The Gospel and Daily Life

4 I beg you, then – I who am a prisoner in the Master’s cause – to live lives worthy of the call that you have received; 2 always humble and gentle, patient, bearing lovingly with one another, 3 and striving to maintain in the bond of peace the unity given by the Spirit. 4 There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your call. 5 There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism. 6 There is but one God and Father of all – the God who is over all, pervades all, and is in all. 7 Everyone of us, however, has been entrusted with some charge, each in accordance with the extent of the gift of the Christ. 8 That is why it is said –

“When he went up on high, he led his captives into captivity. And gave gifts to humanity.”

9 Now surely this “going up” must imply that he had already gone down into the world beneath. 10 He who went down is the same as he who went up – up beyond the highest heaven, so that he might fill all things with his presence. 11 And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, 12 to fit his people for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ. 13 And this will continue, until we all attain to that unity which is given by faith and by a fuller knowledge of the Son of God; until we reach maturity – the full standard of the perfection of the Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be like infants, tossed backward and forward, blown about by every breath of human teaching and by people’s trickery and craftiness; 15 but holding the truth in a spirit of love, we will grow into complete union with him who is our head – Christ himself. 16 For from him the whole body, closely joined and knit together by the contact of every part with the source of its life, derives its power to grow, in proportion to the vigour of each individual part; and so is being built up in a spirit of love.Titleless Section Break

17 This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I implore: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live, 18 with their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint. 20 But far different is the lesson you learned from the Christ – if, that is, you really listened to him, 21 and through union with him were taught the truth, as it is to be found in Jesus. 22 For you learned with regard to your former way of living that you must cast off your old nature, which, yielding to deluding passions, grows corrupt; 23 that the spirit of your minds must be constantly renewed; 24 and that you must clothe yourselves in that new nature which was created to resemble God, with the righteousness and holiness springing from the truth.

25 Since, therefore, you have cast off what is false, you must every one of you speak the truth to your neighbours. For we are united to one another like the parts of a body. 26 Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger; 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the person who steals steal no longer, but rather they should toil with their hands at honest work, so that they may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Never let any foul word pass your lips, but only such good words as the occasion demands, so that they may be a help to those who hear them. 30 And do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit; for it was through that Spirit that God sealed you as his, against the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you. 5 Therefore imitate God, as his dear children, 2 and live a life of love, following the example of the Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you as an offering and a sacrifice to God, that should be fragrant and acceptable.

3 As for sexual immorality and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ’s people, 4 nor shameful conduct, nor foolish talk or jesting, for they are wholly out of place among you; but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you may be sure – that no one who is unchaste or impure or greedy of gain (for to be greedy of gain is idolatry) has any place awaiting him in the kingdom of the Christ and God.

6 Do not let anyone deceive you with specious arguments. Those are the sins that bring down the wrath of God on the disobedient. 7 Therefore have nothing to do with such people. 8 For, although you were once in darkness, now, by your union with the Lord, you are in the light. Live as children of light – 9 for the outcome of life in the light may be seen in every form of goodness, righteousness, and sincerity – 10 always trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in deeds of darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them. 12 It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret. 13 All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the light. 14 For everything that has its true character made manifest is clear as light. And that is why it is said –

“Sleeper, awake!

Arise from the dead,

and the Christ will give you light!”

15 Take great care, then, how you live – not unwisely but wisely, 16 making the most of every opportunity; for these are evil days. 17 Therefore do not grow thoughtless, but try to understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not drink wine to excess, for that leads to profligacy; but seek to be filled with the Spirit of God, and speak to one another in psalms and hymns and sacred songs. 19 Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. 20 Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21 Submit to one another because you honour and respect Christ.

22 Wives should submit to their husbands as submitting to the Lord. 23 For a man is the head of his wife, as the Christ is the head of the church – being indeed himself the Saviour of his body. 24 But as the church submits to the Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as the Christ loved the church, and gave himself for her, 26 to make her holy, after purifying her by the washing with the water, according to his promise; 27 so that he might himself bring the church, in all her beauty, into his own presence, with no spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind, but that she might be holy and faultless. 28 That is how husbands ought to love their wives – as if they were their own bodies. A man who loves his wife is really loving himself; 29 for no one ever yet hated his own body. But everyone feeds his body and cares for it, just as the Christ for the church; 30 for we are members of his body.

31 For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife; and the man and his wife will become one.

32 In this there is a profound truth – I am speaking of Christ and his church. 33 However, for you individually, let each love his wife as if she were himself; and the wife be careful to respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents, as children of the Lord; for that is but right. 2 “Honour your father and mother” – this is the first Commandment with a promise – 3 “so that you may prosper and have a long life on earth.” 4 And fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up with Christian discipline and instruction.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters, with anxious care, giving them ungrudging service, as if obeying the Christ; 6 not only when their eyes are on you, as if you had merely to please people, but as slaves of Christ, who are trying to carry out the will of God. 7 Give your service heartily and cheerfully, as working for the Master and not for people; 8 for you know that everyone will be rewarded by the Master for any honest work that he has done, whether he is a slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same spirit. Give up threatening them; for you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that before him there is no distinction of rank.

10 For the future, find strength in your union with the Lord, and in the power which comes from his might. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground against the stratagems of the devil. 12 For ours is no struggle against enemies of flesh and blood, but against all the various powers of evil that hold sway in the darkness around us, against the spirits of wickedness on high. 13 Therefore take up the full armour of God, so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to withstand the attack, and, having fought to the end, still to stand your ground. 14 Stand your ground, then, with truth for your belt, and with righteousness for your breastplate, 15 and with the readiness to serve the good news of peace as shoes for your feet. 16 At every onslaught take up faith for your shield; for with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. 17 And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit – which is the message of God – always with prayer and supplication. 18 Pray in spirit at all times. Be intent on this, with unwearying perseverance and supplication for all Christ’s people – 19 and on my behalf also, so that when I begin to speak, words may be given me, so that I may fearlessly make known the inmost truth of the good news, 20 on behalf of which I am an ambassador – in chains! Pray that, in telling it, I may speak fearlessly as I ought.