1 | Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is safe. |
2 | Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision: |
3 | for we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh: |
4 | though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more: |
5 | circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; |
6 | as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. |
7 | Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. |
8 | Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, |
9 | and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, [even] that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith: |
10 | that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; |
11 | if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. |
12 | Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. |
13 | Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, |
14 | I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. |
15 | Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you: |
16 | only, whereunto we have attained, by that same [rule] let us walk. |
17 | Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample. |
18 | For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: |
19 | whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. |
20 | For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: |
21 | who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, [that it may be] conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself. |