1 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
3 You are God's people, so don't let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. 4 Don't use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. 5 Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God.
Living as People of Light
6 Don't let anyone trick you with foolish talk. God punishes everyone who disobeys him and says foolish things. 7 So don't have anything to do with anyone like that.
8 You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light 9 and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, 10 as you try to please the Lord. 11 Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are. 12 It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark. 13 But the light will show what these things are really like. 14 Light shows up everything, just as the Scriptures say,
“Wake up from your sleep
and rise from death.
Then Christ will shine on you.”
15 Act like people with good sense and not like fools. 16 These are evil times, so make every minute count. 17 Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. 19 When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. 20 Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.
Wives and Husbands
21 Honor Christ and put others first. 22 A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. 24 Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first.
25 A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. 26 He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water. 27 Christ did this, so he would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws.
28 In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself. A husband who loves his wife shows he loves himself. 29 None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are each part of his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married, and he becomes like one person with his wife.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church. 33 So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.
Tumsas un gaismas bērni
1 Būdami Dieva mīļotie bērni, dariet tāpat kā viņš 2 un dzīvojiet mīlestībā, kā Kristus mūs ir mīlējis un mūsu labā sevi atdevis Dievam par upurdāvanu un jauki smaržojošu ziedojumu. 3 Bet netiklība, visāda nešķīstība vai negausība jūsu vidū lai netiek pat pieminēta, kā tas svētajiem pieklājas. 4 Tāpat arī nekaunīgas, muļķīgas runas vai rupji joki – tas viss nepieklājas, bet tā vietā lai ir pateicība Dievam. 5 Ziniet skaidri: neviens netiklis, nešķīstais vai negausis, tas ir, neviens elku kalps, neiemantos savu daļu Kristus un Dieva valstībā. 6 Neviens lai jūs nepieviļ ar tukšiem vārdiem, jo par to nāk Dieva dusmas pār nepaklausības dēliem. 7 Nepalieciet kopā ar tiem, 8 jo jūs reiz bijāt tumsa, bet tagad esat gaisma Kungā; dzīvojiet kā gaismas bērni! 9 Gaismas auglis ir visā, kas krietns, taisnīgs un patiess. 10 Pārliecinieties, kas ir patīkams Kungam! 11 Nepiedalieties neauglīgos tumsības darbos, bet gan atmaskojiet tos! 12 Ko nepaklausīgie slepenībā dara, par to ir kauns pat runāt, 13 bet viss atmaskotais gaismā top redzams, 14 jo viss, kas gaismā redzams, ir gaisma. Tādēļ ir sacīts:
guļošais, mosties!
Celies augšā no mirušajiem,
un tev atmirdzēs Kristus!
15 Rūpīgi raugiet, kā jūs dzīvojat, nedzīvojiet kā negudri, bet kā gudri, 16 izmantojiet šo laiku, jo šīs dienas ir ļaunas. 17 Neesiet nesaprātīgi, bet saprotiet, kas ir Kunga griba. 18 Nepiedzerieties vīna, no kā rodas izlaidība, bet topiet Gara pilni, 19 kopīgi skandēdami psalmus, slavinājuma un garīgas dziesmas, dziedādami un spēlēdami savās sirdīs Kungam. 20 Vienmēr par visu pateicieties Dievam un Tēvam mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus vārdā. 21 Pakļaujieties cits citam Kristus bijībā:
Sievām un vīriem
22 jūs, sievas, – saviem vīriem kā Kungam, 23 jo vīrs ir sievas galva, tāpat kā Kristus ir draudzes galva, pats būdams savas miesas Pestītājs; 24 kā draudze visās lietās pakļaujas Kristum, tāpat arī sievas vīriem. 25 Jūs, vīri, mīliet savas sievas, tāpat kā Kristus ir mīlējis savu draudzi un pats sevi tās labā ir ziedojis, 26 lai to darītu svētu, šķīstot mazgāšanā ar ūdeni caur vārdu, 27 lai draudzi varētu stādīt sev līdzās godības pilnu, bez traipiem, negludumiem un kā tamlīdzīga – svētu un nevainojamu. 28 Tāpat arī vīriem pienākas mīlēt savas sievas kā savu miesu – tas, kas mīl savu sievu, mīl sevi pašu, 29 jo neviens jau nenīst savu paša miesu, bet gan to baro un lolo tāpat kā Kristus savu draudzi – 30 mūs, kas esam viņa miesas locekļi. 31 Tādēļ cilvēks atstās savu tēvu un savu māti un pieķersies savai sievai, un tie divi būs viena miesa. 32 Šis noslēpums ir liels; te es runāju par Kristu un draudzi, 33 tomēr arī jūs ikviens mīliet savu sievu kā sevi pašu, bet sieva lai bīstas vīra.
