4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, 1 urge you to live 2 worthily of the calling with which you have been called, 3 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, 4 with patience, bearing with 5 one another in love, 4:3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 4:8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured 6 captives; he gave gifts to men.” 7 4:9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended 8 to the lower regions, 9 namely, the earth? 10 4:10 He, the very one 11 who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 4:11 It was he 12 who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 13 4:12 to equip 14 the saints for the work of ministry, that is, 15 to build up the body of Christ, 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to 16 the measure of Christ’s full stature. 17 4:14 So 18 we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. 19 4:15 But practicing the truth in love, 20 we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. 4:16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together 21 through every supporting ligament. 22 As each one does its part, the body grows in love.
4:17 So I say this, and insist 23 in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility 24 of their thinking. 25 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, 26 being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 4:19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 27 4:20 But you did not learn about Christ like this, 4:21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus. 4:22 You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside 28 the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 4:23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 4:24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image 29 – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. 30
4:25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, 31 for we are members of one another. 4:26 Be angry and do not sin; 32 do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. 33 4:27 Do not give the devil an opportunity. 4:28 The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. 4:29 You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, 34 that it may give grace to those who hear. 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 4:31 You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. 4:32 Instead, 35 be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. 36
5:1 Therefore, be 37 imitators of God as dearly loved children 5:2 and live 38 in love, just as Christ also loved us 39 and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering 40 to God. 5:3 But 41 among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, 42 or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. 43 5:4 Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. 5:5 For you can be confident of this one thing: 44 that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
5:6 Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. 45 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them, 46 5:8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are 47 light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – 5:9 for the fruit of the light 48 consists in 49 all goodness, righteousness, and truth – 5:10 trying to learn 50 what is pleasing to the Lord. 5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather 51 expose them. 52 5:12 For the things they do 53 in secret are shameful even to mention. 5:13 But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. 5:14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: 54
“Awake, 55 O sleeper! 56
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!” 57
5:15 Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, 5:16 taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 5:17 For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise 58 by understanding 59 what the Lord’s will is. 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, which 60 is debauchery, 61 but be filled by the Spirit, 62 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music 63 in 64 your hearts to the Lord, 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for each other 65 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:21 and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 66
5:22 67 Wives, submit 68 to your husbands as to the Lord, 5:23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. 5:24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 5:25 Husbands, love your 69 wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 5:26 to sanctify her by cleansing her 70 with the washing of the water by the word, 5:27 so that he 71 may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. 72 5:28 In the same way 73 husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 5:29 For no one has ever hated his own body 74 but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, 5:30 for we are members of his body. 75 5:31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become 76 one flesh. 77 5:32 This mystery is great – but I am actually 78 speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 5:33 Nevertheless, 79 each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, 80 and the wife must 81 respect 82 her husband.
6:1 Children, 83 obey your parents in the Lord 84 for this is right. 6:2 “Honor your father and mother,” 85 which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, 6:3 “that it may go 86 well with you and that you will live 87 a long time on the earth.” 88
6:4 Fathers, 89 do not provoke your children to anger, 90 but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
6:5 Slaves, 91 obey your human masters 92 with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, 6:6 not like those who do their work only when someone is watching 93 – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. 94 6:7 Obey 95 with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord 96 and not people, 6:8 because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this 97 will be rewarded by the Lord.
6:9 Masters, 98 treat your slaves 99 the same way, 100 giving up the use of threats, 101 because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, 102 and there is no favoritism with him.
6:10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 6:11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes 103 of the devil. 6:12 For our struggle 104 is not against flesh and blood, 105 but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, 106 against the spiritual forces 107 of evil in the heavens. 108 6:13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground 109 on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 6:14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening 110 the belt of truth around your waist, 111 by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 6:15 by fitting your 112 feet with the preparation that comes from the good news 113 of peace, 114 6:16 and in all of this, 115 by taking up the shield 116 of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation 117 and the sword 118 of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 6:18 With every prayer and petition, pray 119 at all times in the Spirit, and to this end 120 be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints. 6:19 Pray 121 for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak 122 – that I may confidently make known 123 the mystery of the gospel, 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.
6:21 Tychicus, my 124 dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you, so that you too may know about my circumstances, 125 how I am doing. 6:22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances 126 and that he may encourage your hearts.
6:23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, 127 and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 6:24 Grace be 128 with all of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. 129