but now he has reconciled you ¹  by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him –

In him you also were circumcised – not, however, ¹  with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal ²  of the fleshly body, ³  that is, ⁴  through the circumcision done by Christ.

nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. ¹  Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan ²  that operates by faith.

To do this ¹  you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith.

and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

no longer as a slave, ¹  but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking ²  and in the Lord.

Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him ¹  or the son of man that you care for him?

For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

For the one who enters God’s ¹  rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.

For every high priest is taken from among the people ¹  and appointed ²  to represent them before God, ³  to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness,

But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

For people ¹  swear by something greater than themselves, ²  and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. ³ 

And every priest stands day after day ¹  serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins.

Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.

But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge – the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor? ¹ 

Now it was for this very purpose ¹  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ²  so that though ³  they were judged in the flesh ⁴  by human standards ⁵  they may live spiritually ⁶  by God’s standards. ⁷ 

For by speaking high-sounding but empty words ¹  they are able to entice, ²  with fleshly desires and with debauchery, ³  people ⁴  who have just escaped ⁵  from those who reside in error. ⁶ 

By this ¹  you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses ²  Jesus as the Christ ³  who has come in the flesh is from God,

They ¹  were told ²  not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people ³  who did not have the seal of God on their ⁴  forehead.