Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.[#3:1 Or brothers and sisters ; also verses 13, 17; #4:4; 1 Thess. 5:16; #2 Pet. 1:12]

²Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.[#Ps. 22:16, 20; Isa. 56:10, 11; Rev. 22:15; Gal. 5:15; #2 Cor. 11:13]

³For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—[#Rom. 2:29; #John 4:23; #Gal. 5:25; Jude 20; #3:3 Some manuscripts; #Rom. 15:17; Gal. 6:14]

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:[#2 Cor. 11:18]

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;[#Gen. 17:12; #2 Cor. 11:22; #Rom. 11:1; #2 Cor. 11:22; #Acts 23:6; 26:5]

⁶as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.[#Acts 22:3, 4; Gal. 1:13, 14; #Acts 8:3; #9; #3:6 Greek]

⁷But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.[#Luke 14:33; #Heb. 11:26]

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[#2 Cor. 5:15; #Isa. 53:11; Jer. 9:23, 24; John 17:3; 2 Pet. 1:3; #Luke 9:25 (Gk.)]

⁹and be found in him, not having 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—[#Rom. 10:5; 6; #Rom. 9:30; 1 Cor. 1:30]

¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,[#Eph. 4:13; #Rom. 1:4; 6:5; #1 Pet. 4:13; 2 Cor. 1:5]

¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.[#Acts 26:7]

Straining Toward the Goal

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.[#1 Tim. 6:12, 19; #Heb. 11:40; 12:23; Heb. 5:9]

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,[#Ps. 45:10; Luke 9:62; Heb. 6:1]

¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.[#1 Cor. 9:24; #Heb. 3:1; 1 Pet. 5:10]

¹⁵Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.[#1 Cor. 2:6; Matt. 5:48; #Gal. 5:10; #John 7:17]

¹⁶Only let us hold true to what we have attained.[#Gal. 6:16]

¹⁷Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.[#4:9; #1 Pet. 5:3]

¹⁸For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.[#2 Cor. 11:13; #Acts 20:31]

¹⁹Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.[#2 Cor. 11:15; 2 Thess. 1:9; 2 Pet. 2:1, 3; #Rom. 16:18; #Hos. 4:7; 2 Cor. 11:12; Gal. 6:13; Jude 13; #Rom. 8:5; Col. 3:2]

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,[#Eph. 2:19; #Acts 1:11; #1 Cor. 1:7]

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.[#1 Cor. 15:43-53; #Col. 3:4; #Eph. 1:19; #1 Cor. 15:28]