Philippians 3
3
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ
1Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,#3:1 Greek brothers; also in 3:13, 17. rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
2Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3For we who worship by the Spirit of God#3:3 Some manuscripts read worship God in spirit; one early manuscript reads worship in spirit. are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.#3:9 Or through the faithfulness of Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Pressing toward the Goal
12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,#3:13 Some manuscripts read not yet achieved it. but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
17Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
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Philippians 3: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Pilipiyim (Philippians) 3
3
1For the rest, my brothers, rejoice in יהוה. To write the same matters to you is truly no trouble to me, and for you it is safe.
2Look out for dogs, look out for the evil workers, look out for the mutilation!
3For we are the circumcision, who are serving Elohim in the Spirit, and boasting in Messiah יהושע, and do not trust in the flesh,
4though I too might have trust in the flesh. If anyone else thinks to trust in the flesh, I more –
5circumcised the eighth day, of the race of Yisra’ĕl, of the tribe of Binyamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, according to Torah a Pharisee,
6according to ardour, persecuting the assembly; according to righteousness that is in the law, having become blameless.
7But what might have been a gain to me, I have counted as loss, because of Messiah.
8What is more, I even count all to be loss because of the excellence of the knowledge of Messiah יהושע my Master, for whom I have suffered the loss of all, and count them as refuse, in order to gain Messiah,
9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through belief in Messiah, the righteousness which is from Elohim on the basis of belief,
10to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11if somehow I might attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already received, or already been perfected, but I press on, to lay hold of that for which Messiah יהושע has also laid hold of me.
13Brothers, I do not count myself to have laid hold of it yet, but only this: forgetting what is behind and reaching out for what lies ahead,
14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Messiah יהושע.
15As many, then, as are perfect, should have this mind. And if you think differently in any respect, Elohim shall also reveal this to you.
16But to what we have already attained – walk by the same rule, be of the same mind.
17Become joint imitators of me, brothers, and look at those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.
18For many – of whom I have often told you, and now say to you even weeping – walk as enemies of the stake of Messiah.
19Their end is destruction, their mighty one is their stomach, and their esteem is in their shame – they mind the earthly.
20For our citizenship is in the heavens, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Master יהושע Messiah,
21who shall change our lowly body, to be conformed to His esteemed body, according to the working by which He is able even to bring all under His control.
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