Knowing Christ

1In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoicea in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.

2Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evila workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3For we are the circumcision,a the ones who worship by the Spiritb of God, boast in Christ Jesus,c and do not put confidence in the flesh —  4although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised the eighth day;a of the nation of Israel,b of the tribe of Benjamin,c a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,d a Pharisee; 6regarding zeal,a persecutingb the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,c blameless.d

7But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing valuea of knowing Christb Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christc 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,a but one that is through faith in ChristA — the righteousness from God based on faith.b 10My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings,a being conformed to his death,b 11assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Reaching Forward to God’s Goal

12Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take holda of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13Brothers and sisters, I do notA consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behinda and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenlyA call in Christ Jesus.a 15Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveala this also to you. 16In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. 18For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the crossa of Christ. 19Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glorya is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. 20Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his gloriousa body,b by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.