Bible Verses About Religious Zeal

but if also I am poured forth upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and joy with you all,

and the proof of him ye know, that as a child serveth a father, with me he did serve in regard to the good news;

seeing he was longing after you all, and in heaviness, because ye heard that he ailed,

because on account of the work of the Christ he drew near to death, having hazarded the life that he might fill up your deficiency of service unto me.

though I also have cause of trust in flesh. If any other one doth think to have trust in flesh, I more;

circumcision on the eighth day! of the race of Israel! of the tribe of Benjamin! a Hebrew of Hebrews! according to law a Pharisee!

according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!

But what things were to me gains, these I have counted, because of the Christ, loss;

yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him,

not having my righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through faith of Christ--the righteousness that is of God by the faith,

to know him, and the power of his rising again, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

if anyhow I may attain to the rising again of the dead.

Not that I did already obtain, or have been already perfected; but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by the Christ Jesus;

brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold; and one thing--the things behind indeed forgetting, and to the things before stretching forth--

to the mark I pursue for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

As many, therefore, as are perfect--let us think this, and if in anything ye think otherwise, this also shall God reveal to you,

but to what we have come--by the same rule walk, the same thing think;

become followers together of me, brethren, and observe those thus walking, according as ye have us--a pattern;

For our citizenship is in the heavens, whence also a Saviour we await--the Lord Jesus Christ--

and I ask also thee, genuine yoke-fellow, be assisting those women who in the good news did strive along with me, with Clement also, and the others, my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

not that in respect of want I say it , for I did learn in the things in which I am--to be content;

I have known both to be abased, and I have known to abound; in everything and in all things I have been initiated, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want.

not that I seek after the gift, but I seek after the fruit that is overflowing to your account;

as ye also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful ministrant of the Christ,

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly,