Study Desk

For you have not come to a material object all ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and storm and trumpet-blast and the sound of words--

For they could not endure the order which had been given, "Even a wild beast, if it touches the mountain, shall be stoned to death;"

Be careful not to refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they of old did not escape unpunished when they refused to listen to him who spoke on earth, much less shall we escape who turn a deaf ear to Him who now speaks from Heaven.

His voice then shook the earth, but now we have His promise, "Yet again I will, once for all, cause not only the earth to tremble, but Heaven also."

Here the words "Yet again, once for all" denote the removal of the things which can be shaken--created things--in order that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

For our God is also a consuming fire.

Do not neglect to show kindness to strangers; for, in this way, some, without knowing it, have had angels as their guests.

Remember prisoners, as if you were in prison with them; and remember those suffering ill-treatment, for you yourselves also are still in the body.

Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be unpolluted; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Your lives should be untainted by love for money. Be content with what you have; for God Himself has said, "I will never, never let go your hand: I will never never forsake you."

Do not be drawn aside by all sorts of strange teaching; for it is well to have the heart made stedfast through God's grace, and not by special kinds of food, from which those who scrupulously attend to them have derived no benefit.

For the bodies of those animals of which the blood is carried by the High Priest into the Holy place as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.

And for this reason Jesus also, in order, by His own blood, to set the people free from sin, suffered outside the gate.

For we have no permanent city here, but we are longing for the city which is soon to be ours.

And do not forget to be kind and liberal; for with sacrifices of that sort God is greatly pleased.

Obey your leaders and be submissive to them. For they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give account; that they may do this with joy and not with lamentation. For that would be of no advantage to you.

Keep on praying for us; for we are sure that we have clear consciences, and we desire to live nobly in every respect.

fully equip you with every grace that you may need for the doing of His will, producing in us that which will truly please Him through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory to the Ages of the Ages! Amen.

Bear with me, brethren, when I thus exhort you; for, in fact, it is but a short letter that I have written to you.

And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.