KNOWING CHRIST

3 In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoiceau in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.

2 Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evilav workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision,aw the ones who worship by the Spiritax of God, boast in Christ Jesus,ay and do not put confidence in the flesh—4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day;az of the nation of Israel,a of the tribe of Benjamin,b a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,c a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal,d persecutinge the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,f blameless.g

7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing valueh of knowing Christi Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christj 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,k but one that is through faith in ChristA—the righteousness from God based on faith.l 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings,m being conformed to his death,n 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

REACHING FORWARD TO GOD’S GOAL

12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take holdo of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do notB consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behindp and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenlyC call in Christ Jesus.q 15 Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will revealr this also to you. 16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the crosss of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their gloryt is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things, 20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his gloriousu body,v by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.