Philippians 3  Christian Standard Bible

Knowing Christ

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

² Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil^(B) workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³ For we are the circumcision,^(C) the ones who worship by the Spirit^(D) of God, boast in Christ Jesus,^(E) and do not put confidence in the flesh— ⁴ although I have reasons for 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 as dung, 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^[a]—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 perfect, but I make every effort to take hold^(U) of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not^[b] 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^[c] call in Christ Jesus.^{(W) 15} Therefore, let all of us who are mature 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 sisters, and pay careful attention to 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; and they are focused on earthly things. ²⁰ Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, 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.