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May 11, 2010
For Paul, unity with Christ was both the heart of the Gospel message and the center of Christian ministry. In this conference address, Sinclair Ferguson explains how Stephen’s martyrdom and Paul’s following conversion shaped the apostle’s understanding of union with the risen Jesus. For the Christian, to know Christ is to come into communion with Him, which means sharing in His suffering and death, as well as in His victory and fruitfulness. We will not have one without the other.
1Finally, my brothers,1 krejoice in the Lord. lTo write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2Look out for mthe dogs, look out for nthe evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3For owe are the circumcision, pwho worship qby the Spirit of God2 and rglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4sthough I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5tcircumcised on the eighth day, uof the people of Israel, vof the tribe of Benjamin, ua Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, wa Pharisee; 6xas to zeal, ya persecutor of the church; zas to righteousness under the law,3 blameless. 7But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I ehave suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already lobtained this or mam already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: nforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward pcall of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are qmature think this way, and if in anything ryou think otherwise, sGod will reveal that also to you. 16Only tlet us hold true to what we have attained.
17Brothers, ujoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk vaccording to the example you have in us. 18For wmany, of whom I have often told you and now tell you xeven with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19yTheir end is destruction, ztheir god is their belly, and athey glory in their shame, with bminds set on earthly things. 20But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
