although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day;(A) of the nation of Israel,(B) of the tribe of Benjamin,(C) a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,(D) a Pharisee; regarding zeal,(E) persecuting(F) the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,(G) blameless.(H)

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value(I) of knowing Christ(J) Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ(K) and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,(L) but one that is through faith in Christ[a]—the righteousness from God based on faith.(M) 10 My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,(N) being conformed to His death,(O) 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Reaching Forward to God’s Goal

12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold(P) of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I do not[b] consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind(Q) and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly[c] call in Christ Jesus.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of Christ
  2. Philippians 3:13 Other mss read not yet
  3. Philippians 3:14 Or upward

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