For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” ¹ 

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.

Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, ¹  but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, ²  so that you were not harmed ³  in any way by us.

Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. ¹ 

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, ¹  and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. ² 

but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.

But if anyone does not obey our message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with him, so that he may be ashamed.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, ¹  who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” ² 

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.

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

But now ¹  I ask you, lady (not as if I were ²  writing a new commandment ³  to you, but the one ⁴  we have had from the beginning), ⁵  that ⁶  we love one another.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. ¹  The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God. ² 

If ¹  anyone’s name ²  was not found written in the book of life, that person ³  was thrown into the lake of fire.

Look at the birds in the sky: ¹  They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds ²  them. Aren’t you more valuable ³  than they are?

Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, ¹  “My Father, if possible, ²  let this cup ³  pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Isn’t this the carpenter, the son ¹  of Mary ²  and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.

Then ¹  Jesus ²  told this parable: “A man had a fig tree ³  planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

So ¹  he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For ²  three years ³  now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it ⁴  I find none. Cut ⁵  it down! Why ⁶  should it continue to deplete ⁷  the soil?’

Don’t you say, ¹  ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up ²  and see that the fields are already white ³  for harvest!