At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ¹  and for this reason he sent for Paul ²  as often as possible ³  and talked ⁴  with him.

This was ¹  also to demonstrate ²  his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just ³  and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness. ⁴ 

Why not? Because they pursued ¹  it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. ²  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³ 

He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, ¹  who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.

And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. ¹ 

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: ¹  Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

I ¹  was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, ²  and was ³  extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ⁴ 

And above the ark ¹  were the cherubim ²  of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail.

For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have ¹  no further consciousness of sin?

Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, ¹  and he himself tempts no one.

I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews ¹  who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, ²  so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood – for on that basis ¹  the people received the law – what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order?

And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language ¹  they have begun to do this, then ²  nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. ³ 

They said to them, “We cannot give ¹  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ²  to us.

If he is too poor to pay the conversion value, he must stand the person before the priest and the priest will establish his conversion value; ¹  according to what the man who made the vow can afford, ²  the priest will establish his conversion value.

From heaven he spoke to you in order to teach you, and on earth he showed you his great fire from which you also heard his words. ¹