3 My Christian friends, there are a few more things that I want to say. You belong to the Lord, so be happy! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again. And it will help to keep you safe.
2 Be very careful! Some people are teaching bad things. They say that you must cut your bodies. They are like dangerous dogs. Do not believe them! 3 But we are truly God's people. And it is not because someone has circumcised us. It is God's own Spirit that leads us to worship God. We thank God because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. We know that it is not human ideas that can save us. [ a ]
4 For myself, I could have trusted those human ideas. Perhaps somebody may think that they could trust in those things to save them. Then I would have an even better reason to trust in them. 5 I belong to Israel's people, to Benjamin's tribe. I am a true Jew. They circumcised me when I was eight days old. I was a Pharisee, and I obeyed the Jewish rules very carefully. 6 I tried very much to please God. So I caused a lot of trouble and pain for the Christians. I obeyed the rules of God's Law, and nobody could say that I did anything wrong.
7 All those ideas seemed very important to me then. But now they are worth nothing to me, because I trust in Christ. 8 Yes, now that I know Christ Jesus as my Lord, that is the most valuable thing. Nothing else is important at all. I have thrown everything else away, so that I can serve Christ. All those other things are like dirt to me. I think about them like that, so that I can have Christ. 9 I want to be united with him. Because I believe in Christ, God accepts me as right with him. I know that I cannot become right in any other way, even if I obey all of God's Law. When I trust in Christ, God accepts me as right because of my faith.
10 Yes, I want to know Christ better and better. I want to know the power which God showed when Christ rose from death. I want to have the same kind of troubles that he did. I want to obey God like he did in his death. 11 Then I hope that I also will become alive again after death.
12 I am not saying that I have already reached that place in my life. I have not yet completely become the person that God wants me to be. But I am trying very hard to reach that place. That was Christ's purpose when he first made me his own. 13 My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do: I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are in front of me. 14 I am like a runner who wants to reach the end of the race. I run straight towards that place, so that I can win God's gift. Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God has called me to live with him in heaven. That is God's gift to me at the end of the race.
15 All of us should agree to live like that, if we properly understand God's message. If you think differently about these things, God will show you clearly what is right. 16 But we should continue to live in the way that we already know is right.
17 My Christian friends, you should try to live in the way that I do. Carefully watch other people who live like that. We have shown you what is right. 18 Many people live in a way that shows they do not agree with God's message. I have told you about these people many times before. And now I am crying when I tell you about them. I am very sad, because they speak against Christ's death on the cross. 19 In the end, God will destroy them. Their stomach is what they worship. They are proud of things that should make them ashamed. Their thoughts are full of things that belong to this world. 20 But as for us, the home where we belong is in heaven. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from there. He is the one who will come from heaven and save us. 21 He will change these weak bodies that we have now on this earth. He will make them become strong and beautiful, like his own body that he has in heaven. Christ will use his great power to do this. That is the power that he uses to rule over everything.
3 And now, my brothers and sisters, be filled with joy in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again. I want to be sure that you are prepared.
2 Be careful of the dogs—those men whose work does only harm. They want to cut on everyone who isn’t circumcised. [ a ] 3 But we are the ones who have the true circumcision [ b ] —we who worship God through his Spirit. We don’t trust in ourselves or anything we can do. We take pride only in Christ Jesus. 4 Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I don’t do it. If anyone else thinks they have a reason to trust in themselves, they should know that I have a greater reason for doing so. 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Jew, and so were my parents. The law was very important to me. That is why I became a Pharisee. 6 I was so eager to defend my religion [ c ] that I persecuted the church. And no one could find fault with the way I obeyed the Law of Moses.
7 At one time all these things were important to me. But because of Christ, I decided that they are worth nothing. 8 Not only these things, but now I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I lost all these things, and now I know that they are all worthless trash. All I want now is Christ. 9 I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in [ d ] Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death. 11 Then there is hope that I myself will somehow be raised from death.
12 I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.
15 All of us who have grown to be spiritually mature should think this way too. And if there is any of this that you don’t agree with, God will make it clear to you. 16 But we should continue following the truth we already have.
17 Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. Also, learn by watching those who are living the way we showed you. 18 There are many who live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them. And it makes me cry to tell you about them now. 19 The way they live is leading them to destruction. They have replaced God with their own desires. They do shameful things, and they are proud of what they do. They think only about earthly things. 20 But the government that rules us is in heaven. We are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from there. 21 He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power, with which he is able to rule everything.
3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
3 Finally, my brothers and sisters , ( A ) rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Beware of the ( B ) dogs, beware of the ( C ) evil workers, beware of the [ a ] false circumcision; 3 for ( D ) we are the true [ b ] circumcision, who ( E ) worship in the Spirit of God and take ( F ) pride in ( G ) Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although ( H ) I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason : 5 ( I ) circumcised the eighth day, of the ( J ) nation of Israel, of the ( K ) tribe of Benjamin, a ( L ) Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, ( M ) a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, ( N ) a persecutor of the church; as to the ( O ) righteousness which is in the Law, found ( P ) blameless.
7 But ( Q ) whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss [ c ] in view of the surpassing value of [ d ] ( R ) knowing ( S ) Christ Jesus my Lord, [ e ] for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having ( T ) a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, ( U ) the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may ( V ) know Him and ( W ) the power of His resurrection and [ f ] ( X ) the fellowship of His sufferings, being ( Y ) conformed to His death; 11 if somehow I may ( Z ) attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already [ g ] ( AA ) grasped it all or have already ( AB ) become perfect, but I press on if I may also ( AC ) take hold of that [ h ] for which I ( AD ) was even taken hold of by ( AE ) Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters , I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet ; but one thing I do : ( AF ) forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I ( AG ) press on toward the goal for the prize of the ( AH ) upward call of God in ( AI ) Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are [ i ] ( AJ ) mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a ( AK ) different attitude, ( AL ) God will reveal that to you as well; 16 however, let’s keep [ j ] ( AM ) living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brothers and sisters , ( AN ) join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the ( AO ) pattern you have in us. 18 For ( AP ) many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I ( AQ ) weep, that they are the enemies of ( AR ) the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their [ k ] ( AS ) appetite, and whose ( AT ) glory is in their shame, who ( AU ) have their minds on earthly things. 20 For ( AV ) our [ l ] citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly ( AW ) wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will ( AX ) transform the body of our lowly condition into ( AY ) conformity with [ m ] His ( AZ ) glorious body, ( BA ) by the exertion of the power that He has even to ( BB ) subject all things to Himself.
3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, ( A ) and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, ( B ) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, ( C ) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, ( D ) and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. ( E )
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised ( F ) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, ( G ) of the tribe of Benjamin, ( H ) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ( I ) 6 as for zeal, ( J ) persecuting the church; ( K ) as for righteousness based on the law, ( L ) faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss ( M ) for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing ( N ) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ( O ) 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, ( P ) but that which is through faith in [ a ] Christ—the righteousness ( Q ) that comes from God on the basis of faith. ( R ) 10 I want to know ( S ) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, ( T ) becoming like him in his death, ( U ) 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection ( V ) from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, ( W ) but I press on to take hold ( X ) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ( Y ) 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind ( Z ) and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on ( AA ) toward the goal to win the prize ( AB ) for which God has called ( AC ) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature ( AD ) should take such a view of things. ( AE ) And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ( AF ) 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17 Join together in following my example, ( AG ) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ( AH ) 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, ( AI ) many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ( AJ ) 19 Their destiny ( AK ) is destruction, their god is their stomach, ( AL ) and their glory is in their shame. ( AM ) Their mind is set on earthly things. ( AN ) 20 But our citizenship ( AO ) is in heaven. ( AP ) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ( AQ ) 21 who, by the power ( AR ) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies ( AS ) so that they will be like his glorious body. ( AT )
