Beginning
Therefore I Exhort You To Walk Worthily of Your Calling, Keeping The Unity of The Spirit
4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all humblemindedness and gentleness, with patience bearing-with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep[a] the unity of [b] the Spirit in the bond of [c] peace—
God Made Us One, And Gave Gifts And Grace To Each One of Us
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, the One over all and through all and in all; 7 and to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
For Scripture Says Jesus Ascended On High And Gave Gifts To His People
8 For this reason it says, “having ascended to on-high, He led captivity captive[d], He gave gifts to people” [Ps 68:18].
9 Now what does the “He ascended” mean except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth[e]? 10 The One having descended is Himself also the One having ascended far above all the heavens, in order that He might fill all things.
He Gave Gifted People To Equip The Saints To Build Up The Body of Christ To Maturity
11 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and others as prophets, and others as evangelists, and others as shepherds and teachers, 12 for[f] the equipping[g] of the saints for the work of ministry[h], for the building-up of the body of Christ 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature[i] man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, being tossed-about and carried-around by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with-regard-to[j] the scheme of [k] error[l], 15 but that while speaking-the-truth in love, we may grow as to all things into Him Who is the head— Christ, 16 from Whom the whole body, being fitted-together[m] and held-together by every joint of supply according to the working in measure of each individual part, is producing the growth of the body for the building-up of itself in love.
So Walk No Longer In The Futile Darkness of The Gentiles, As They Pursue Impurity
17 Therefore this I say and testify in the Lord, that you be walking no longer as indeed the Gentiles are walking, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, having been excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance being in them, because of the hardness of their hearts— 19 who, having become callous, gave themselves over to sensuality for the practice[n] of every impurity with greed.
Lay Aside The Old Person. Be Renewed In Your Mind And Put On The New Person
20 But you did not learn Christ in this manner, 21 if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, even as it is the truth in Jesus 22 that in-relation-to your former way-of-life you lay-aside the old person being corrupted[o] in-accordance-with the desires of [p] deception, 23 and that you be being renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put-on the new person having been created in accordance with God, in righteousness and holiness of [q] truth.
Live Out Righteousness And Truth
25 Therefore, having laid-aside the lie[r], each of you be speaking truth with his neighbor, because we are body-parts of one another. 26 Be angry and-yet do not be sinning. Do not let the sun go down upon your angriness[s], 27 nor give a place[t] to the devil. 28 Let the one stealing be stealing no longer. But rather let him be laboring, working the good thing with his own hands in order that he might have something to give to the one having a need. 29 Let every bad[u] word not proceed out of your mouth, but if there is something good for edification of the need, speak in order that it may give grace to the ones hearing. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with[v] Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and clamor and blasphemy[w] be taken-away[x] from you, along-with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also forgave you.
As Beloved Children, Be Imitators of God And Walk In Love
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And be walking in love, just as Christ also loved us and handed Himself over for us— an offering and a sacrifice to God for an aroma of fragrance.
But Don’t Let Any Kind of Impurity Or Greed Exist Among You
3 But let sexual-immorality and all impurity or greed not even be named[y] among you, as is proper for saints— 4 and filthiness[z] and foolish-talk or coarse-joking[aa], which are not fitting, but rather thanksgiving.
You Know This Is Right, So Don’t Be Partakers With Those Inheriting Wrath
5 For you know this[ab]— recognizing[ac] that every sexually-immoral or impure or greedy person (that is, an idolater) does not have an 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 is coming upon the sons of [ad] disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be fellow-partakers with them.
For You Were Formerly Darkness, But Now You Are Light; Walk As Children of Light
8 For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Be walking as children of [ae] light (9 for the fruit of the light is in[af] all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 approving what is pleasing[ag] to the Lord.
Expose The Works of Darkness To God’s Light
11 And do not be participating in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even be exposing[ah] them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak the things being done in secret by them, 13 but all things being exposed by the light become-visible[ai]. 14 For everything becoming-visible is[aj] light. Therefore he[ak] says, “Awake, sleeping one, and rise-up from the dead, and Christ will shine-on you.”
So Walk Wisely, Redeeming The Time. Be Filled With The Spirit, And Subject To One Another
15 Therefore be watching carefully how you walk— not as unwise, but as wise, 16 redeeming[al] the time, because the days are evil. 17 For this reason, do not be foolish ones, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get-drunk with wine, in[am] which is wild-living, but be filled with[an] the Spirit, 19 speaking to each other with[ao] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making-melody with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving-thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father, 21 being-subject[ap] to one another in the fear[aq] of Christ—
Wives, Be Subject To Your Husbands As The Church Is Subject To Christ
22 ... wives— to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 Because a husband is the head of his wife as also Christ is the head of the church, He being the Savior of the body. 24 Nevertheless[ar], as the church is subject to Christ, in this manner also let the wives be to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, Love Your Wives As Christ Loved The Church
25 Husbands, be loving your wives just-as Christ also loved the church and handed Himself over for her 26 in order that He might sanctify[as] her, having cleansed[at] her with[au] the washing[av] of water by[aw] the word, 27 in order that He might present the church to Himself as glorious— not having spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but that she might be holy and without-blemish. 28 In this manner[ax], husbands ought also to be loving their wives as their own bodies. The one loving his wife is loving himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are body-parts of His body. 31 “For this cause a man shall leave-behind his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two will be one flesh” [Gen 2:24]. 32 This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and with reference to the church. 33 Nevertheless, you also individually, let each in this manner be loving his wife as himself. And let the wife see that she be respecting her husband.
Children, Honor Your Parents
6 Children, be obeying your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Be honoring your father and mother”— which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “in order that it may be well with you and you may be long-lived upon the earth” [Deut 5:16].
Fathers, Nourish Your Children In The Lord
4 And fathers, do not be provoking your children to anger, but be nourishing them in the training[ay] and admonition[az] of the Lord.
Slaves And Masters, Live As Slaves of Christ
5 Slaves, be obeying your masters according-to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ— 6 not by way of eye-service as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul, 7 serving with good-will as to the Lord and not to people, 8 knowing that each one, if he does anything good, will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 9 And masters, be doing the same things to them, giving-up the threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in the heavens, and there is no respect-of-persons with Him.
Finally, Put On The Full Armor of God So You Can Stand Against The Spiritual Forces of Evil
10 Finally, become-strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. 11 Put-on the full-armor of God so-that you may be able to stand against the schemes[ba] of the devil, 12 because the struggle[bb] for us is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-powers[bc] of this darkness, against the spiritual forces[bd] of evilness in the heavenly-places. 13 For this reason, take-up the full-armor of God in order that you may be able to resist[be] on the evil day, and having worked[bf] everything, to stand.
Stand Armored With Truth, Righteousness, And Faith, Wielding God’s Word And Prayer
14 Stand [firm] therefore, having girded[bg] your waist with truth, and having put-on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having sandaled your feet with the readiness[bh] of the good-news of peace, 16 with all these having taken-up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword[bi] of [bj] the Spirit, which is the Word of God, 18 praying with every-kind-of prayer and petition at every opportunity[bk] in the Spirit, and keeping-alert for it with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints— 19 and for me, that a word may be given to me in connection with the opening of my mouth with boldness to make-known the mystery of the good-news 20 for the sake of which I am-an-ambassador in a chain, that with[bl] it I may speak-boldly[bm] as I ought-to speak.
Closing Remarks
21 Now in order that you also may know the things concerning me, what I am doing, Tychicus will make everything known to you— the beloved brother and faithful minister[bn] in the Lord 22 whom I sent to you for this very reason, in order that you may know the things concerning us and he may encourage your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all the ones loving our Lord Jesus Christ with undecayability[bo].
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing