Philippians 3
3
Being Acceptable to God
1Finally, 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.
2Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit#3.3 by the power of God's Spirit: Some manuscripts have “sincerely.” and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, 4although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. 5#Ro 11.1; Ac 23.6; 26.4,5. I was circumcised when I was eight days old,#3.5 when I was eight days old: Jewish boys are circumcised eight days after birth. 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#Ac 8.3; 22.4; 26.9-11. And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.
7But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8Nothing 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 9and 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. 10All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11so that somehow I also may be raised to life.
Running toward the Goal
12I 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. 13My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14I 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. 15All 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. 16But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.
17 #
1 Co 4.16; 11.1. My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. 18I 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 19that 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.
20But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ 21#4 Macc 9.22. has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.
Currently Selected:
Philippians 3: CEVDCI
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Philippians 3
3
Christ Is More Important Than Anything
1And now, my brothers and sisters, be filled with joy in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again. I want to be sure that you are prepared.
2Be careful of the dogs—those men whose work does only harm. They want to cut on everyone who isn’t circumcised.#3:2 want to cut on … circumcised There is a play on words here in Greek. The key word is like “circumcision” (see “circumcise, circumcision” in the Word List), but it means “mutilation” or “cutting to pieces.” 3But we are the ones who have the true circumcision#3:3 we are … circumcision Literally, “we are the circumcision.” See “circumcise, circumcision” in the Word List.—we who worship God through his Spirit. We don’t trust in ourselves or anything we can do. We take pride only in Christ Jesus. 4Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I don’t do it. If anyone else thinks they have a reason to trust in themselves, they should know that I have a greater reason for doing so. 5I was circumcised on the eighth day after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Jew, and so were my parents. The law was very important to me. That is why I became a Pharisee. 6I was so eager to defend my religion#3:6 eager to defend my religion Before Paul became a believer in Jesus as the Messiah, he thought it was his duty as a good Jew to oppose the Jews who had become Christ-followers. that I persecuted the church. And no one could find fault with the way I obeyed the Law of Moses.
7At one time all these things were important to me. But because of Christ, I decided that they are worth nothing. 8Not only these things, but now I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I lost all these things, and now I know that they are all worthless trash. All I want now is Christ. 9I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in#3:9 my faith in Or “the faithfulness of.” Christ to make me right with him. 10All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death. 11Then there is hope that I myself will somehow be raised from death.
Trying to Reach the Goal
12I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. 13Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.
15All of us who have grown to be spiritually mature should think this way too. And if there is any of this that you don’t agree with, God will make it clear to you. 16But we should continue following the truth we already have.
17Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. Also, learn by watching those who are living the way we showed you. 18There are many who live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them. And it makes me cry to tell you about them now. 19The way they live is leading them to destruction. They have replaced God with their own desires. They do shameful things, and they are proud of what they do. They think only about earthly things. 20But the government that rules us is in heaven. We are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from there. 21He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power, with which he is able to rule everything.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International