Original sentence: In the New Testament, Jesus released his followers from Jewish law and most of its 613 regulations, but did not exempt them from abiding by the Commandments; he acknowledged their validity and instructed his followers to go further, demanding a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees
Edited sentence: In the New Testament, Jesus freed his followers from Jewish law and most of its 613 regulations, but did not exempt them from abiding by the Commandments; he acknowledged their validity and instructed his followers to go further, demanding a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees