He warns them to beware of false teachers, whom he calls dogs, evil workers, and enemies of Christ. He reproves man’s own righteousness.
3 Moreover, my brethren, put your trust in the Lord. It grieves me not to write the same thing often to you, for to you it is a safeguard. 2 Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of dissension.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and trust in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh – 4 though I have whereof I might be confident in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I have much more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the kindred of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of the Hebrews; as concerning the law, a Pharisee, 6 and as concerning zeal, I persecuted the congregation. And as for the righteousness that is in the law, I was unrebukable.
7 But the things that were of advantage to me, I counted worthless for Christ’s sake. 8 Yea, I think all things worthless for the sake of the supreme and precious knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For him I have counted all things a waste, and do judge them but dung, so that I may win Christ, 9 and may be found in him – not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith that is in Christ. I mean the righteousness which comes from God through faith, 10 in knowing him, and the power of the resurrection, and the fellowship of his passions, so that I may be conformable to his death, 11 if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.
12 It is not as if I had already attained to it, or were already perfect. But I press on, if so be that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself as having gotten it. But one thing I say: I forget that which is behind and reach for that which is ahead, 14 and press on to that mark appointed, to obtain the reward of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are sound in the faith, be so minded. And if you are otherwise minded, I pray God would open this to you.
16 Nevertheless, in that to which we have come, let us proceed by one rule so that we may be of one accord. 17 Brethren, be followers of me, and observe those who walk in the same way, since you have us for an example. 18 For many walk (of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping) as enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is damnation, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is to their shame – who are worldly-minded. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we look for a saviour, even the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will change our lowly bodies so that they may be fashioned like his glorious body, by the power with which he is able to subdue all things to himself.