12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to perform, of his good pleasure.
14Do all without murmurings and disputings; 15that ye may become blameless and simple, children of God, unreproachable, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye appear as do the heavenly lights in the world; 16holding forth[16] the word of life; for a ground of glorying to me at the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain, or labor in vain.
17But even if I am poured out on the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice with you all. 18For the same cause[18], do ye also rejoice, and rejoice with me.
19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you, that I also may be cheered, when I know your state. 20For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21For all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22But ye know the proof of him, that, as a child with a father, he served with me for the gospel. 23Him therefore I hope to send without delay, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me; 24but I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. 25Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my wants. 26For he was longing after you all, and was much distressed, because ye heard that he was sick. 27For indeed he was sick near to death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28I sent him therefore with the more haste, that seeing him again ye might rejoice, and that I may be less sorrowful. 29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in honor; 30because for the work of Christ he came near to death, hazarding his life, that he might supply what things were lacking on your part, of the ministration to me.
III. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me is not burdensome, and for you it is safe.
2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision. 3For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4Though I have confidence also in the flesh. If any other thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I more; 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7But what things were gain to me, these I have accounted loss for Christ. 8Nay more, and I account 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 account them refuse, that I may gain Christ, 9and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God, upon faith; 10that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings[10], being conformed to his death; 11if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I already obtained [the prize][12], or have already been perfected; but I pursue onward, if I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have laid hold of it; but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind, and reaching forth to the things before, 14I pursue on toward the mark, for the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be of this mind; and if in any thing ye are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you. 16Nevertheless, whereto we have attained, in the same let us walk.
17Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark those who so walk, as ye have us for an example. 18For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; 19whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. 20For our citizenship[20] is in heaven; from whence we also look for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21who will transform the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working with which he is able also to subject all things to himself.