1 F inally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

2 B eware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

3 F or we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

4 t hough I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:

5 c ircumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

6 c oncerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 B ut what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

8 Y et indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

9 a nd be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

10 t hat I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

11 i f, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Pressing Toward the Goal

12 N ot that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

13 B rethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

15 T herefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

16 N evertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Our Citizenship in Heaven

17 B rethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.

18 F or many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

19 w hose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

20 F or our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

21 w ho will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.