Beginning
Unity of the Body and of God
4 Therefore I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called— 2 with complete humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Ruach in the bond of shalom.
4 There is one body and one Ruach,
just as you also were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one immersion;
6 one God and Father of all,[a]
who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given in keeping with the measure of Messiah’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When He went up on high,
He led captive a troop of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]
9 Now what does “He went up” mean, except that He first went down to the lower regions of the earth? [c] 10 The One who came down is the same One who went up far above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
11 He Himself gave some to be emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers— 12 to equip the kedoshim for the work of service, for building up the body of Messiah. 13 This will continue until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Ben-Elohim—to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of Messiah’s fullness. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be like children, tossed around by the waves and blown all over by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men with cunning in deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all ways into Messiah, who is the Head. 16 From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. The proper working of each individual part produces the body’s growth, for building itself up in love.
Put Off The Old, Put On The New
17 So I tell you this, indeed I insist on it in the Lord—walk no longer as the pagans do, stumbling around in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance in them due to the hardness of their heart. 19 Since they are past feeling, they have turned themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of immorality, with greed for more.
20 However, you did not learn Messiah in this way— 21 if indeed you have heard Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Yeshua. 22 With respect to your former lifestyle, you are to lay aside the old self corrupted by its deceitful desires, 23 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 So lay aside lying and “each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,”[d] for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.”[e] Do not let the sun go down on your anger, [f] 27 nor give the devil a foothold. 28 The one who steals must steal no longer—instead he must work, doing something useful with his own hands, so he may have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace to those who hear it. 30 Do not grieve the Ruach ha-Kodesh of God,[g] by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness and rage and anger and quarreling and slander, along with all malice. 32 Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other just as God in Messiah also forgave you.
Walk in the Light
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us[h] and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed—don’t even let these be mentioned among you, as is proper for kedoshim. 4 Obscene, coarse, and stupid talk are also out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 Know for certain that no immoral, indecent, or greedy person—who is really an idol worshipper at heart—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s judgment comes on the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For once you were darkness, but now in union with the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them— 12 for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret. 13 Yet everything exposed by the light is being made visible, 14 for everything made visible is light. This is why it says,
“Wake up, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Messiah will shine on you.”[i]
15 So pay close attention to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise. 16 Make the most of your time because the days are evil. 17 For this reason do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And do not get drunk on wine, for that is recklessness.[j] Instead, be filled with the Ruach, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord— 20 always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
Orderly Relationships: Marriage
21 Also submit yourselves to one another out of reverence for Messiah— 22 wives to your own husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as Messiah also is head of His community—Himself the Savior of the body. 24 But as Messiah’s community is submitted to Messiah, so also the wives to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives just as Messiah also loved His community and gave Himself up for her 26 to make her holy, having cleansed her by immersion[k] in the word. 27 Messiah did this so that He might present to Himself His glorious community—not having stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but in order that she might be holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, 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 Messiah also does His community, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” [l] 32 This mystery is great—but I am talking about Messiah and His community. 33 In any case, let each of you love his own wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband.
Orderly Relationships: Parents
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [m] 2 “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “so that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” [n] 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.[o]
Orderly Relationships: Workplace
5 Slaves, obey your human masters, with respect and reverence, with sincerity of heart, as you would the Messiah— 6 not just under your master’s eye as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Messiah doing God’s will from the soul. 7 Serve with a positive attitude, as to the Lord and not to men— 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Stop using threats, knowing that the Master—of them and of you, too—is in heaven,[p] and there is no favoritism with Him.
Put on the Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. [q] 15 Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom. [r] 16 Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [s] 17 And take the helmet of salvation[t] and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [u] 18 Pray in the Ruach on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim. 19 And pray for me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may speak boldly, the way I should.
21 Now Tychicus, my dearly loved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will give you all the news about me so you may know how I’m doing. 22 I have sent him to you for this very reason, so you may know how we are and he may encourage your hearts.
23 Shalom to the brothers and sisters, and trusting love from God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Yeshua the Messiah with undying love.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.