¹³ I can do all things ^[a]through Him who ^(A)strengthens me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ Because of the extraordinary greatness of the ^(A)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a ^(B)thorn in the flesh, a ^(C)messenger of Satan to ^[a]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸ Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord ^(D)three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(E)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(F)boast ^[b]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(G)I delight in weaknesses, in ^[c]insults, in ^(H)distresses, in ^(I)persecutions, in ^(J)difficulties, ^(K)in behalf of Christ; for ^(L)when I am weak, then I am strong.

²⁰ And He *said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, ^(A)if you have faith ^[a]the size of ^(B)a mustard seed, you will say to ^(C)this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and ^(D)nothing will be impossible for you.^[b]”

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.