Titus 1:14

He said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You hear indeed, but don’t understand. You see indeed, but don’t perceive.’

He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and didn’t forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments. They delight to draw near to God.

I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root. They grow. Yes, they produce fruit. You are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.

They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.

even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,

The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him.

So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.

(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith—

For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God;

As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says Yahweh.

He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,

Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife.

holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.

and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables.

His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,

who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.”

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.

Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.

Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”

Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing.

Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him.

But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.

making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord.

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

“Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.

from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking,

he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions,

However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”

how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard,

Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel.

Ephraim feeds on wind, and chases the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and desolation. They make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.

envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;

He answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’ ”

But they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness.

Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge,

But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness,

but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven,

For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”