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though 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!

I 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. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, 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 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[a] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I 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, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal

12 I 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. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,[b] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For 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. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of Christ.
  2. 3:13 Some manuscripts read not yet achieved it.

Sa laing bahin, kon may moingon nga siya maluwas tungod sa iyang pagtuman sa mga tulumanon, labaw na ako. Tungod kay sa walo pa lang ako ka adlaw gituli na ako. Israelinhon ako. Sakop ako sa tribo ni Benjamin. Busa kon ang pagka-Judio ang hisgotan, Judio gayod ako. Kon bahin sa pagtuman sa Kasugoan sa mga Judio, gituman ko gayod kay Pariseo ako kaniadto. Kon kakugi ang hisgotan, labaw ako, kay gilutos ko pa man gani ang mga tumutuo kang Cristo. Ug kon bahin sa pagtuman sa Kasugoan, walay ikasaway kanako. Kining tanan giisip ko kaniadto nga mahinungdanon, apan karon kini walay kapuslanan tungod kang Cristo. Tinuod gayod nga ang tanan walay kapuslanan kon itandi sa akong pag-ila kang Cristo Jesus nga akong Ginoo. Tungod kaniya gisalikway ko ang tanan, ug giisip ko kini nga basura, aron maako si Cristo, ug maanaa ako kaniya. Wala na ako magsalig nga mahimong matarong pinaagi sa akong kaugalingon nga paningkamot sa pagtuman sa Kasugoan. Gipakamatarong ako sa Dios tungod sa iyang gibuhat ug pinaagi sa akong pagtuo kang Cristo. 10 Ang akong pangandoy karon mao nga maila ko pa gayod si Cristo, nga masinati ko ang gahom sa iyang pagkabanhaw ug makaambit ako sa iyang mga pag-antos hangtod nga mahisama ako kaniya sa iyang kamatayon, 11 aron nga pinaagi niini mahimong mabanhaw usab ako.

Padayon sa Pagkab-ot sa Ganti

12 Wala ako mag-ingon nga natuman ko na ang tanan, o hingpit na ako. Apan nagapadayon ako sa pagpaningkamot nga makab-ot ko kini, kay mao kini ang katuyoan ni Cristo Jesus kon nganong gipili niya ako. 13 Mga igsoon ko kang Cristo, wala ako maghunahuna nga nakab-ot ko na ang hingpit nga pagkinabuhi. Apan ang akong gihimo karon mao ang paghikalimot sa mga nangagi, ug ang pagpaningkamot nga makab-ot ko ang akong gitinguha. 14 Nagapadayon gayod ako sa pagpaningkamot nga makab-ot ko ang akong gitinguha, aron madawat ko ang ganti. Kini nga ganti mao ang pagtawag sa Dios kanato pinaagi kang Cristo Jesus nga magpuyo kita didto sa langit.

15 Ingon unta niini ang angay natong tinguhaon isip mga hamtong na sa pagtuo. Apan kon dili kamo uyon, pasabton kamo sa Dios niini. 16 Kinahanglan lang gayod nga padayonon nato ang pagsunod sa kamatuoran nga atong nakat-onan.

17 Mga igsoon, sunda ninyo ang akong pagkinabuhi. May mga tawo nga sama usab kanamo ang ilang pagkinabuhi. Sunda usab ninyo sila. 18 Kay daghan ang nagasunod kunohay kang Cristo apan makita sa ilang kinabuhi nga nagabatok sila sa mga pagtudlo bahin sa kamatayon ni Cristo sa krus. Kapila ko na kamo sultihi bahin niining mga tawhana, ug karon nagahilak ako sa pagpahinumdom pag-usab niini kaninyo. 19 Ang dangatan niini nga mga tawo mao ang kalaglagan, kay ang ilang tiyan mao ang ilang gipakadios. Gipasigarbo pa nila ang mga butang nga angay unta nilang ikaulaw. Ang ginahunahuna nila mao lang ang mga butang dinhi sa kalibotan. 20 Apan alang kanato, ang langit mao ang atong tinuod nga pinuy-anan, ug didto gikan ang atong gipaabot nga Manluluwas nga si Ginoong Jesu-Cristo. 21 Pag-abot niya dinhi, bag-ohon niya kining atong lawas nga may kamatayon aron mahisama sa iyang lawas nga langitnon, pinaagi sa iyang gahom nga makapahimo kaniya sa paghari sa tanan.

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though I myself have reasons for such confidence.(A)

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

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

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,(S) but I press on to take hold(T) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.(U) 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(V) and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on(W) toward the goal to win the prize(X) for which God has called(Y) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of