1. It remains, my brethren, that ye rejoice in the Lord. It does not bother me to write the same things to you, and for you it is safe.
2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3. For we are the circumcision, who serve God in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh.
4. Though I might also have reason to confide in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the lineage of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6. concerning zeal, a persecutor of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7. But those things which were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ.
8. And doubtless I even count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
9. and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death,
11. if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12. Not as though I had already attained it, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if I may lay hold of that for which I have also been laid hold of by the Christ, Jesus.
13. Brethren, I do not reckon to have laid hold of it yet, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and extending myself unto those things which are ahead,