvAnandata| punaH punarekasya vaco lekhanaM mama klezadaM nahi yuSmadarthaJca bhramanAzakaM bhavati|

[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 yUyaM kukkurebhyaH sAvadhAnA bhavata duSkarmmakAribhyaH sAvadhAnA bhavata chinnamUlebhyo lokebhyazca sAvadhAnA bhavata|

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 vayameva chinnatvaco lokA yato vayam AtmanezvaraM sevAmahe khrISTena yIzunA zlAghAmahe zarIreNa ca pragalbhatAM na kurvvAmahe|

[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 kintu zarIre mama pragalbhatAyAH kAraNaM vidyate, kazcid yadi zarIreNa pragalbhatAM cikIrSati tarhi tasmAd api mama pragalbhatAyA gurutaraM kAraNaM vidyate|

[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 yato'ham aSTamadivase tvakchedaprApta isrAyelvaMzIyo binyAmInagoSThIya ibrikulajAta ibriyo vyavasthAcaraNe phirUzI

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 dharmmotsAhakAraNAt samiterupadravakArI vyavasthAto labhye puNye cAnindanIyaH|

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 kintu mama yadyat labhyam AsIt tat sarvvam ahaM khrISTasyAnurodhAt kSatim amanye|

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 kiJcAdhunApyahaM matprabhoH khrISTasya yIzo rjJAnasyotkRSTatAM buddhvA tat sarvvaM kSatiM manye|

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 yato hetorahaM yat khrISTaM labheya vyavasthAto jAtaM svakIyapuNyaJca na dhArayan kintu khrISTe vizvasanAt labhyaM yat puNyam IzvareNa vizvAsaM dRSTvA dIyate tadeva dhArayan yat khrISTe vidyeya tadarthaM tasyAnurodhAt sarvveSAM kSatiM svIkRtya tAni sarvvANyavakarAniva manye|

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 yato hetorahaM khrISTaM tasya punarutthite rguNaM tasya duHkhAnAM bhAgitvaJca jJAtvA tasya mRtyorAkRtiJca gRhItvA

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 yena kenacit prakAreNa mRtAnAM punarutthitiM prAptuM yate|

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

12 mayA tat sarvvam adhunA prApi siddhatA vAlambhi tannahi kintu yadartham ahaM khrISTena dhAritastad dhArayituM dhAvAmi|

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 he bhrAtaraH, mayA tad dhAritam iti na manyate kintvetadaikamAtraM vadAmi yAni pazcAt sthitAni tAni vismRtyAham agrasthitAnyuddizya

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 pUrNayatnena lakSyaM prati dhAvan khrISTayIzunorddhvAt mAm Ahvayata IzvarAt jetRpaNaM prAptuM ceSTe|

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 asmAkaM madhye ye siddhAstaiH sarvvaistadeva bhAvyatAM, yadi ca kaJcana viSayam adhi yuSmAkam aparo bhAvo bhavati tarhIzvarastamapi yuSmAkaM prati prakAzayiSyati|

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 kintu vayaM yadyad avagatA AsmastatrAsmAbhireko vidhirAcaritavya ekabhAvai rbhavitavyaJca|

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

17 he bhrAtaraH, yUyaM mamAnugAmino bhavata vayaJca yAdRgAcaraNasya nidarzanasvarUpA bhavAmastAdRgAcAriNo lokAn AlokayadhvaM|

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 yato'neke vipathe caranti te ca khrISTasya kruzasya zatrava iti purA mayA punaH punaH kathitam adhunApi rudatA mayA kathyate|

[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 teSAM zeSadazA sarvvanAza udarazcezvaro lajjA ca zlAghA pRthivyAJca lagnaM manaH|

[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 kintvasmAkaM janapadaH svarge vidyate tasmAccAgamiSyantaM trAtAraM prabhuM yIzukhrISTaM vayaM pratIkSAmahe|

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

21 sa ca yayA zaktyA sarvvANyeva svasya vazIkarttuM pArayati tayAsmAkam adhamaM zarIraM rUpAntarIkRtya svakIyatejomayazarIrasya samAkAraM kariSyati|

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.