1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in Sovereign. For me to write the same things to you is not troublesome and for you it is the safe thing.
2Watch out for the ‘dogs’, watch out for the bad workers, watch out for the mutilation!
3For it is we who are the circumcision, the ones who worship by God's Spirit and glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in flesh
4(though I myself actually have basis for such confidence). If anyone else thinks he has basis for confidence in flesh, I even more:
5circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; with respect to the Law, a Pharisee;
6with respect to zeal, persecuting the Church; with respect to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.
7But such things as were gain to me, these I have considered loss for the sake of the Christ.
8Yes indeed, in fact I actually consider everything to be a loss for the sake of the excelling thing, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord—for His sake I have already lost everything (and consider it as trash), so that I may gain Christ
9and be found in Him, not having as my righteousness that of the Law but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God based on that faith;
10so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,
11and so, somehow, that I may arrive into the resurrection from among the dead
12—not that I have already obtained it or have already been perfected; but I press on to actually claim that for which Christ Jesus claimed me.
13Brothers, I do not consider that I have already claimed it, but this: forgetting the things behind and straining toward those ahead,
14I press on toward the goal for the prize, the upward call from God because of Christ Jesus.
15So then, those of us who are mature should have this mentality, but if on some point you think differently, God will reveal that to you as well.
16Only, in what we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
17Brothers, join together in imitating me, and having us as a pattern take note of those who walk in the same way.
18Because many are walking as enemies of the cross of Christ—of whom I told you often, and now tell you even with tears—
19whose end is ruin, whose god is their stomach, and whose glory is in their shame; their mind is only on earthly things.
20But our citizenship is in Heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly await our Deliverer, Sovereign Jesus Christ;
21who will transform the body of our humiliation so that it will be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the working by which He is indeed able to subject all things to Himself.
