3
1 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 Beware of
the dogs; beware
of the evil
workers; beware of
the false
circumcision.
3 For
we are the
circumcision, who
worship God in
the Spirit, and
rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have
no confidence in
the flesh;
4 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 circumcised
the eighth day,
of the stock
of Israel, of
the tribe
of Benjamin, a
Hebrew of Hebrews;
concerning the law,
a Pharisee;
6 concerning
zeal, persecuting
the assembly;
concerning the
righteousness which
is in the
law, found blameless.
7 However, I
consider those
things that were
gain to me
as a loss
for Christ.
8 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 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 that
I may know
him and the
power of
his resurrection, and
the fellowship of
his sufferings, becoming conformed
to his death,
11 if
by any means
I may attain
to the
resurrection from
the dead.
12 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 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
press on toward
the goal for
the prize of
the high calling
of God in
Christ Jesus.
15 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 Nevertheless, to
the extent that we
have already attained, let’s
walk by the
same rule. Let’s be
of the same mind.
17 Brothers,
be imitators
together of me,
and note those who
walk this way,
even as you
have us for
an example.
18 For
many walk, of
whom I told
you often, and
now tell you
even weeping, as
the enemies of
the cross of
Christ,
19 whose
end is destruction,
whose god is
the belly, and
whose glory is
in their shame,
who think about
earthly things.
20 For
our citizenship is
in heaven, from
where we also wait
for a Savior,
the Lord Jesus
Christ,
21 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.