1 Tad nu, važās slēgts sava Kunga dēļ, es jūs mudinu: dzīvojiet tā, kā to prasa jūsu aicinājuma cieņa, 2 visā pazemībā, lēnībā un pacietībā, cits citu panesdami mīlestībā, 3 cenzdamies uzturēt Gara vienību ar miera saiti: 4 viena miesa, viens Gars - jo vienai cerībai jūs savā aicinājumā esat aicināti -, 5 viens Kungs, viena ticība, viena kristība; 6 viens visu Dievs un Tēvs, kas pār visiem, ar visiem un iekš visiem. 7 Bet ikvienam no mums piešķirta žēlastība tādā mērā, kādā to Kristus mums ir dāvinājis. 8 Tāpēc ir sacīts: uzkāpis augstumā, Viņš saņēmis gūstekņus, devis dāvanas cilvēkiem. - 9 Uzkāpis - ko citu gan tas nozīmē, ja ne to, ka Viņš arī nokāpis šīs pasaules zemajās vietās? 10 Bet Tas, kas nokāpis, ir tas pats, kas (pēc tam) uzkāpis augstāk par visām debesīm, lai visu piepildītu. 11 Viņš arī devis citus par apustuļiem, citus par praviešiem, citus par evaņģēlistiem, citus par ganiem un mācītājiem, 12 lai svētos sagatavotu kalpošanas darbam, Kristus miesai par stiprinājumu, 13 līdz kamēr mēs visi sasniegsim vienību Dieva Dēla ticībā un atziņā, īsto vīra briedumu, Kristus diženuma pilnības mēru. 14 Tad mēs vairs nebūsim mazgadīgi bērni, kas cilvēku viltus spēlē, viņu viltīgas rīcības piekrāpti, tiek šurpu turpu svaidīti, padodamies katram mācības vējam. 15 Bet patiesi būdami mīlestībā, visās lietās pieaugsim Viņā, kas ir mūsu galva, proti, Kristus. 16 Viņā visa miesa, kopā saturēta un visādām palīgsaitēm vienota, pastāvīgi aug pēc tām spējām, kas katrai viņas daļai dotas, kļūdama aizvien pilnīgāka mīlestībā. 17 Tad nu es jums piekodinu - Tas Kungs ir mans liecinieks - vairs nedzīvot tā, kā pagāni dzīvo sava sirdsprāta tukšībā 18 savas nezināšanas dēļ un sirds apcietinā tības dēļ, aptumšojušies savā sapratnē un atsvešinājušies dzīvībai, kas no Dieva, 19 zaudējuši kauna jūtas un sākuši nodoties izvirtībai, sagandēdami savu dzīvi ar visādiem netiklības darbiem un mantkārību. 20 Bet tā jūs Kristu neesat mācījušies; 21 jūs par Viņu esat dzirdējuši un mācījušies tā, ka patiesība ir Jēzū, 22 ka līdz ar agrākās dzīves veidu jums jāatmet vecais cilvēks, kas savu kārību pievilts iet bojā, 23 un jāatjaunojas savā sirdsprātā 24 un jāapģērbj jaunais cilvēks, kas radīts pēc Dieva patiesā taisnībā un svētumā. 25 Tāpēc atmetiet melus un runājiet patiesību ikviens ar savu tuvāko, jo mēs savā starpā esam locekļi. 26 Dusmās neapgrēkojieties: lai saule nenoriet, jums dusmojoties, 27 un nedodiet vietu velnam. 28 Kas zadzis, lai vairs nezog, bet lai labāk cenšas sev sagādāt godīgu iztiku ar savu roku darbu, lai būtu ko dot tam, kas ir trūkumā. 29 No jūsu mutes lai nenāk neviens nekrietns vārds, bet tikai krietnas runas, kas draudzi ceļ un nes svētību klausītājiem. 30 Un neapbēdinait Dieva Svēto Garu, ar ko esat apzīmogoti atpestīšanas dienai. 31 Katrs rūgtums, ātrsirdība, dusmas, bāršanās un zaimi, vispār katra ļaunprātība lai ir tālu no jums. 32 Bet esiet cits pret citu laipni un žēlsirdīgi; piedodiet cits citam, kā arī Dievs Kristū jums ir piedevis.
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.
