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 toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward 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 Savior 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.
认识基督最宝贵
1此外，弟兄姊妹，你们要靠主喜乐！我再把这些事写给你们，对我来说并不麻烦，对你们却是保障。 2你们要提防那些犬类，提防那些作恶的人，提防那些鼓吹必须受割礼3:2 “割礼”参见创世记17章；希腊文用夸张的字眼描述割礼，有讽刺之意。才能得救的人。 3因为真正受割礼的人是我们这些靠着上帝的灵敬拜、以基督耶稣为荣、不倚靠自身条件的人。 4其实我也可以靠自身的条件。如果别人觉得可以靠自身的条件，我更可以。 5我出生后第八天就受了割礼，我是以色列人，属于便雅悯支派，是地地道道的希伯来人。论守律法，我是法利赛人； 6论热心，我曾经迫害教会；论律法要求的义，我是无可指责的。 7但是为了基督，我从前以为有价值的，现在认为毫无价值。 8不但如此，我看万事都毫无价值，因为认识我主基督耶稣是最宝贵的。我为祂失去了一切，我把失去的一切视为粪土，好得到基督， 9与祂联合。我并非拥有源于律法的义，而是拥有信靠基督而得的义。这义从上帝而来，以信为基础。 10我渴望认识基督和祂复活的大能，与祂一同受苦，甚至到死的地步3:10 “甚至到死的地步”或译“效法祂的死”。， 11这样我无论如何都可以从死里复活。
直奔标竿
12这并不是说我已经得到了或者纯全了，我还要竭力追求，或许可以达到基督耶稣要我达到的目标。 13弟兄姊妹，我并非以为自己已经得到了，我只专注一件事，就是忘记背后，努力向前， 14直奔目标，要赢得上帝借着基督耶稣从天上呼召我去得的奖赏。 15我们中间成熟的基督徒都应该有这样的看法。即使你们有什么不同看法，上帝也必让你们明白。 16然而，我们长进到什么程度，就照着什么程度去行。
17弟兄姊妹，你们要一同效法我，也要向那些以我们为榜样的人学习。 18我已经多次告诉你们，现在又流着泪提醒你们：有许多人行事为人与基督的十字架为敌。 19他们的神就是自己的肚腹，他们以自己的羞耻为荣，只想着地上的事，他们的结局是灭亡。 20我们却是天上的国民，热切等候从天降临的救主，就是主耶稣基督。 21那时，祂要以降服万物的大能将我们这卑贱的躯体改变成像祂那样荣耀的身体。
