1 F or the rest, my brethren, delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him. To keep writing to you of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is for your safety.

2 L ook out for those dogs, look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

3 F or we are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances—

4 T hough for myself I have to rely on the flesh. If any other man considers that he has or seems to have reason to rely on the flesh and his physical and outward advantages, I have still more!

5 C ircumcised when I was eight days old, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the observance of the Law I was of the Pharisees,

6 A s to my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and by the Law’s standard of righteousness (supposed justice, uprightness, and right standing with God) I was proven to be blameless and no fault was found with me.

7 B ut whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as '> one combined] loss for Christ’s sake.

8 Y es, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

9 A nd that I may be found and known as in Him, not having any righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the right standing with God, which comes from God by faith.

10 t hat I may know Him, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection '> which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed to His death,

11 T hat if possible I may attain to the '> spiritual and moral] resurrection out from among the dead.

12 N ot that I have now attained, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

15 S o let those who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.

16 O nly let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.

17 B rethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you.

18 F or there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One).

19 T hey are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party.

20 B ut we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Savior,

21 W ho will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself.