Philippians 3
International Children’s Bible
The Importance of Christ
3 My brothers, be full of joy in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it will help you to be more ready. 2 Be careful of those who do evil. They are like dogs. They demand to cut[a] the body. 3 But we are the ones who are truly circumcised. We worship God through his Spirit. We are proud to be in Christ Jesus. And we do not trust in ourselves or anything we can do. 4 Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I do not. If anyone thinks that he has a reason to trust in himself, he should know that I have greater reason for trusting in myself. 5 I was circumcised eight days after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrews, and my parents were Hebrews. The law of Moses was very important to me. That is why I became a Pharisee. 6 I was so enthusiastic that I tried to hurt the church. 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 now I think those things are worth nothing because of Christ. 8 Not only those things, but I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I have lost all those things. And now I know that all those things are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ 9 and to belong to him. Now that I belong to Christ, I am right with God and this being right does not come from my following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power of his rising from death. I want to share in Christ’s sufferings and become like him in his death. 11 If I have those things, then I have hope that I myself will be raised from death.
Continuing Toward Our Goal
12 I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that. That is the reason Christ made me his. 13 Brothers, I know that I have not yet reached that goal. But there is one thing I always do: I forget the things that are past. I try as hard as I can to reach the goal that is before me. 14 I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize. That prize is mine because God called me through Christ to the life above.
15 All of us who have grown spiritually to be mature should think this way, too. And if there are things you do not agree with, God will make them clear to you. 16 But we should continue following the truth we already have.
17 Brothers, all of you should try to follow my example and to copy those who live the way we showed you. 18 Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and it makes me cry to tell you about them now. 19 The way they live is leading them to destruction. Instead of serving God, they do whatever their bodies want. They do shameful things, and they are proud of it. They think only about earthly things. 20 But our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power. With that power he is able to rule all things.
Footnotes
- 3:2 cut The word in Greek is like the word “circumcise,” but it means “to cut completely off.”
Philippians 3
Revised Geneva Translation
3 Moreover, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It does not trouble me to write the same things to you. And for you it is certain.
2 Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision. We worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh,
4 though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks that he might have confidence in the flesh, more so I—
5 circumcised the eighth day; of the kindred of Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; by the Law, a Pharisee.
6 Concerning zeal, I persecuted the Church. According to righteousness (which is in the Law), I had become blameless.
7 But whatever things that were gain to me, the same I have counted as loss for Christ’s sake.
8 Indeed, also, I count all things but loss for the sake of the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have counted all things loss and judge them to be garbage, so that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him—that is, not having my own righteousness (which is of the Law) but that which is through faith in Christ (the righteousness which is from God by faith) —
10 so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering and be conformed to His death
11 (if by any means I might attain to the resurrection from the dead).
12 Not that I have already attained to it or been perfected. But I follow so that I may seize that for which I also was seized by Christ Jesus.
13 Brothers, I do not count myself as having seized it. But one thing I do: I forget that which is behind and stretch forward toward that which is ahead;
14 and follow hard toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us, therefore (as many as are mature) be thus-minded. And if you are otherwise-minded, even this God shall reveal to you.
16 Nevertheless, to that which we have already attained, let us walk by one rule and be of the same mind.
17 Brothers, be imitators of me and observe those who also walk thus (as you have us for an example).
18 For many walk of whom I have often told you (and tell you now, weeping) who are the enemies of the cross of Christ;
19 whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly; and whose glory is in their knowledge of earthly things, to their shame.
20 But our citizenship is in Heaven, from where we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 He shall transform our humiliated body into a body conformed to His Glory, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
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