³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,^[a](A) you really are my disciples. ³² You will know the truth,^(B) and the truth will set you free.”

³³ “We are descendants^[b] of Abraham,”^(C) they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴ Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.^{(D) 35} A slave does not remain in the household forever,^(E) but a son does remain forever.^{(F) 36} So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. ³⁷ I know you are descendants of Abraham,^(G) but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. ³⁸ I speak what I have seen^(H) in the presence of the Father; ^[c](I) so then, you do what you have heard from your father.”

³⁹ “Our father is Abraham,” they replied.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did.^{(J) 40} But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth^(K) that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. ⁴¹ You’re doing what your father does.”^(L)

“We weren’t born^(M) of sexual immorality,”^(N) they said. “We have one Father—God.”^(O)

Knowing Christ

3 In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice^(A) in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.

² Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil^(B) workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³ For we are the circumcision,^(C) the ones who worship by the Spirit^(D) of God, boast in Christ Jesus,^(E) and do not put confidence in the flesh— ⁴ although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day;^(F) of the nation of Israel,^(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(H) a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,^(I) a Pharisee; ⁶ regarding zeal,^(J) persecuting^(K) the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,^(L) blameless.^(M)

⁷ But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value^(N) of knowing Christ^(O) Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ^{(P) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,^(Q) but one that is through faith in Christ^[a]—the righteousness from God based on faith.^{(R) 10} My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings,^(S) being conformed to his death,^{(T) 11} assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.