8 For ^zby grace you have been saved ^athrough faith. And this is ^bnot your own doing; ^cit is the gift of God, 9 ^dnot a result of works, ^eso that no one may boast.

17 So ^zfaith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

7 But ^pif we walk in the light, ^qas he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and ^rthe blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

4 ^yThey tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,¹ and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

46 And he said, “Woe to you ^wlawyers also! For ^xyou load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

28 For it has seemed good ^gto the Holy Spirit and ^hto us ⁱto lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 ^jthat you abstain from ^kwhat has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

Some Will Depart from the Faith

1 Now ^xthe Spirit expressly says that ^yin later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to ^zdeceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of ^aliars whose consciences are seared, 3 ^bwho forbid marriage and ^crequire abstinence from foods ^dthat God created ^eto be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For ^feverything created by God is good, and ^gnothing is to be rejected if it is ^ereceived with thanksgiving,

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 Accordingly, ^mthough I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do ⁿwhat is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now ^oa prisoner also for Christ Jesus—

5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the ^sgift¹ you have promised, so that it may be ready ^tas a willing gift, ^unot as an exaction.²