Philippians 3:1-21.
Philippians 3:1-21 (Good News Translation)
1 "In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I
don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer
if I do so. 2 Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs,
those who insist on cutting the body. 3 It is we, not they, who have
received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his
Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not
put any trust in external ceremonies. 4 I could, of course, put my
trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external
ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 5 I was
circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish
Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 6 and I was so zealous that I
persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying
the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 7 But all those things
that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 8
Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the
sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all
as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be completely united
with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is
gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given
through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is
based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the
power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like
him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from
death to life. 12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have
already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which
Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 13 Of course, my friends,
I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do,
however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what
is ahead. 14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the
prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. 15
All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude.
But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear
to you. 16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the
same rules we have followed until now. 17 Keep on imitating me, my
friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we
have set for you. 18 I have told you this many times before, and now I
repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of
Christ's death on the cross. 19 They are going to end up in hell,
because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they
should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to
this world. 20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly
wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He
will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious
body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under
his rule."
God bless you.
1 "In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I
don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer
if I do so. 2 Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs,
those who insist on cutting the body. 3 It is we, not they, who have
received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his
Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not
put any trust in external ceremonies. 4 I could, of course, put my
trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external
ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 5 I was
circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish
Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 6 and I was so zealous that I
persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying
the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 7 But all those things
that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 8
Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the
sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all
as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be completely united
with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is
gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given
through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is
based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the
power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like
him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from
death to life. 12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have
already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which
Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 13 Of course, my friends,
I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do,
however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what
is ahead. 14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the
prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. 15
All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude.
But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear
to you. 16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the
same rules we have followed until now. 17 Keep on imitating me, my
friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we
have set for you. 18 I have told you this many times before, and now I
repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of
Christ's death on the cross. 19 They are going to end up in hell,
because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they
should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to
this world. 20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly
wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He
will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious
body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under
his rule."
God bless you.
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