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Philippians 3:4-14
New International Version
Philippians 3:4-14
New International Version
4 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: 5 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) 6 as for zeal,(F) persecuting the church;(G) as for righteousness based on the law,(H) faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss(I) for the sake of Christ. 8 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) 9 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.
Footnotes
- Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of
Philippians 3:4-14
Easy-to-Read Version
Philippians 3:4-14
Easy-to-Read Version
4 Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I don’t do it. If anyone else thinks they have a reason to trust in themselves, they should know that I have a greater reason for doing so. 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Jew, and so were my parents. The law was very important to me. That is why I became a Pharisee. 6 I was so eager to defend my religion[a] that I persecuted the church. And no one could find fault with the way I obeyed the Law of Moses.
7 At one time all these things were important to me. But because of Christ, I decided that they are worth nothing. 8 Not only these things, but now I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I lost all these things, and now I know that they are all worthless trash. All I want now is Christ. 9 I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in[b] Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death. 11 Then there is hope that I myself will somehow be raised from death.
Trying to Reach the Goal
12 I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Philippians 3:6 eager to defend my religion Before Paul became a believer in Jesus as the Messiah, he thought it was his duty as a good Jew to oppose the Jews who had become Christ-followers.
- Philippians 3:9 my faith in Or “the faithfulness of.”
Philippians 3:4-14
New King James Version
Philippians 3:4-14
New King James Version
4 though (A)I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I (B)more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, (C)of the tribe of Benjamin, (D)a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, (E)a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, (F)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But (G)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss (H)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 (I)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but (J)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the (K)power of His resurrection, and (L)the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may (M)attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already (N)attained,[b] or am already (O)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 [c]apprehended; but one thing I do, (P)forgetting those things which are behind and (Q)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 (R)I press toward the goal for the prize of (S)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Philippians 3:11 Lit. arrive at
- Philippians 3:12 obtained it
- Philippians 3:13 laid hold of it
Philippians 3:4-14
Good News Translation
Philippians 3:4-14
Good News Translation
4 I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 5 (A)I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 6 (B)and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 7 But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 8 Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
Running toward the Goal
12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 13 Of course, my friends, I really do not[a] think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. 14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Philippians 3:13 not; some manuscripts have not yet.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.