¹⁵ Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see:^(A) They make their phylacteries^[a](B) wide and the tassels on their garments^(C) long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;^{(D) 7} they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.^(E)

²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed,^(A) malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^{(A) 44} and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{(A) 40} They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

⁴³ “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.^(A)

⁴⁶ “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{(A) 47} They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^{(A) 30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^(B)

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me^(A) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(B) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(C) and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts,^(D) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,^(E) then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith;^{(F) 7} if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;^{(G) 8} if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;^(H) if it is giving, then give generously;^(I) if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.