And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood,(for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

And of some have compassion, making a difference: