Even though they have the appearance of wisdom<n id="1" /> with their self-imposed worship and false humility<n id="2" /> achieved by an<n id="3" /> unsparing treatment of the body &#8211; a wisdom with no true value &#8211; they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received<n id="1" /> the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.

But now in his own time<n id="1" /> he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.

Remember your leaders, who spoke God&#8217;s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.

So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly<n id="1" /> welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.

But whoever obeys his<n id="1" /> word, truly in this person<n id="2" /> the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven.<n id="1" /> But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,<n id="2" /> either in this age or in the age to come.p>

When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one<n id="1" /> comes and snatches what was sown in his heart;<n id="2" /> this is the seed sown along the path.

But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

Jesus<n id="1" /> answered them, &#8220;I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

But as the man<n id="1" /> went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus<n id="2" /> was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still<n id="3" /> they kept coming<n id="4" /> to him from everywhere.p>

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan<n id="1" /> comes and snatches the word<n id="2" /> that was sown in them.

But<n id="1" /> these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.&#8221;p>

Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil<n id="1" /> comes and takes away the word<n id="2" /> from their hearts, so that they may not believe<n id="3" /> and be saved.

Those<n id="1" /> on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while,<n id="2" /> but<n id="3" /> in a time of testing<n id="4" /> fall away.<n id="5" />

So<n id="1" /> he called the manager<n id="2" /> in and said to him, &#8216;What is this I hear about you?<n id="3" /> Turn in the account of your administration,<n id="4" /> because you can no longer be my manager.&#8217;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified,<n id="1" /> &#8220;He told me everything I ever did.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I tell you the solemn truth,<n id="1" /> the one who hears<n id="2" /> my message<n id="3" /> and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned,<n id="4" /> but has crossed over from death to life.

<p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> the Judeans<n id="2" /> responded,<n id="3" /> &#8220;Now we know you&#8217;re possessed by a demon!<n id="4" /> Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet<n id="5" /> you say, &#8216;If anyone obeys<n id="6" /> my teaching,<n id="7" /> he will never experience<n id="8" /> death.&#8217;<n id="9" />

Yet<n id="1" /> you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him,<n id="2" /> I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey<n id="3" /> his teaching.<n id="4" />