Philippians 3

¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

²Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!

³For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

⁴though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

⁶as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

⁷But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.

⁸More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

⁹and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,

¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.

¹⁶Nevertheless, we must live up to what we have already attained.

¹⁷Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.

¹⁸For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

¹⁹Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

²¹who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

Philippians 3

¹As to the rest, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord; the same things to write to you to me indeed is not tiresome, and for you is sure;

²look to the dogs, look to the evil-workers, look to the concision;

³for we are the circumcision, who by the Spirit are serving God, and glorying in Christ Jesus, and in flesh having no trust,

⁴though I also have cause of trust in flesh. If any other one doth think to have trust in flesh, I more;

⁵circumcision on the eighth day! of the race of Israel! of the tribe of Benjamin! a Hebrew of Hebrews! according to law a Pharisee!

⁶according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!

⁷But what things were to me gains, these I have counted, because of the Christ, loss;

⁸yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him,

⁹not having my righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through faith of Christthe righteousness that is of God by the faith,

¹⁰to know him, and the power of his rising again, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

¹¹if anyhow I may attain to the rising again of the dead.

¹²Not that I did already obtain, or have been already perfected; but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by the Christ Jesus;

¹³brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold; and one thingthe things behind indeed forgetting, and to the things before stretching forth

¹⁴to the mark I pursue for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵As many, therefore, as are perfectlet us think this, and if in anything ye think otherwise, this also shall God reveal to you,

¹⁶but to what we have comeby the same rule walk, the same thing think;

¹⁷become followers together of me, brethren, and observe those thus walking, according as ye have usa pattern;

¹⁸for many walk of whom many times I told youand now also weeping tellthe enemies of the cross of the Christ!

¹⁹whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who the things on earth are minding.

²⁰For our citizenship is in the heavens, whence also a Saviour we awaitthe Lord Jesus Christ

²¹who shall transform the body of our humiliation to its becoming conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working of his power, even to subject to himself the all things.