Philippians 3

Knowing Christ Above All

1 Listen, my brothers and sisters, keep rejoicing in the Lord. I am not tired of repeating this stuff, it is good for you all.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those who mutilate the flesh.

3 We are the real ones in the Spirit, worshiping God and putting no confidence in the flesh.

4 If anyone could flex about the flesh, it is me, I got all the credentials.

5 Circumcised on the eighth day, straight outta Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. When it came to the law, I was a Pharisee.

6 I was so zealous, I persecuted the church; when it came to righteousness under the law, I was flawless.

7 But all that status I had, I count it as nothing compared to Christ.

8 Matter of fact, everything is trash compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I gave it all up to gain Christ.

9 Now I am found in Him, not with my own righteousness from the law, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, straight from God.

10 My goal, To know Christ, His power in the resurrection, sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.

11 So somehow, I will reach the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing Toward the Goal

12 I am not saying I got it all together yet or that I have reached the goal, but I am chasing after it, trying to grab hold of what Christ grabbed me for.

13 Nah, fam, I am not there yet. But one thing I do: I forget what is behind me and reach for what is ahead.

14 I am pressing toward the goal to win the prize God’s calling me to in Christ Jesus.

15 All of us who are mature should think like this. And if you see things differently, God will make it clear to you.

16 But let us stick to what we already know and keep moving forward.

17 Follow my example, fam, and watch others who live like I do.

18 Because I have told you all before, and I am crying while saying it again, there is a lot of people who live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 Their end is destruction. Their god is their stomach. They brag about shameful stuff. Their mind’s stuck on earthly things.

20 But we are citizens of heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

21 He is going to transform our weak, earthly bodies into glorious ones like His, using the same power He has to rule everything.