The True Righteousness
1 In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so. 2 Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body. 3 It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. 4 I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 5 I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 6 and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 7 But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 8 Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
Running toward the Goal
12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 13 Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. 14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
15 All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. 16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.
17 Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. 18 I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross. 19 They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. 20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.
1 Beidzot vēl, mani brāļi, priecājieties iekš Tā Kunga; to pašu jums rakstīt man nav par apgrūtinājumu, bet jums ir par stiprinājumu. 2 Sargaities no suņiem, sargaities no ļauniem strādniekiem, sargaities no sagraizīšanas, 3 jo apgraizīšana esam mēs, kas kalpo Dievam garā, lepojas ar Kristu Jēzu un neuzticas miesai; 4 lai gan es varētu arī uzticēties miesai. Ja kāds cits domā uzticēties miesai, es to varētu vēl vairāk; 5 astoņu dienu vecumā apgraizīts, no Israēla tautas, Benjamīna cilts, ebrejs no ebrejiem, bauslības lietās farizejs, 6 savā dedzībā draudzes vajātājs, taisnībā, ko bauslība paredz, nevainojams. 7 Bet, kas man bija ieguvums, to es Kristus dēļ esmu uzskatījis par zaudējumu. 8 Bet arī tagad es visu to uzskatu par zaudējumu, salīdzinot ar mana Kunga Kristus Jēzus atziņas nesalīdzināmo pārākumu, kura dēļ es visu to esmu zaudējis un uzskatu to par mēsliem, lai Kristu iegūtu 9 un atrastos Viņā; negūdams savu taisnību no bauslības, bet no Kristus ticības, taisnību no Dieva uz ticības pamata, 10 lai atzītu Viņu un Viņa augšāmcelšanās spēku un Viņa ciešanu sadraudzību; tā es pielīdzinos Viņa nāvei 11 cerībā sasniegt augšāmcelšanos no miroņiem. 12 Nevis, ka es to jau būtu saņēmis vai jau būtu pilnīgs, bet es dzenos, lai to satvertu, tāpat kā arī mani satvēris Kristus Jēzus. 13 Brāļi, es vēl nedomāju, ka pats būtu to satvēris, bet vienu gan - aizmirsdams to, kas aiz manis, stiepdamies pēc tā, kas priekšā, 14 es dzenos pretim mērķim, goda balvai - Dieva debesu aicinājumam Kristū Jēzū. 15 Visi, kas esam pilnīgi, turēsim tādas domas, un, ja jums kādā lietā ir citas domas, tad arī to Dievs jums atklās; 16 tikai, ko esam sasnieguši, pie tā turēsimies. 17 Brāļi, sekojiet manai priekšzīmei un raugaities uz tiem, kas tā dzīvo, ka mēs jums esam par paraugu. 18 Jo daudzi dzīvo, par kuriem es jums daudzkārt esmu sacījis un arī tagad raudādams saku, ka tie ir Kristus krusta ienaidnieki. 19 Viņu gals ir pazušana, viņu Dievs ir vēders, un kauns viņiem ir gods; viņu prāts vērsts uz zemes lietām. 20 Mūsu piederība ir debesīs, no kurienes mēs arī gaidām Pestītāju, Kungu Jēzu Kristu, 21 kas pārvērtīs mūsu zemības miesu, līdzīgu Savai apskaidrotai miesai, ar spēku, kurā Viņš arī spēj Sev pakļaut visas lietas.
