All for Christ

3 Finally, my brethren, ^(A)rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

^2 (B)Beware of dogs, beware of ^(C)evil workers, ^(D)beware of the mutilation! ³ For we are ^(E)the circumcision, ^(F)who worship ^[a]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ though ^(G)I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I ^(H)more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, ^(I)of the tribe of Benjamin, ^(J)a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, ^(K)a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, ^(L)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But ^(M)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^(N)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 and be found in Him, not having ^(O)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but ^(P)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the ^(Q)power of His resurrection, and ^(R)the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may ^(S)attain^[b] to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing Toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already ^(T)attained,^[c] or am already ^(U)perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have ^[d]apprehended; but one thing I do, ^(V)forgetting those things which are behind and ^(W)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ^14 (X)I press toward the goal for the prize of ^(Y)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are ^(Z)mature, ^(AA)have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, ^(AB)God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already ^[e]attained, ^(AC)let us walk ^(AD)by the same ^[f]rule, let us be of the same mind.

Our Citizenship in Heaven

¹⁷ Brethren, ^(AE)join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as ^(AF)you have us for a pattern. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are ^(AG)the enemies of the cross of Christ: ^19 (AH)whose end is destruction, ^(AI)whose god is their belly, and ^(AJ)whose glory is in their shame—^(AK)who set their mind on earthly things. ²⁰ For ^(AL)our citizenship is in heaven, ^(AM)from which we also ^(AN)eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (AO)who will transform our lowly body that it may be ^(AP)conformed to His glorious body, ^(AQ)according to the working by which He is able even to ^(AR)subdue all things to Himself.

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

¹⁰ saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

³ as His ^(A)divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ^(B)who called us by glory and virtue,

Suffering for Christ

²² Are they ^(A)Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: ^(B)in labors more abundant, ^(C)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ^(D)in deaths often. ²⁴ From the Jews five times I received ^(E)forty ^(F)stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(G)beaten with rods; ^(H)once I was stoned; three times I ^(I)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, ^(J)in perils of my own countrymen, ^(K)in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷ in weariness and toil, ^(L)in sleeplessness often, ^(M)in hunger and thirst, in ^(N)fastings often, in cold and nakedness— ²⁸ besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: ^(O)my deep concern for all the churches.