Bible Verses About Religious Zeal

Indeed, even if my lifeblood is poured out as a drink offering over the sacrifice and service of your faith, I will still be glad and rejoice with you all.

But you know his character, that like a child with his father he slaved with me to advance the Good News.

since he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard he was ill.

For he risked his life and nearly died working for the Messiah, in order to give me the help you were not in a position to give.

even though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human qualifications, I have better grounds:

b’rit-milah on the eighth day, by birth belonging to the people of Isra’el, from the tribe of Binyamin, a Hebrew-speaker, with Hebrew-speaking parents, in regard to the Torah, a Parush,

in regard to zeal, a persecutor of the Messianic Community, in regard to the righteousness demanded by legalism, blameless.

But the things that used to be advantages for me, I have, because of the Messiah, come to consider a disadvantage.

Not only that, but I consider everything a disadvantage in comparison with the supreme value of knowing the Messiah Yeshua as my Lord. It was because of him that I gave up everything and regard it all as garbage, in order to gain the Messiah

and be found in union with him, not having any righteousness of my own based on legalism, but having that righteousness which comes through the Messiah’s faithfulness, the righteousness from God based on trust.

Yes, I gave it all up in order to know him, that is, to know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings as I am being conformed to his death,

so that somehow I might arrive at being resurrected from the dead.

It is not that I have already obtained it or already reached the goal — no, I keep pursuing it in the hope of taking hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me.

Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead,

I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.

Therefore, as many of us as are mature, let us keep paying attention to this; and if you are differently minded about anything, God will also reveal this to you.

Only let our conduct fit the level we have already reached.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and pay attention to those who live according to the pattern we have set for you.

But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

I also request you, loyal Syzygus, to help these women; for they have worked hard proclaiming the Good News with me, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers whose names are in the Book of Life.

Not that I am saying this to call attention to any need of mine; since, as far as I am concerned, I have learned to be content regardless of circumstances.

I know what it is to be in want, and I know what it is to have more than enough — in everything and in every way I have learned the secret of being full and being hungry, of having abundance and being in need.

I am not seeking the gift; rather, I am looking for what will increase the credit balance of your account.

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow-slave and a faithful worker for the Messiah on your behalf;

I rejoice in my present sufferings on your behalf! Yes, I am completing in my own flesh what has been lacking of the Messiah’s afflictions, on behalf of his Body, the Messianic Community.