Philippians 3

1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome for me, and is safe for you.

2Watch out for the dogs; watch out for the evil workers; watch out for the mutilation.

3For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and boast in Messiah Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

4Though I myself have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has confidence in the flesh, I have more.

5circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew from Hebrews; according to the law, a Pharisee,

6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness under the law, having become blameless.

7But whatever things were gains to me, these I have considered loss because of Messiah.

8More than that, I consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of the knowledge of Messiah Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Messiah.

9and be found in him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Messiah—the righteousness from God based on faith.

10to know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

11if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12Not that I have already received it or have already been perfected, but I press on to see if I may also take hold of that for which I too was taken hold of by Christ.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing: forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things ahead,

14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Jesus.

15Therefore, all of us who are mature should think this way; and if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

16Only, let us keep in step with what we have attained.

17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk this way, just as you have us as a pattern.

18For many walk, whom I often told you about, and now even weeping I say, are enemies of the cross of Messiah,

19Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame—their minds are set on earthly things.

20For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

21who will transform our lowly body to be like the body of his glory, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.