No confidence in the flesh
1Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in3:9 Or through the faithfulness of Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
Following Paul’s example
15All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Kò sí ìgbẹ́kẹ̀lé ẹlẹ́ran ara
1Ní àkótán ará, ẹ máa yọ̀ nínú Olúwa wa. Kì í ṣe ìnira fún mi láti kọ̀wé ohun kan náà sí yín, ṣùgbọ́n fún yín ó jẹ́ ohun ààbò. 2Ẹ kíyèsára lọ́dọ̀ àwọn ajá, ẹ kíyèsára lọ́dọ̀ àwọn oníṣẹ́ búburú, ẹ sì kíyèsára lọ́dọ̀ àwọn onílà. 33.3: Ro 2.28-29; Ga 6.14-15.Nítorí àwa ni onílà, tí ń sin Ọlọ́run nípa ti Ẹ̀mí, àwa sì ń ṣògo nínú Kristi Jesu, àwa kò sí ní ìgbẹ́kẹ̀lé nínú ẹran-ara. 43.4-7: Ap 8.3; 22.3-21; 23.6; 26.4-23; Ro 11.1; 2Kọ 11.18-31.Bí èmi tìkára mi pẹ̀lú ti ní ìgbẹ́kẹ̀lé nínú ara.
Bí ẹnikẹ́ni bá rò pé òun ni ìgbẹ́kẹ̀lé nínú ara, tèmi tilẹ̀ pọ̀: 5Ẹni tí a kọ nílà ní ọjọ́ kẹjọ, láti inú kùkùté Israẹli wá, láti inú ẹ̀yà Benjamini, Heberu láti inú Heberu wá; nítorí, ní ti òfin Farisi ni èmi; 6Ní ti ìtara, èmi ń ṣe inúnibíni sí ìjọ; ní ti òdodo tí ó wà nínú òfin, mo jẹ́ aláìlẹ́gàn.
7Ṣùgbọ́n ohunkóhun tí ó ti jásí èrè fún mi, àwọn ni mo ti kà sí òfo nítorí Kristi. 8Nítòótọ́ láìṣe àní àní mo sì ka ohun gbogbo sí òfo nítorí ìtayọ ìmọ̀ Kristi Jesu Olúwa mi; nítorí ẹni ti mo ti ṣòfò ohun gbogbo, mo si kà wọn sí ohun tí kò ní èrè, kí èmi lè jèrè Kristi, 9Kí a sì lè bá mi nínú rẹ̀, láìní òdodo tí èmi tìkára mi, tí ó ti inú òfin wá, ṣùgbọ́n èyí tí ó ti inú ìgbàgbọ́ wá nínú Kristi, òdodo láti ọ̀dọ̀ Ọlọ́run nípasẹ̀ ìgbàgbọ́; 10Èmi mọ̀ ọ́n, àti agbára àjíǹde rẹ̀, àti láti jẹ́ alábápín nínú ìyà rẹ̀ nígbà tí mo bá fi ara mọ́ ọn nínú ikú rẹ̀; 11nípasẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ kí èmi lè ní àjíǹde kúrò nínú òkú.
12Kì í ṣe pé ọwọ́ mi ti tẹ̀ ẹ́ ná, tàbí mo ti di pípé: ṣùgbọ́n èmi ń lépa sí i, bí ọwọ́ mi yóò lè tẹ èrè náà nítorí èyí tí a ti dì mímú pẹ̀lú, láti ọ̀dọ̀ Kristi Jesu wá. 13Ará, èmi kò kara mi sí ẹni ti ọwọ́ rẹ̀ ti tẹ̀ ẹ́ ná: Ṣùgbọ́n ohun kan yìí ni èmi ń ṣe, èmi ń gbàgbé àwọn nǹkan tí ó ti kọjá. Lẹ́yìn náà mo ń nàgà wo àwọn nǹkan tí ó wà níwájú. 14Èmi ń lépa láti dé òpin eré ìje náà fún èrè ìpè gíga Ọlọ́run nínú Kristi Jesu.
15Nítorí náà, ẹ jẹ́ kí àwa tí a dàgbà nípa ti ẹ̀mí ni èrò yìí; bí ẹ̀yin bá sì ní èrò mìíràn nínú ohunkóhun, èyí náà pẹ̀lú ni Ọlọ́run yóò fihàn yín. 16Kìkì pé, ki a ma gbe ìgbé ayé gẹ́gẹ́ bi èyí ti a ri gba.
173.17: 1Kọ 4.15-17.Ará, ẹ jùmọ̀ ṣe àfarawé mi, ẹ ṣe àkíyèsí àwọn tí ń rìn bẹ́ẹ̀, àní bí ẹ ti ní wa fún àpẹẹrẹ. 18Nítorí ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ní ń rìn, nípasẹ̀ àwọn ẹni tí mo ti ń wí fún yín nígbàkúgbà, àní, tí mo sì ń sọkún bí mo ti ń wí fún yín nísinsin yìí, pé, ọ̀tá àgbélébùú Kristi ni wọ́n: 19Ìgbẹ̀yìn wọn ni ìparun, ikùn wọn sì ni Ọlọ́run wọn, wọ́n sì ń ṣògo nínú ìtìjú wọn, àwọn ẹni tí ń tọ́jú ohun ti ayé. 20Nítorí ìlú ìbílẹ̀ wá ń bẹ̀ ní ọ̀run: láti ibi ti àwa pẹ̀lú gbé ń fojúsọ́nà fún Olùgbàlà, Jesu Kristi Olúwa. 213.21: 1Kọ 15.35-58; Kl 3.4.Ẹni tí yóò sọ ara ìrẹ̀lẹ̀ wa di ọ̀tún kí ó lè bá ara ògo rẹ̀ mu, nípa agbára tí ó mú kí ó ṣe é ṣe fún un láti tẹ orí ohun gbogbo bá fún ara rẹ̀.
