New Living Translation

New King James Version

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,a rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

1

All for Christ

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

2

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.

2

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

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For we who worship by the Spirit of Godb are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,

3

For we are the circumcision, who worship [a]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

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though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

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though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:

5

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin — a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.

5

circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

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I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

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concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

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I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

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But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

8

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

8

Yet indeed I also count all things loss 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

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and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.c For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

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and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

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I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

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that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

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so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

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if, by any means, I may attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead.

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Pressing toward the Goal

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

12

Pressing Toward the Goal

Not that I have already attained,[c] or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

13

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,d but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

13

Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

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I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

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I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

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Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.

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Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

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But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

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Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already [e]attained, let us walk by the same [f]rule, let us be of the same mind.

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Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

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Our Citizenship in Heaven

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.

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For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

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For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

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They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

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whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame — who set their mind on earthly things.

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But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

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For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

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He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

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who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Philippians 3

Philippians 3