Philippians 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.

In conclusion, my Brothers, all joy be yours in your union with the Lord. To repeat what I have already written does not weary me, and is the safe course for you.

2 Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.

Beware of those ‘dogs’! Beware of those mischievous workers! Beware of the men who mutilate themselves!

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

For it is we who are the circumcised — we whose worship is prompted by the Spirit of God, who exult in Christ Jesus, and who do not rely upon external privileges;

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:

though I, if any man, have cause to rely even upon them. If any one thinks he can rely upon external privileges, far more can I!

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

I was circumcised when eight days old; I am an Israelite by race, and of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, and the child of Hebrews. As to the Law, I was a Pharisee;

6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

as to zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; as to such righteousness as is due to Law, I proved myself blameless.

7 However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.

But all the things which I once held to be gains I have now, for the Christ’s sake, come to count as loss.

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

More than that, I count everything as loss, for the sake of the exceeding value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And for his sake I have lost everything, and count it as refuse, if I may but gain Christ and be found in union with him;

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,

any righteousness that I have being, not the righteousness that results from Law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ — the righteousness which is derived from God and is founded on faith.

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

Then indeed I shall know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and all that it means to share his sufferings,

11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

in the hope that, if I become like him in death, I may possibly 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.

Not that I have already laid hold of it, or that I am already made perfect. But I press on, in the hope of actually laying hold of that for which indeed I was laid 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,

For I, Brothers, do not regard myself as having yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do — forgetting what lies behind, and straining every nerve for that which lies in front,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I press on to the goal, to gain the prize of that heavenward Call which God gave me through 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.

Let all of us, then, whose faith is mature, think thus. Then, if on any matter you think otherwise, God will make that also plain 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.

Only we are bound to order our lives by what we have already attained.

17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

Brothers, unite in following my example, and fix your eyes on those who are living by the pattern which we have set you.

18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

For there are many — of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears — who are living in enmity to the cross of the Christ.

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

The end of such men is Ruin; for their appetites are their God, and they glory in their shame; their minds are given up to earthly things.

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

But the State of which we are citizens is in Heaven; and it is from Heaven that we are eagerly looking for a Saviour, 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.

who, by the exercise of his power to bring everything into subjection to himself, will make this body that we have in our humiliation like to that body which he has in his Glory.