Philippians 3

¹Finally, my brothers , rejoice in the Lord . To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you .

²Look out for the dogs , look out for the evildoers , look out for those who mutilate the flesh .

³For we are the circumcision , who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh —

⁴though 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 :

⁵circumcised on the eighth day , of the people of Israel , of the tribe of Benjamin , a Hebrew of Hebrews ; as to the law , a Pharisee ;

⁶as to zeal , a persecutor of the church ; as to righteousness under the law , blameless .

⁷But whatever gain I had , I counted as loss for the sake of Christ .

⁸Indeed , I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . For his sake I 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 a righteousness of my own that comes from the law , but that which comes through faith in Christ , the righteousness from God that depends on faith —

¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection , and may share his sufferings , becoming like him in his death ,

¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead .

¹²Not that I have already obtained this or 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: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead ,

¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus .

¹⁵Let those of us who are mature think this way , and if in anything you think otherwise , God will reveal that also to you .

¹⁶Only let us hold true to what we have attained .

¹⁷Brothers , join in imitating me , and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us .

¹⁸For many , of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears , walk as enemies of the cross of Christ .

¹⁹Their end is destruction , their god is their belly , and they glory in their shame , with minds set on earthly things .

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven , and from it we await a Savior , the Lord Jesus Christ ,

²¹who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body , by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself .