For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh,

For no one is declared righteous before him ¹  by the works of the law, ²  for through the law comes ³  the knowledge of sin.

so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

(for if you live according to the flesh, you will ¹  die), ²  but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. ¹ 

Look at the people of Israel. ¹  Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ¹  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

Now those who belong to Christ ¹  have crucified the flesh ²  with its passions ³  and desires.

Now if I am to go on living in the body, ¹  this will mean productive work ²  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: ³ 

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

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.

by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us ¹  through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ² 

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 

Yet these men, ¹  as a result of their dreams, ²  defile the flesh, reject authority, ³  and insult ⁴  the glorious ones. ⁵ 

And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them ¹  short.

Now ¹  the Word became flesh ²  and took up residence ³  among us. We ⁴  saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, ⁵  full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ¹  began to argue with one another, ²  “How can this man ³  give us his flesh to eat?”

The one who eats ¹  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ²