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 ³For 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

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Philippians 3:8: Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...

Footnotes

aThis term is a wordplay on the Greek word “circumcision”
bOr “who serve”
cOr “in the Spirit”
dLiterally “with respect to circumcision it was on the eighth day”
eLiterally “but on the contrary”
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation