Unity of the Spirit
Therefore I, athe prisoner in the Lord, bexhort you to cwalk worthy of the dcalling with which you have been ecalled, 2 with all ahumility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another bin love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the abond of peace. 4 There is aone body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one bhope of your calling; 5 aone Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all awho is over all and through all and in all.
7 But ato each one of us bgrace was given caccording to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“aWhen He ascended on high,
He bled captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this expression, “He aascended,” what does it mean except that He also descended into bthe lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended afar above all the heavens, so that He might bfill all things.) 11 And He Himself agave bsome as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as cevangelists, and some as pastors and dteachers, 12 afor the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of bthe body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to athe unity of the faith, and of the bfull knowledge of the Son of God, to a cmature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the dfullness of Christ, 14 so that we are ano longer to be children, btossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ccraftiness in ddeceitful scheming, 15 but speaking the truth ain love, we are to bgrow up in all aspects into Him who is the chead, that is Christ, 16 from whom athe whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly bmeasured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself cin love.
Put On the New Man
17 aTherefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, bthat you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the cfutility of their mind, 18 being adarkened in their mind, balienated from the life of God because of the cignorance that is in them, because of the dhardness of their heart. 19 And they, having abecome callous, bhave given themselves over to csensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not alearn Christ in this way— 21 if indeed you aheard Him and were btaught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 to alay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the bold man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the clusts of deceit, 23 and to be arenewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to aput on the bnew man, which cin the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, alaying aside falsehood, bspeak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are cmembers of one another. 26 aBe angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not agive the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer, but rather ahe must labor, bperforming with his own hands what is good, cso that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no aunwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for bbuilding up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 aAnd do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were bsealed for the day of redemption. 31 aLet all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be bput away from you, along with all cmalice. 32 aInstead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, bjust as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.
Be Imitators of God
aTherefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and awalk in love, just as Christ also bloved us and cgave Himself up for us, an doffering and a sacrifice to God as a efragrant aroma.
3 But asexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 nor afilthiness and foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which bare not fitting, but rather cgiving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that ano one sexually immoral or impure or greedy, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom bof Christ and God.
6 aLet no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things bthe wrath of God comes upon cthe sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be apartakers with them, 8 for ayou were formerly bdarkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as cchildren of light 9 (for athe fruit of that light consists in all bgoodness and righteousness and truth), 10 atrying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 aAnd do not participate in the unfruitful bworks of cdarkness, but instead even dexpose them. 12 For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible awhen they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says,
“aAwake, sleeper,
And arise from bthe dead,
And Christ cwill shine on you.”
15 Therefore look carefully how you awalk, not bas unwise but as wise, 16 aredeeming the time, because bthe days are evil. 17 On account of this, do not be foolish, but aunderstand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And ado not get drunk with wine, for that is bdissipation, but be cfilled with the Spirit, 19 aspeaking to one another in bpsalms and chymns and spiritual dsongs, esinging and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 aalways giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to bGod, even the Father; 21 aand being subject to one another in the bfear of Christ.
Wives and Husbands
22 aWives, bbe subject to your own husbands, cas to the Lord. 23 For athe husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the bhead of the church, He Himself cbeing the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 aHusbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and bgave Himself up for her, 26 aso that He might sanctify her, having bcleansed her by the cwashing of water with dthe word, 27 that He might apresent to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be bholy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to alove their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are amembers of His bbody. 31 aFor this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to alove his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she brespects her husband.
Children and Parents
aChildren, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 aHonor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long in the land.
4 aFathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bbring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
5 aSlaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with bfear and trembling, in the integrity of your heart, cas to Christ; 6 anot by way of eyeservice, as bmen-pleasers, but as cslaves of Christ, ddoing the will of God from the heart, 7 serving with good will aas to the Lord, and not to men, 8 aknowing that bwhatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, cwhether slave or free.
9 And masters, do the same things to them, agiving up threatening, knowing that bboth their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is cno partiality with Him.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, abe strong in the Lord and in bthe might of His strength. 11 aPut on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the bschemes of the devil. 12 For our astruggle is not against bflesh and blood, but cagainst the rulers, against the authorities, against the dworld forces of this edarkness, against the fspiritual forces of wickedness in gthe heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up athe full armor of God, so that you will be able to bresist in cthe evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, ahaving girded your loins with truth, and having bput on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having ashod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all, having taken up the ashield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the bflaming arrows of cthe evil one, 17 also receive athe helmet of salvation, and the bsword of the Spirit, which is cthe word of God,
18 apraying at all times with all bprayer and petition cin the Spirit, and to this end, dbeing on the alert with all eperseverance and fpetition for all the saints, 19 as well as aon my behalf, that words may be given to me bin the opening of my mouth, to make known with cboldness dthe mystery of the gospel— 20 for which I am an aambassador bin chains—so that in proclaiming it I may speak cboldly, das I ought to speak.
21 aBut that you also may know about all my affairs, how I am doing, bTychicus, cthe beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 aI have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know our circumstances, and that he may bencourage your hearts.
23 aPeace be to the brothers, and blove with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.