¹⁴ Do all things without murmuring and arguing,^{(A) 15} so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world,^{(B) 16} holding forth the word of life so that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.^(C)

¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with all of you;^{(D) 18} in the same way also you should rejoice and rejoice together with me.

3 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

Breaking with the Past

To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a source of steadfastness.

² Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!^{[a](A) 3} For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God^[b] and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh^(B)— ⁴ even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: