Philippians 3

Warning Against Evil Workers

3Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, but is a safeguard for you. ²Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the mutilation.^{a 3}For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship^b by the Spirit^c of God and boast in Christ Jesus and do not put confidence in the flesh, ⁴although I could have confidence even in the flesh.

Righteousness Through Christ

If anyone else thinks to put confidence in the flesh, I can do so more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day^d, from the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews, according to the law a Pharisee, ⁶according to zeal persecuting the church, according to the righteousness in the law being blameless. ⁷But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have considered loss because of Christ. ⁸More than that^e, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them^* dung, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and may be found in him, not having my righteousness which is from the law, but which is through faith in Christ,^f the righteousness from God on the basis of faith,^{g 10}so that I may 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 this,^* or have already been made perfect, but I press on if indeed I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ.^{h 13}Brothers, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it.^* But I do one thing, forgetting the things behind and straining toward the things ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Imitate Paul

¹⁵Therefore as many as are perfect, let us hold this opinionⁱ, and if you think anything differently, God will reveal this also to you. ¹⁶Only to what we have attained, to the same hold on. ¹⁷Become fellow imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who walk in this way, just as you have us as an example. ¹⁸For many live, of whom I spoke about to you many times, but now speak about even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, ¹⁹whose end is destruction, whose God is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, the ones who think on earthly things. ²⁰For our commonwealth exists in heaven, from which also we eagerly await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform our humble body to be conformed to his glorious body, in accordance with the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.