Being Acceptable to God
1 Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.
2 Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3 But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, 4 although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old, and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. 6 And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.
7 But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.
Running toward the Goal
12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. 16 But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.
17 My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. 18 I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again 19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
20 But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ 21 has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.
III.
Pōrsorgōjumi.
1 Tai tad, muni brōli, prīcojitēs ikš Kunga! Man naapneikst jums raksteit tū pošu, bet jyusus tys lai vairōk nūstyprynoj. 2 Sorgojitēs nu sunim, sorgojitēs nu ļaunim olgōdčim, sorgojitēs nu sagraizeišonas. 3 Eistī apgraizeitī asom mes, kas Dīvam kolpojam Gorā un dižojamēs par Jezu Kristu un napasaļaunam uz mīsas, 4 lai gon es varātu pasaļaut arī uz mīsas. Jo kaids cyts dūmoj, ka šys varūt uz mīsas pasaļaut, tod tū vairōk varātu es, 5 jo es ostoitā dīnā asmu apgraizeits, asmu nu Izraeļa tautas, nu Benjamina ciļts, asmu ebrejs nu ebrejim, es pēc lykuma farizejs, 6 pēc steigsmem — (Dīva) Bazneicas vojōtōjs un navainojams lykuma taisneibā.
7 Bet kas man beja kai īgyvums, tū es Kristus dēļ uzskotu par zaudējumu. 8 Jā, tagad es vysu īskaitu par zaudējumu saleidzynojūt ar vysu pōrspējušū muna Kunga Jezus Kristus pazeišonu, kurōs dēļ es atmešu vysu un tū īskaitu par māslim, lai tik īmontōtu Kristu, 9 un lai byutu atrosts Jymā kai taids, kuram sevis attaisnōšona nanōk nu lykuma, bet gon caur Kristus ticeibu, — attaisnōšona, kas ticeibas dēļ ir nu Dīva. 10 Tai es grybu pazeit Jū un Jō augšamceļšonōs vareibu, un leidzdaleibu Jō cīsšonōs un es grybu byut Jam leidzeigs nōvē, 11 lai pēc nōves nūnōktu pi augšamceļšonōs nu myrūnim.
12 Un nav tai, itkai es tū jau byutu sasnēdzis un jau byutu piļneigs, nē, es gon pēc tō dzanūs, lai sasnāgtu, jo tōdēļ mani ir īgivis Kristus Jezus. 13 Brōli, es sevī naīdūmoju, ka jau byutu sasnēdzis, bet gon: Es aizmērstu tū, kas man ir pagōjis un steidzūs pēc tō, kas man ir prīškā; 14 mērki acīs (turādams) es steidzūs pēc uzvaras, uz kuru mani Dīvs tur augšā ikš Jezus Kristus ir paaicynōjis. 15 Tai lai mes dūmojam visi, kas asom piļneigi un jo jyus cytaiž dūmōtu, tad Dīvs jums arī šytū atklōs; 16 tikai ejat tōļōk pa īsōktū ceļu.
17 Brōli, jemit par paraugu mani un skotatēs uz tim, kas pēc myusu parauga dzeivoj. 18 Daudzejī gon dzeivoj, kai es jums daudzi reižu asmu stōstejis un tagad ar osorom atkōrtoju, kai Kristus krysta īnaidnīki. 19 Iznīceiba ir jūs gols, vādars ir jūs dīvs, nūzigums ir jūs dižonums, jūs prōts nasās uz pasauleigū. 20 Bet myusu tēvija ir dabasūs. Nu turīnes mes arī sagaidam Pesteitōju, Kungu Jezu Kristu. 21 Jys myusu nūžālojamū mīsu pōrveidōs un izveidōs tū sovai slaveigajai mīsai leidzeigu ar tōs varas spāku, ar kuru Jys var sev pakļaut vysu.
