Knowing Christ

3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice^(A) in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a protection for you.

² Watch out for “dogs,”^[a] watch out for evil^(B) workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³ For we are the circumcision,^(C) the ones who serve by the Spirit^(D) of God, boast in Christ Jesus,^(E) and do not put confidence in the flesh— ⁴ although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day;^(F) of the nation of Israel,^(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(H) a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,^(I) a Pharisee; ⁶ regarding zeal,^(J) persecuting^(K) the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,^(L) blameless.^(M)

⁷ But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value^(N) of knowing Christ^(O) Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ^{(P) 9} and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,^(Q) but one that is through faith in Christ^[b]—the righteousness from God based on faith.^{(R) 10} My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,^(S) being conformed to His death,^{(T) 11} assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Reaching Forward to God’s Goal

¹² Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold^(U) of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brothers, I do not^[c] consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind^(V) and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly^[d] call in Christ Jesus.^{(W) 15} Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal^(X) this also to you. ¹⁶ In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. ¹⁷ Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross^(Y) of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory^(Z) is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, ²⁰ but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious^(AA) body,^(AB) by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.