Walk in Love

5 Therefore^(A) be imitators of God as dear ^(B)children. ² And ^(C)walk in love, ^(D)as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God ^(E)for a sweet-smelling aroma.

³ But fornication and all ^(F)uncleanness or ^(G)covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ^4 (H)neither filthiness, nor ^(I)foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, ^(J)which are not fitting, but rather ^(K)giving of thanks. ⁵ For ^[a]this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any ^(L)inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be ^(M)partakers with them.

Walk in Light

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are ^(N)light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for ^(O)the fruit of the ^[b]Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ^10 (P)finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹ And have ^(Q)no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather ^[c]expose them. ^12 (R)For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But ^(S)all things that are ^[d]exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. ¹⁴ Therefore He says:

Walk in Wisdom

^15 (U)See then that you walk ^[e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ^16 (V)redeeming the time, ^(W)because the days are evil.

^17 (X)Therefore do not be unwise, but ^(Y)understand ^(Z)what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(AA)do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another ^(AB)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making ^(AC)melody in your heart to the Lord, ^20 (AD)giving thanks always for all things to God the Father ^(AE)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (AF)submitting to one another in the fear of ^[f]God.

Marriage—Christ and the Church^(AG)

²² Wives, ^(AH)submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(AI)the husband is head of the wife, as also ^(AJ)Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands ^(AK)in everything.

^25 (AL)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(AM)gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might ^[g]sanctify and cleanse her ^(AN)with the washing of water ^(AO)by the word, ^27 (AP)that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, ^(AQ)not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For ^(AR)we are members of His body, ^[h]of His flesh and of His bones. ^31 (AS)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the ^(AT)two shall become one flesh.” ³² This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless ^(AU)let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(AV)respects her husband.

Unity Through Humility

2 Therefore if there is any ^[a]consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(A)affection and mercy, ^2 (B)fulfill my joy ^(C)by being like-minded, having the same love, being of ^(D)one accord, of one mind. ^3 (E)Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but ^(F)in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ^4 (G)Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of ^(H)others.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

^5 (I)Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, ^(J)being in the form of God, did not consider it ^[b]robbery to be equal with God, ^7 (K)but ^[c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form ^(L)of a bondservant, and ^(M)coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and ^(N)became ^(O)obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ^9 (P)Therefore God also ^(Q)has highly exalted Him and ^(R)given Him the name which is above every name, ^10 (S)that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and ^(T)that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Light Bearers

¹² Therefore, my beloved, ^(U)as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, ^(V)work out your own salvation with ^(W)fear and trembling; ¹³ for ^(X)it is God who works in you both to will and to do ^(Y)for His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things ^(Z)without ^[d]complaining and ^(AA)disputing,^{[e] 15} that you may become blameless and ^[f]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as ^(AB)lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that ^(AC)I may rejoice in the day of Christ that ^(AD)I have not run in vain or labored in ^(AE)vain.

¹⁷ Yes, and if ^(AF)I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice ^(AG)and service of your faith, ^(AH)I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy Commended

¹⁹ But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send ^(AI)Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your ^[g]state. ²⁰ For I have no one ^(AJ)like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. ²¹ For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. ²² But you know his proven character, ^(AK)that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. ²³ Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. ²⁴ But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

Epaphroditus Praised

²⁵ Yet I considered it necessary to send to you ^(AL)Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and ^(AM)fellow soldier, ^(AN)but your messenger and ^(AO)the one who ministered to my need; ^26 (AP)since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. ²⁹ Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; ³⁰ because for the work of Christ he came close to death, ^[h]not regarding his life, ^(AQ)to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

The Test of Knowing Christ

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, ^(A)we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² And ^(B)He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^(C)also for the whole world.

The Test of Knowing Him

³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a ^(D)liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But ^(E)whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God ^[a]is perfected ^(F)in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ^6 (G)He who says he abides in Him ^(H)ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

^7 [b]Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^(I)from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard ^[c]from the beginning. ⁸ Again, ^(J)a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, ^(K)because the darkness is passing away, and ^(L)the true light is already shining.

^9 (M)He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. ^10 (N)He who loves his brother abides in the light, and ^(O)there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But he who ^(P)hates his brother is in darkness and ^(Q)walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Their Spiritual State

Do Not Love the World

^15 (V)Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^(W)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, ^(X)the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And ^(Y)the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Deceptions of the Last Hour

^18 (Z)Little children, ^(AA)it is the last hour; and as you have heard that ^(AB)the^[d] Antichrist is coming, ^(AC)even now many antichrists have come, by which we know ^(AD)that it is the last hour. ^19 (AE)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(AF)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out ^(AG)that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰ But ^(AH)you have an anointing ^(AI)from the Holy One, and ^(AJ)you^[e] know all things. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

^22 (AK)Who is a liar but he who denies that ^(AL)Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (AM)Whoever denies the Son does not have the ^(AN)Father either; ^(AO)he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴ Therefore let that abide in you ^(AP)which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, ^(AQ)you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25 (AR)And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who try to ^[f]deceive you. ²⁷ But the ^(AS)anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and ^(AT)you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing ^(AU)teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you ^[g]will abide in Him.

The Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[h]when He appears, we may have ^(AV)confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^29 (AW)If you know that He is righteous, you know that ^(AX)everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.