The Unity of the Body
1 I urge you, then—I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. 2 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. 3 Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.
7 Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given. 8 As the scripture says,
“When he went up to the very heights,
he took many captives with him;
he gave gifts to people.”
9 Now, what does “he went up” mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth. 10 So the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the whole universe with his presence. 11 It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. 12 He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. 13 And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature. 14 Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. 15 Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. 16 Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.
The New Life in Christ
17 In the Lord's name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless 18 and whose minds are in the dark. They have no part in the life that God gives, for they are completely ignorant and stubborn. 19 They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.
20 That was not what you learned about Christ! 21 You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus. 22 So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. 23 Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, 24 and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.
25 No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ. 26 If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. 27 Don't give the Devil a chance. 28 If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor. 29 Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. 30 And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. 32 Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.
Viena Kristus miesa
1 Tad nu es, cietumnieks Kunga dēļ, lūdzu jūs dzīvot tā aicinājuma cienīgi, ar kuru esat aicināti – 2 visā pazemībā, lēnprātībā un pacietībā, ar mīlestību panesdami cits citu, 3 dedzīgi sargādami vienotību Garā, uzturēdami to ar miera saiti. 4 Viena miesa un viens Gars – tāpat kā vienai cerībai jūs savā aicinājumā esat aicināti – 5 viens Kungs, viena ticība, viena kristība, 6 viens Dievs un Tēvs visiem, kas ir pāri visiem, caur visiem un visos. 7 Ikvienam mums ir dota žēlastība tādā mērā, kādu Kristus to piešķīris. 8 Tādēļ ir sacīts: uzkāpa augstumos, vezdams līdzi sagūstītos; viņš deva dāvanas cilvēkiem. 9 Ko nozīmē – viņš uzkāpa? Vai ne to, ka viņš arī nokāpa zemes dziļumos? 10 Tas, kas nokāpa, ir tas pats, kas uzkāpa augstāk par visām debesīm, lai visu piepildītu. 11 Viņš dāvāja vispirms apustuļus, tad praviešus, evaņģēlistus, ganus un skolotājus, 12 lai svētos sagatavotu kalpošanas darbam, lai tā veidotos Kristus miesa, 13 līdz kamēr mēs visi sasniegsim vienotību ticībā un atziņā uz Dieva Dēlu, līdz sasniegsim vīra briedumu, Kristus pilnības mēru. 14 Tad mēs vairs nebūsim mazi bērni, kas tiek mētāti un aizrauti līdzi katram mācības vējam cilvēku viltīgajā spēlē, ar kuru tie ievilina maldos. 15 Apliecinādami patiesību mīlestībā, mēs pieaugsim Kristū, kas ir galva visam. 16 No viņa visa miesa, saistīta un savienota visādām saitēm, katra daļa, darbodamās un celta viņa mīlestībā, iegūst spēju augt.
Vecais un jaunais cilvēks
17 To es jums saku un apliecinu Kungā: jums vairs nav jāstaigā tā, kā pagāni dzīvo sava prāta tukšībā, 18 būdami aptumšoti saprašanā, atsvešināti no dievišķās dzīvības savas nezināšanas un sirds nocietinātības dēļ, 19 viņi ir zaudējuši kauna jūtas un nodevušies izlaidībai, nepiesātināmi ļaudamies visādai nešķīstībai. 20 Ne tā jūs esat iepazinuši Kristu; 21 ja jūs to esat dzirdējuši un mācījušies patiesībā, kāda tā ir Jēzū, 22 tad atmetiet savu iepriekšējo dzīves veidu un veco cilvēku sevī, kas savās iekārēs nomaldījies iet bojā; 23 atjaunojieties savā prātā un garā. 24 Ietērpieties jaunā cilvēkā, kas radīts pēc Dieva taisnībā un patiesības svētumā. 25 Tādēļ, atmetuši melus, runājiet patiesību ikviens ar savu tuvāko , jo mēs esam locekļi viens otram. 26 Dusmojoties neapgrēkojieties! Lai saule nenoriet, jums dusmojoties. 27 Un nedodiet vietu velnam. – 28 Lai zaglis vairs nezog, bet labāk lai pūlas pats savām rokām darīt labu, lai varētu dot tam, kas ir trūkumā. 29 No jūsu mutes lai nenāk nekāda samaitāta runa, bet tikai tas, kas ir derīgs un nepieciešams stiprināšanai, lai būtu par svētību klausītājiem. 30 Un neapbēdiniet Dieva Svēto Garu, ar ko jūs esat apzīmogoti izpirkšanas dienai. 31 Viss rūgtums, niknums, dusmas, klaigas un zaimi no jums lai ir tālu prom līdz ar visu citu ļaunumu. 32 Esiet krietni cits pret citu un žēlsirdīgi, piedodiet viens otram, kā Dievs Kristū ir piedevis jums.
