Philippians 3

1 Concerning other things, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is certainly not tiresome for me to write the same things to you, but for you, it is not necessary.2 Beware of dogs; beware of those who work evil; beware of those who are divisive.3 For we are the circumcised, we who serve God in the Spirit and who glory in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh.4 Nevertheless, I might have confidence also in the flesh, for if anyone else seems to have confidence in the flesh, more so do I.5 For I was circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew among Hebrews. According to the law, I was a Pharisee;6 according to zeal, I persecuted the Church of God; according to the justice that is in the law, I lived without blame.7 But the things which had been to my gain, the same have I considered a loss, for the sake of Christ.8 Yet truly, I consider everything to be a loss, because of the preeminent knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of everything, considering it all to be like dung, so that I may gain Christ,9 and so that you may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, the justice within faith, which is of God.10 So shall I know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his Passion, having been fashioned according to his death,11 if, by some means, I might attain to the resurrection which is from the dead.12 It is not as though I have already received this, or were already perfect. But rather I pursue, so that by some means I might attain, that in which I have already been attained by Christ Jesus.13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have already attained this. Instead, I do one thing: forgetting those things that are behind, and extending myself toward those things that are ahead,14 I pursue the destination, the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus.15 Therefore, as many of us as are being perfected, let us agree about this. And if in anything you disagree, God will reveal this to you also.16 Yet truly, whatever point we reach, let us be of the same mind, and let us remain in the same rule.17 Be imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who are walking similarly, just as you have seen by our example.18 For many persons, about whom I have often told you (and now tell you, weeping,) are walking as enemies of the cross of Christ.19 Their end is destruction; their god is their belly; and their glory is in their shame: for they are immersed in earthly things.20 But our way of life is in heaven. And from heaven, too, we await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,21 who will transform the body of our lowliness, according to the form of the body of his glory, by means of that power by which he is even able to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 3

True and False Righteousness

1 Finally, my brothers and sisters,t rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Beware of the dogs,s beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!t3 For we are the circumcision,t the ones who worship by the Spirit of God,s exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentialst4 – though mine too are significant.t If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials,t I have more:5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.s6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ.8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung!t – that I may gain Christ,9 and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulnessts – a righteousness from God that is in factt based on Christ’st faithfulness.t10 My aim is to know him,t to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings,t and to be like him in his death,

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

Keep Going Forward

12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.t13 Brothers and sisters,t I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded:t Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,14 with this goal in mind,t I strive toward the prize of the upward call of Godt in Christ Jesus.15 Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view.ts If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.t

16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standards that we have already attained.t
17 Be imitators of me,t brothers and sisters,t and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.18 For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things.t20 But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

21 who will transform these humble bodies of ourst into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.