| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. | 1Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. |
| 2Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. | 2Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. |
| 3For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— | 3For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, |
| 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: | 4though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! |
| 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; | 5I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. |
| 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. | 6I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. |
| 7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. | 7I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. |
| 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 | 8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ |
| 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— | 9and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. |
| 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, | 10I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, |
| 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. | 11so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Pressing 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. | 12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. |
| 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, | 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, |
| 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. |
| 15Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. | 15Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. |
| 16Only let us hold true to what we have attained. | 16But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. |
| 17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. | 17Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. |
| 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. | 18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. |
| 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. | 19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. |
| 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, | 20But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. |
| 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. | 21He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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