FILIPPENSE 3
Die ongelooflike wins van geloof in Jesus Christus
1 Verder, my broers en susters, wees bly omdat julle aan die Here verbind is. Om weer hieroor vir julle te skryf maak my nie moeg nie, en vir julle gee dit duidelikheid.2 Pas op vir daardie rondloperhonde, pas op vir daardie kwaaddoeners, pas op vir die mense van die versnydenis!
3 Ons wat God deur sy Gees dien, het mos klaar die ware besnydenis. Ons beroep ons op wat Christus Jesus gedoen het en nie op menslike dinge nie.
4 Nietemin sou ek ook op menslike dinge kon vertrou. As iemand meen om op menslike dinge te vertrou, ek nog méér!5 Ek is op die agtste dag besny. Ek is 'n gebore Israeliet, uit die stam van Benjamin. 'n Egte Hebreër! As lid van die Fariseërs het ek streng volgens Joodse wette gelewe.
6 Ek was fanaties en het die kerk vervolg! Wat wetsgehoorsaamheid betref as metode om my saak met God reg te maak, was ek onberispelik!
7 Alhoewel ek hierdie menslike dinge eers as 'n wins beskou het, beskou ek dit ter wille van Christus nou as 'n verlies.8 Ja, om Christus Jesus, my Here, te ken is só wonderlik dat ek alle ander dinge as 'n verlies beskou. Ter wille van Hom het ek alles as verlies afgeskryf. Ek beskou dit as gemors sodat ek Christus as wins kan verkry
9 en een met Hom kan wees.
Ek probeer nie langer my saak met God regstel deur die wet te gehoorsaam nie, maar deur in Christus te glo. Deur die geloof stel God ons saak met Hom reg.10 Op hierdie manier kan ek Christus ken en die krag beleef wat Hom laat opstaan het. Deur saam met Hom te ly kry ek deel aan sy dood
11 in die hoop dat ek die opstanding uit die dood kan beleef!
Hoe om as gelowige doelgerig te lewe
12 Nie dat ek dit alles al bereik het, of al klaar volmaak is nie. Maar ek hou aan jaag om dit myne te maak omdat Christus Jesus my Sýne gemaak het!
13 Nee, broers en susters, ek reken self nie dat ek al is wat ek moet wees nie, maar een ding is seker: ek vergeet dit wat agter my lê, en strek my uit na dit wat voorlê.
14 Ek jaag wenpaal toe, na die hemelse prys wat God deur Christus Jesus aan my gee.
15 Almal van ons wat geestelik volwasse is, behoort hierdie doel te hê. As daar enigiets is waaroor julle anders dink, sal God ook dít vir julle duidelik maak.
16 Nietemin, laat ons aanhou loop op die pad waarmee ons tot hiertoe gekom het.
17 Ja, broers en susters, volg my voorbeeld en hou julle oë op die mense wat volgens ons voorbeeld lewe.18 Want - ek het julle al vroeër gesê, en met groot hartseer moet ek dit nou weer sê - daar is baie wie se lewe wys dat hulle vyande van die kruis van Christus is.
19 Ewige vernietiging is hulle uiteinde, liggaamlike behoeftes is hulle god en skandelike dinge is hulle trots. Al waaraan hulle dink, is aardse dinge.
20 Ons, daarteenoor, het ons burgerskap in die hemel. Van dáár verwag ons ook die Here Jesus Christus as Verlosser.
21 Hy sal ons vernederde liggame verander in liggame met goddelike heerlikheid, soos sy eie. Hiervoor sal Hy dieselfde krag gebruik as dié waarmee Hy alle dinge onder sy gesag bring.
PHILIPPIANS 3
Being Acceptable to God
1 Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.
2 Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3 But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spiritt and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, 4 although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. 5 t I was circumcised when I was eight days old, t and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses.
6 t And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.
7 But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did,
11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.Running toward the Goal
12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.
16 But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.
17 t My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. 18 I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again
19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
20 But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ 21 t has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.