3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is safe.

3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:

3:3 for we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh:

3:4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

3:6 as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

3:7 Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.

3:8 Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,

3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, [even] that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith:

3:10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death;

3:11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.

3:12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

3:13 Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

3:14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you:

3:16 only, whereunto we have attained, by that same [rule] let us walk.

3:17 Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample.

3:18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ:

3:19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: