^13 (A)And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

^19 (A)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Warning Against Apostasy

¹¹ About this we have much to say, and it is ^(A)hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. ¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again ^(B)the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need ^(C)milk, not solid food, ¹³ for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is ^(D)a child. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(E)the mature, for those who have their powers ^(F)of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Divisions in the Church

3 But I, brothers,^[a] could not address you as ^(A)spiritual people, but as ^(B)people of the flesh, as ^(C)infants in Christ. ^2 (D)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for ^(E)you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

²⁵ And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

^11 (A)Now the parable is this: The seed is ^(B)the word of God. ¹² The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not ^(C)believe and be saved. ¹³ And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it ^(D)with joy. But these have no root; they ^(E)believe for a while, and in time of testing ^(F)fall away. ¹⁴ And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but ^(G)as they go on their way they are choked by the ^(H)cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and ^(I)bear fruit ^(J)with patience.

¹⁷ And when he had entered ^(A)the house and left the people, ^(B)his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then ^(C)are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,

⁸ But ^(A)Jesus, aware of this, said, ^(B)“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? ^9 (C)Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember ^(D)the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?

¹⁵ But Peter said to him, ^(A)“Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶ And he said, ^(B)“Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that ^(C)whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?^[a]