They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently. ¹ 

He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant ¹  and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact. ² 

Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. ¹ 

He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.

An elder must be blameless, ¹  the husband of one wife, ²  with faithful children ³  who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.

So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke ¹  that carries full authority. ²  Don’t let anyone look down ³  on you.

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

For if the message spoken through angels ¹  proved to be so firm that every violation ²  or disobedience received its just penalty,

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

Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death ¹  without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ² 

And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? “My son, do not scorn ¹  the Lord’s discipline or give up when he corrects ²  you.

And see to it that no one becomes ¹  an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ² 

Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, ¹  or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, ¹  “The spirit that God ²  caused ³  to live within us has an envious yearning”? ⁴ 

You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold,

Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless ¹  others ²  because you were called to inherit a blessing.

But in fact, if you happen to suffer ¹  for doing what is right, ²  you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them ³  or be shaken. ⁴ 

Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for ¹  these things, strive to be found ²  at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into his presence. ³ 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,

So ¹  I began weeping bitterly ²  because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.