認識基督最寶貴

弟兄姊妹,你們要靠主喜樂!我再把這些事寫給你們,對我來說並不麻煩,對你們卻有好處。 你們要提防那些犬類,那些作惡的人,那些鼓吹必須受割禮[a]才能得救的人。 因為真正受割禮的人是我們這些靠著上帝的靈敬拜、以基督耶穌為榮、不倚靠自身條件的人。 其實我也可以靠自身的條件。如果別人覺得可以靠自身的條件,我更可以。 我出生後第八天就受了割禮,我是以色列人,屬於便雅憫支派,是道道地地的希伯來人。論守律法,我是法利賽人; 論熱心,我曾經迫害教會;論律法要求的義,我是無可指責的。 但是為了基督,我從前以為有價值的,現在認為毫無價值。 不但如此,我看萬事都毫無價值,因為認識我主基督耶穌最寶貴。我為祂失去了一切,我把失去的一切視為垃圾,好得到基督, 與祂聯合。我成為義人不是因為遵行律法,而是因為信靠基督。這義從上帝而來,以信為基礎。 10 我渴望認識基督和祂復活的大能,與祂一同受苦,甚至到死的地步[b] 11 這樣我無論如何都可以從死裡復活。

直奔標竿

12 這並不是說我已經得到了或者純全了,我還要竭力追求,或者可以達到基督耶穌要我達到的目標。 13 弟兄姊妹,我並非以為自己已經得到了,我只專注一件事,就是忘記背後,努力向前, 14 直奔目標,要贏得上帝藉著基督耶穌從天上呼召我去得的獎賞。 15 我們中間成熟的基督徒都應該有這樣的看法。即使你們在什麼事上看法不同,上帝也必讓你們明白。 16 然而,我們長進到什麼程度,就照著什麼程度去行。

17 弟兄姊妹,你們要一同效法我,也要向那些以我們為榜樣的人學習。 18 我已經多次告訴你們,現在又流著淚提醒你們:有許多人行事為人與基督的十字架為敵。 19 他們的神就是自己的肚腹,他們以自己的羞恥為榮,只想著地上的事,他們的結局是滅亡。 20 我們卻是天上的國民,殷切等候從天降臨的救主,就是主耶穌基督。 21 那時,祂要以降服萬物的大能將我們這卑賤的軀體改變成像祂那樣榮耀的身體。

Footnotes

  1. 3·2 割禮」參見創世記17章;希臘文用誇張的字眼描述割禮,有諷刺之意。
  2. 3·10 甚至到死的地步」或譯「效法祂的死」。

Moreover, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It does not trouble me to write the same things to you. And for you it is certain.

Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision. We worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh,

though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks that he might have confidence in the flesh, more so I—

circumcised the eighth day; of the kindred of Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; by the Law, a Pharisee.

Concerning zeal, I persecuted the Church. According to righteousness (which is in the Law), I had become blameless.

But whatever things that were gain to me, the same I have counted as loss for Christ’s sake.

Indeed, also, I count all things but loss for the sake of the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have counted all things loss and judge them to be garbage, so that I may gain Christ

and be found in Him—that is, not having my own righteousness (which is of the Law) but that which is through faith in Christ (the righteousness which is from God by faith) —

10 so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering and be conformed to His death

11 (if by any means I might attain to the resurrection from the dead).

12 Not that I have already attained to it or been perfected. But I follow so that I may seize that for which I also was seized by Christ Jesus.

13 Brothers, I do not count myself as having seized it. But one thing I do: I forget that which is behind and stretch forward toward that which is ahead;

14 and follow hard toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us, therefore (as many as are mature) be thus-minded. And if you are otherwise-minded, even this God shall reveal to you.

16 Nevertheless, to that which we have already attained, let us walk by one rule and be of the same mind.

17 Brothers, be imitators of me and observe those who also walk thus (as you have us for an example).

18 For many walk of whom I have often told you (and tell you now, weeping) who are the enemies of the cross of Christ;

19 whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly; and whose glory is in their knowledge of earthly things, to their shame.

20 But our citizenship is in Heaven, from where we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

21 He shall transform our humiliated body into a body conformed to His Glory, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Prosigo al blanco

Por lo demás, hermanos, gozaos en el Señor. A mí no me es molesto el escribiros las mismas cosas, y para vosotros es salvaguardia.

Guardaos de los perros, guardaos de los malos obreros, guardaos de los mutiladores del cuerpo.

Porque nosotros somos la circuncisión, los que en espíritu servimos a Dios y nos gloriamos en Cristo Jesús, no teniendo confianza en la carne.

Aunque yo tengo también de qué confiar en la carne. Si alguno piensa que tiene de qué confiar en la carne, yo más:

circuncidado al octavo día, del linaje de Israel, de la tribu de Benjamín, hebreo de hebreos; en cuanto a la ley, fariseo;

en cuanto a celo, perseguidor de la iglesia; en cuanto a la justicia que es en la ley, irreprensible.

Pero cuantas cosas eran para mí ganancia, las he estimado como pérdida por amor de Cristo.

Y ciertamente, aun estimo todas las cosas como pérdida por la excelencia del conocimiento de Cristo Jesús, mi Señor, por amor del cual lo he perdido todo, y lo tengo por basura, para ganar a Cristo,

y ser hallado en él, no teniendo mi propia justicia, que es a base de la ley, sino la que es por medio de la fe de Cristo, la justicia que procede de Dios sobre la base de la fe;

10 a fin de conocerle, y el poder de su resurrección, y la participación de sus padecimientos, llegando a ser semejante a él en su muerte,

11 por si de algún modo consigo llegar a la resurrección de entre los muertos.

12 No que lo haya alcanzado ya, ni que ya haya conseguido la perfección total; sino que prosigo, por ver si logro darle alcance, puesto que yo también fui alcanzado por Cristo Jesús.

13 Hermanos, yo mismo no considero haberlo ya alcanzado; pero una cosa hago: olvidando lo que queda atrás, y extendiéndome a lo que está delante,

14 prosigo hacia la meta, para conseguir el premio del supremo llamamiento de Dios en Cristo Jesús.

15 Así que, todos los que somos perfectos, esto mismo sintamos; y si en algo sentís de un modo diferente, también esto os lo revelará Dios.

16 Sin embargo, en aquello a que hayamos llegado, sigamos una misma regla, sintamos una misma cosa.

17 Hermanos, sed imitadores de mí, y fijaos en los que así se conducen según el modelo que tenéis en nosotros.

18 Porque por ahí andan muchos, de los cuales os dije muchas veces, y aun ahora lo digo llorando, que son enemigos de la cruz de Cristo;

19 el fin de los cuales será perdición, cuyo dios es el vientre, y cuya gloria está en su vergüenza; que sólo piensan en lo terrenal.

20 Mas nuestra ciudadanía está en los cielos, de donde también esperamos al Salvador, al Señor Jesucristo;

21 el cual transfigurará el cuerpo de nuestro estado de humillación, conformándolo al cuerpo de la gloria suya, en virtud del poder que tiene también para someter a sí mismo todas las cosas.

No Confidence in the Flesh

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,(A) and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs,(B) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision,(C) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,(D) and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.(E)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised(F) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,(H) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;(I) as for zeal,(J) persecuting the church;(K) as for righteousness based on the law,(L) faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss(M) for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing(N) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ(O) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,(P) but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness(Q) that comes from God on the basis of faith.(R) 10 I want to know(S) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,(T) becoming like him in his death,(U) 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection(V) from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,(W) but I press on to take hold(X) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.(Y) 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind(Z) and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on(AA) toward the goal to win the prize(AB) for which God has called(AC) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature(AD) should take such a view of things.(AE) And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.(AF) 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17 Join together in following my example,(AG) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.(AH) 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears,(AI) many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.(AJ) 19 Their destiny(AK) is destruction, their god is their stomach,(AL) and their glory is in their shame.(AM) Their mind is set on earthly things.(AN) 20 But our citizenship(AO) is in heaven.(AP) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,(AQ) 21 who, by the power(AR) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies(AS) so that they will be like his glorious body.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of