and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is ¹  a sign of their ²  destruction, but of your salvation – a sign which ³  is from God.

Even though they have the appearance of wisdom ¹  with their self-imposed worship and false humility ²  achieved by an ³  unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence. ⁴ 

So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: ¹  sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, ²  evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.

And Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts, ¹  these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.

in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves ¹  in the household of God, because it is ²  the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.

Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

And entrust what you heard me say ¹  in the presence of many others as witnesses ²  to faithful people ³  who will be competent ⁴  to teach others as well.

how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

For a tent was prepared, the outer one, ¹  which contained ²  the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this ³  is called the holy place.

This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper.

When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them” ¹  (which are offered according to the law),

And every priest stands day after day ¹  serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins.

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.

Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.

You ¹  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ²  For you are a puff of smoke ³  that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

Their ¹  corpses will lie in the street ²  of the great city that is symbolically ³  called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified.

Now ¹  when the dragon realized ²  that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” ¹ 

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law ¹  who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”