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
3
Righteousness Through Faith in Christ
1Finally, my brothers,#3:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 17 #ch. 4:4; 1 Thess. 5:16 rejoice in the Lord. #[2 Pet. 1:12]To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2Look out for #Ps. 22:16, 20; Isa. 56:10, 11; Rev. 22:15; [Gal. 5:15] the dogs, look out for #[2 Cor. 11:13]the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3For #See Rom. 2:29 we are the circumcision, #[John 4:23] who worship #[Gal. 5:25; Jude 20] by the Spirit of God#3:3 Some manuscripts God in spirit and #Rom. 15:17; [Gal. 6:14]glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4#2 Cor. 11:18though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5#See Gen. 17:12 circumcised on the eighth day, #2 Cor. 11:22 of the people of Israel, #Rom. 11:1 of the tribe of Benjamin, #2 Cor. 11:22 a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, #Acts 23:6; 26:5a Pharisee; 6#Acts 22:3, 4; Gal. 1:13, 14 as to zeal, #See Acts 8:3 a persecutor of the church; #[ver. 9]as to righteousness under the law,#3:6 Greek in the law blameless. 7But #[Luke 14:33] whatever gain I had, #[Heb. 11:26]I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of #[2 Cor. 5:15] the surpassing worth of #Isa. 53:11; Jer. 9:23, 24; John 17:3; 2 Pet. 1:3 knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I #Luke 9:25 (Gk.)have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having #Rom. 10:5; [ver. 6] a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but #See Rom. 9:30; 1 Cor. 1:30that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10#[Eph. 4:13] that I may know him and #[Rom. 1:4; 6:5] the power of his resurrection, and #1 Pet. 4:13; See 2 Cor. 1:5may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may #Acts 26:7attain the resurrection from the dead.
Straining Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already #[1 Tim. 6:12, 19] obtained this or #Heb. 11:40; 12:23; [Heb. 5:9]am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: #[Ps. 45:10; Luke 9:62; Heb. 6:1]forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for #1 Cor. 9:24 the prize of the upward #[Heb. 3:1; 1 Pet. 5:10]; See Rom. 8:28call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are #1 Cor. 2:6; See Matt. 5:48 mature think this way, and if in anything #[Gal. 5:10] you think otherwise, #[John 7:17]God will reveal that also to you. 16Only #Gal. 6:16let us hold true to what we have attained.
17Brothers, #[ch. 4:9]; See 1 Cor. 4:16 join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk #1 Pet. 5:3according to the example you have in us. 18For #See 2 Cor. 11:13 many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you #[Acts 20:31]even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19#2 Cor. 11:15; [2 Thess. 1:9; 2 Pet. 2:1, 3] Their end is destruction, #See Rom. 16:18 their god is their belly, and #[Hos. 4:7; 2 Cor. 11:12; Gal. 6:13; Jude 13] they glory in their shame, with #Rom. 8:5; Col. 3:2minds set on earthly things. 20But #See Eph. 2:19 our citizenship is in heaven, and #Acts 1:11 from it we #See 1 Cor. 1:7await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform #[1 Cor. 15:43-53] our lowly body #[ver. 10; Col. 3:4]; See Rom. 8:29 to be like his glorious body, #See Eph. 1:19 by the power that enables him even #1 Cor. 15:28to subject all things to himself.
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