2-6 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.15-16 So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.
「往着標竿直跑」的敘述，原來一直以來都沒有清楚地了解。
我們真的太習慣了斷章取義，不求甚解，自我感覺良好的經文順手拿來，作為自我安慰和鼓勵他人的工具。
如果回朔前段，保羅正在提及的，是一個有關於律法主義的問題──我們總是習慣透過用體或者自身的能力嘗試成就基督的訓勉和要求，也祈使他人如此作，而不是透過親近上帝而得著。我們都很努力，但是態度和焦點都無意中放錯了。我們過份地相信自我，覺得自己可以完成這些事情而不需要上帝對我們生命的全權掌管，或者可能只是請求祂推我們一把，讓我們自覺可以憑一己之力而達成目標。
就這件事，保羅作了一個終極性的比較。他拿自己作為對象，向讀者挑戰：如果你要看憑己力成聖的完美例子，他就曾經是一個人辦。出身根正苗紅，聖經知識豐富，生活起居純正得無可指責，這是所有人眼中的完人。
但是這個「完人」，自從大馬色的路上遇見上帝的詰問，他發現用這個態度去生活，是完全錯了，錯到一個地步，要把這些東西全部扔到垃圾桶。為什麼呢? 因為他發現這非但不能將自己帶到上帝面前，反而是「有損」的，自義會將他帶離開上帝。去到一個極端，甚至以自義來逼迫他人，眼看別人被殺也感到「歡喜」。他要丟棄的，不是律法本身，而是靠守住律法來成聖的人生態度，取而代之的是靠向上帝，認識上帝，從新將上帝放到生命的核心。義本身是上帝的，不是人的。
「內在的義乃是從上帝而來的禮物。」（頁13，《屬靈操練禮讚》）
但保羅之後提醒說，不要以為他這樣說，就是自己已經「得著了」、完全掌握了這個道理。他要強調我們應該極力避開「自己已達成什麼」的自義理解，而要說清楚，這是一個目標、一個過程，永遠沒有達成的一天，也沒有從此完美的保證。但前提是，舊的要「忘記」（扔掉），前面要努力，要有這種起步的體認，前面的路縱有模糊，但上帝會讓我們看清楚要追求的是祂自己。這條路不是讓人自我感覺良好的道路，但放低自我，謙卑順服，恆久忍耐，這條路才是上帝要求我們的道路。
感謝主，我只能夠走上這條不安而順服的路。
