our apostle and
servant of my need, [2:26]for he greatly desired you all and was
anxious, because you heard that he was sick. [2:27]For indeed he was
sick nigh to death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but
on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. [2:28]I have sent
him therefore the more diligently, that seeing him again you may
rejoice and I be less sorrowful. [2:29]Receive him therefore in the
Lord with all joy, and have such in estimation, [2:30]because on
account of the work he was nigh to death, not having consulted properly
for his life, that he might fully supply your lack of service to me.

CHAPTER II.

JUDAIZING TEACHERS, EXHORTATIONS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, ETC.

1 [3:1]FINALLY, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord; for to write the same
things to you is not grievous to me, and is safe for you. [3:2]Beware
of the dogs, beware of evil laborers, beware of the concision. [3:3]We
are the circumcision, who serve God in spirit, and rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and trust not in the flesh, [3:4]although I have ground of
confidence in the flesh. If any other one thinks he may trust in the
flesh, I [may] more; [3:5]circumcised the eighth day, of the race of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as to the
law a Pharisee, [3:6]as to zeal persecuting the church, as to
righteousness by the law being blameless. [3:7]But whatever things were
my gain, these I have considered a loss for the sake of Christ.
[3:8]But for the same reason also I consider all things to be a loss on
account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them
worthless that I may gain Christ [3:9]and be found in him, not having
my righteousness by the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness of God by the faith, [3:10]that I may know
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the participation of his
sufferings, being conformed to his death, [3:11]that I may attain the
resurrection from the dead. [3:12]Not that I have already obtained it,
or have been already made perfect; but I follow on that I may attain
that for which also I was arrested by Christ. [3:13]I consider not
myself, brothers, to have attained it; but this one thing I do;
forgetting the things behind, and reaching forward to those before,
[3:14]I press forward to the mark for the prize of the high call of God
in Christ Jesus. [3:15]Let us, as