⁶ For this is why ^(A)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

² For the law of ^(A)the Spirit of life ^(B)has set you^[a] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

¹⁹ in which^[a] he went and ^(A)proclaimed^[b] to the spirits in prison,

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact ^(A)the Spirit of God dwells in you. ^(B)Anyone who does not have ^(C)the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of ^(D)him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus^[a] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^(E)through his Spirit who dwells in you.

²⁵ “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(A)an hour is coming, and is now here, when ^(B)the dead will hear ^(C)the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear ^(D)will live. ^26 (E)For as the Father has life in himself, ^(F)so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

³ For ^(A)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴ But when ^(B)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, ^(C)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^(D)according to his own mercy, by ^(E)the washing of regeneration and ^(F)renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he ^(G)poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that ^(H)being justified by his grace we might become ^(I)heirs ^(J)according to the hope of eternal life.

³ among whom we all once lived in ^(A)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and ^(B)were by nature ^(C)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[b] 4} But^[c] God, being ^(D)rich in mercy, ^(E)because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even ^(F)when we were dead in our trespasses, ^(G)made us alive together with Christ—^(H)by grace you have been saved—

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, ^(A)let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Stewards of God's Grace

4 Since therefore ^(A)Christ suffered in the flesh,^{[a] (B)}arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for ^(C)whoever has suffered in the flesh ^(D)has ceased from sin, ^2 (E)so as to live for ^(F)the rest of the time in the flesh ^(G)no longer for human passions but ^(H)for the will of God.