Philippians 3
New American Standard Bible
The Goal of Life
3 Finally, my brothers and sisters, (A)rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Beware of the (B)dogs, beware of the (C)evil workers, beware of the [a]false circumcision; 3 for (D)we are the true [b]circumcision, who (E)worship in the Spirit of God and take (F)pride in (G)Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although (H)I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 5 (I)circumcised the eighth day, of the (J)nation of Israel, of the (K)tribe of Benjamin, a (L)Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, (M)a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, (N)a persecutor of the church; as to the (O)righteousness which is in the Law, found (P)blameless.
7 But (Q)whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss [c]in view of the surpassing value of [d](R)knowing (S)Christ Jesus my Lord, [e]for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having (T)a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, (U)the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may (V)know Him and (W)the power of His resurrection and [f](X)the fellowship of His sufferings, being (Y)conformed to His death; 11 if somehow I may (Z)attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already [g](AA)grasped it all or have already (AB)become perfect, but I press on if I may also (AC)take hold of that [h]for which I (AD)was even taken hold of by (AE)Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: (AF)forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I (AG)press on toward the goal for the prize of the (AH)upward call of God in (AI)Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are [i](AJ)mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a (AK)different attitude, (AL)God will reveal that to you as well; 16 however, let’s keep [j](AM)living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brothers and sisters, (AN)join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the (AO)pattern you have in us. 18 For (AP)many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I (AQ)weep, that they are the enemies of (AR)the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their [k](AS)appetite, and whose (AT)glory is in their shame, who (AU)have their minds on earthly things. 20 For (AV)our [l]citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly (AW)wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will (AX)transform the body of our lowly condition into (AY)conformity with [m]His (AZ)glorious body, (BA)by the exertion of the power that He has even to (BB)subject all things to Himself.
Footnotes
- Philippians 3:2 Lit mutilation; Gr katatome
- Philippians 3:3 Gr peritome
- Philippians 3:8 Lit because of
- Philippians 3:8 Lit the knowledge of
- Philippians 3:8 Lit because of
- Philippians 3:10 Or participation in
- Philippians 3:12 Or obtained
- Philippians 3:12 Or because also
- Philippians 3:15 Or perfect
- Philippians 3:16 Lit following in line
- Philippians 3:19 Lit belly
- Philippians 3:20 Lit commonwealth
- Philippians 3:21 Lit the body of His glory
Philippians 3
EasyEnglish Bible
Christ is more important than anything
3 My Christian friends, there are a few more things that I want to say. You belong to the Lord, so be happy! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again. And it will help to keep you safe.
2 Be very careful! Some people are teaching bad things. They say that you must cut your bodies. They are like dangerous dogs. Do not believe them! 3 But we are truly God's people. And it is not because someone has circumcised us. It is God's own Spirit that leads us to worship God. We thank God because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. We know that it is not human ideas that can save us.[a]
4 For myself, I could have trusted those human ideas. Perhaps somebody may think that they could trust in those things to save them. Then I would have an even better reason to trust in them. 5 I belong to Israel's people, to Benjamin's tribe. I am a true Jew. They circumcised me when I was eight days old. I was a Pharisee, and I obeyed the Jewish rules very carefully. 6 I tried very much to please God. So I caused a lot of trouble and pain for the Christians. I obeyed the rules of God's Law, and nobody could say that I did anything wrong.
7 All those ideas seemed very important to me then. But now they are worth nothing to me, because I trust in Christ. 8 Yes, now that I know Christ Jesus as my Lord, that is the most valuable thing. Nothing else is important at all. I have thrown everything else away, so that I can serve Christ. All those other things are like dirt to me. I think about them like that, so that I can have Christ. 9 I want to be united with him. Because I believe in Christ, God accepts me as right with him. I know that I cannot become right in any other way, even if I obey all of God's Law. When I trust in Christ, God accepts me as right because of my faith.
10 Yes, I want to know Christ better and better. I want to know the power which God showed when Christ rose from death. I want to have the same kind of troubles that he did. I want to obey God like he did in his death. 11 Then I hope that I also will become alive again after death.
Christians do not belong to this world
12 I am not saying that I have already reached that place in my life. I have not yet completely become the person that God wants me to be. But I am trying very hard to reach that place. That was Christ's purpose when he first made me his own. 13 My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do: I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are in front of me. 14 I am like a runner who wants to reach the end of the race. I run straight towards that place, so that I can win God's gift. Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God has called me to live with him in heaven. That is God's gift to me at the end of the race.
15 All of us should agree to live like that, if we properly understand God's message. If you think differently about these things, God will show you clearly what is right. 16 But we should continue to live in the way that we already know is right.
17 My Christian friends, you should try to live in the way that I do. Carefully watch other people who live like that. We have shown you what is right. 18 Many people live in a way that shows they do not agree with God's message. I have told you about these people many times before. And now I am crying when I tell you about them. I am very sad, because they speak against Christ's death on the cross. 19 In the end, God will destroy them. Their stomach is what they worship. They are proud of things that should make them ashamed. Their thoughts are full of things that belong to this world. 20 But as for us, the home where we belong is in heaven. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from there. He is the one who will come from heaven and save us. 21 He will change these weak bodies that we have now on this earth. He will make them become strong and beautiful, like his own body that he has in heaven. Christ will use his great power to do this. That is the power that he uses to rule over everything.
Footnotes
- 3:3 If we believe in Christ, we become God's people because Christ died on our behalf. God gives us his Holy Spirit to lead us. So we have something much better than a mark on our bodies. Some false teachers were saying that Christians had to be circumcised. They said, ‘Unless that happens, you do not belong to God's people.’ Paul is telling the Christians that they must not believe these people.
Philippians 3
New King James Version
All for Christ
3 Finally, my brethren, (A)rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
2 (B)Beware of dogs, beware of (C)evil workers, (D)beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are (E)the circumcision, (F)who worship [a]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though (G)I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I (H)more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, (I)of the tribe of Benjamin, (J)a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, (K)a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, (L)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But (M)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss (N)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 (O)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but (P)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the (Q)power of His resurrection, and (R)the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may (S)attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already (T)attained,[c] or am already (U)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 [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, (V)forgetting those things which are behind and (W)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 (X)I press toward the goal for the prize of (Y)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are (Z)mature, (AA)have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, (AB)God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already [e]attained, (AC)let us walk (AD)by the same [f]rule, let us be of the same mind.
Our Citizenship in Heaven
17 Brethren, (AE)join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as (AF)you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are (AG)the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 (AH)whose end is destruction, (AI)whose god is their belly, and (AJ)whose glory is in their shame—(AK)who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For (AL)our citizenship is in heaven, (AM)from which we also (AN)eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 (AO)who will transform our lowly body that it may be (AP)conformed to His glorious body, (AQ)according to the working by which He is able even to (AR)subdue all things to Himself.
Footnotes
- Philippians 3:3 NU, M in the Spirit of God
- Philippians 3:11 Lit. arrive at
- Philippians 3:12 obtained it
- Philippians 3:13 laid hold of it
- Philippians 3:16 arrived
- Philippians 3:16 NU omits rule and the rest of v. 16.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
