Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ¹  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. ¹ 

This ¹  accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God ²  that was entrusted to me. ³ 

Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹ 

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; ¹  such is my gospel, ² 

as also in another place God ¹  says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” ² 

and he was designated ¹  by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek. ² 

And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

For here is the testimony about him: ¹  “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” ² 

but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct,

But I have this against you: You have departed ¹  from your first love!

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. ¹  But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, ²  either in this age or in the age to come.

But I confess this to you, that I worship ¹  the God of our ancestors ²  according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law ³  and that is written in the prophets.

Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided ¹  to put out to sea ²  from there. They hoped that ³  somehow they could reach ⁴  Phoenix, ⁵  a harbor of Crete facing ⁶  southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?

For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires ¹  that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to ²  each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

in which ¹  you formerly lived ²  according to this world’s present path, ³  according to the ruler of the kingdom ⁴  of the air, the ruler of ⁵  the spirit ⁶  that is now energizing ⁷  the sons of disobedience, ⁸ 

He is the one who saved us ¹  and called us with a holy calling, not based on ²  our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ³ 

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?

For nation will rise up in arms ¹  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines ²  and earthquakes ³  in various places.