Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

^17 (A)“Do not think that I have come to abolish ^(B)the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but ^(C)to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, ^(D)until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ^19 (E)Therefore whoever relaxes ^(F)one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least ^(G)in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great ^(H)in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds ^(I)that of the scribes and Pharisees, you ^(J)will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Lament over Jerusalem

^37 (A)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^(B)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have ^(C)gathered ^(D)your children together ^(E)as a hen gathers her brood ^(F)under her wings, and ^(G)you were not willing! ³⁸ See, ^(H)your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ^(I)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

⁵¹ And behold, ^(A)the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And ^(B)the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(A)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(B)the law was our ^(C)guardian until Christ came, ^(D)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus ^(E)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(F)were baptized ^(G)into Christ have ^(H)put on Christ. ^28 (I)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[a] nor free, ^(J)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(K)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(L)heirs according to promise.

Let No One Disqualify You

¹⁶ Therefore let no one ^(A)pass judgment on you ^(B)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to ^(C)a festival or ^(D)a new moon or a Sabbath. ^17 (E)These are a shadow of the things to come, but ^(F)the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one ^(G)disqualify you, ^(H)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, ^(I)going on in detail about visions,^{[a] (J)}puffed up without reason by ^(K)his sensuous mind, ¹⁹ and ^(L)not ^(M)holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰ If with Christ ^(N)you died to the ^(O)elemental spirits of the world, ^(P)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ^21 (Q)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²² (^(R)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to ^(S)human precepts and teachings? ²³ These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in ^(T)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are ^(U)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

⁶ These preparations having thus been made, ^(A)the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, ⁷ but into the second only ^(B)the high priest goes, and he but ^(C)once a year, and not without taking blood, ^(D)which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. ⁸ By this the Holy Spirit indicates that ^(E)the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing ⁹ (which is symbolic for the present age).^[a] According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered ^(F)that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, ¹⁰ but deal only with ^(G)food and drink and ^(H)various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

²³ Thus it was necessary for ^(A)the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has entered, not into holy places ^(B)made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ^(C)on our behalf.

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

10 For since the law has but ^(A)a shadow ^(B)of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, ^(C)it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.