Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.

And I hope that you will realize that we have not failed the test! ¹ 

Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths ¹  about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind. ² 

And just as Jannes and Jambres ¹  opposed Moses, so these people – who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith ²  – also oppose the truth.

He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

So I defiled your holy princes, and handed Jacob over to destruction, and subjected ¹  Israel to humiliating abuse.”

Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner ¹  unless he competes according to the rules. ² 

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord.

They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

Therefore we must be wary ¹  that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it.

No man from the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a physical flaw may step forward ¹  to present the Lord’s gifts; he has a physical flaw, so he must not step forward to present the food of his God.

Uzziah passed away ¹  and was buried near his ancestors ²  in a cemetery ³  belonging to the kings. (This was because he had a skin disease.) ⁴  His son Jotham replaced him as king.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. ¹  (Now it was very early morning.) ²  They ³  did not go into the governor’s residence ⁴  so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal.

Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you – unless, indeed, you fail the test! ¹ 

Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, ¹  but so that you may do what is right ²  even if we may appear to have failed the test. ³ 

For you know that ¹  later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing ²  with tears.