1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But ye have not so learned Christ; 21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27Neither give place to the devil. 28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Jedinstvo u Tijelu
1Zaklinjem vas dakle kao sužanj u Gospodinu: živite dostojno poziva kojim vas je Bog pozvao. 2Budite ponizni i strpljivi. Podnosite nedostatke drugih s ljubavlju. 3Nastojte biti jedinstveni u Duhu, povezani mirom.
4Svi smo mi jedno Tijelo, svi imamo jednoga Duha i svi smo pozvani k jednoj nadi. 5Samo je jedan Gospodin, jedna je vjera, jedno krštenje. 6Samo je jedan Bog Otac nad svima nama, koji prebiva u svima nama i djeluje kroz sve nas. 7A svakomu od nas dana je milost, dar koji nam je Isus dodijelio. 8Zato u Svetome pismu piše:
“Uzlazeći na visinu,
poveo je sa sobom zarobljenike,
a ljudima je dao dare.”4:8 Psalam 68:19.
9Piše da je “uzišao”. To znači da je najprije sišao dolje, na zemlju. 10Koji je sišao, isti je onaj koji je uzišao nad sva nebesa, da sve ispuni.
11Jednima je darovao da budu apostoli; drugima da budu proroci; jednima da budu evanđelisti, drugima pastiri i učitelji; 12da osposobi svete da mogu služiti i izgrađivati Crkvu, Kristovo tijelo, 13sve dok ne postignemo takvo jedinstvo vjere i spoznaju Božjega Sina da postanemo zreli u Gospodinu, dok ne uzrastemo do Kristove punine.
14Tada više nećemo biti poput nejačadi koju valovi bacaju amo-tamo i koju goni svaki vjetar prijevarnih ljudskih učenja, lukavština koje zavode na krivi put. 15Živjet ćemo istinoljubivo, u ljubavi, te postajati sve sličnijima Kristu, koji je glava Crkve, svojega Tijela. 16Njegovom skrbi cijelo tijelo savršeno pristaje skupa. Svaki ud obavlja vlastiti posao i pomaže drugim udovima rasti, pa je cijelo Tijelo zdravo te raste i živi u ljubavi.
Živimo kao djeca svjetla
17Ovo kažem u Gospodinovo ime: zaklinjem vas da ne živite kao što žive pogani, razmišljajući isprazno. 18Oni su, naime, zaslijepljeni i zamračena uma, daleko su od Božjega života jer su zatvorili svoj razum prema njemu i ne mogu shvatiti Božje putove. 19Ne mare više je li što dobro ili zlo. Odali su se bludu i u pohlepi počinjaju kojekakve nečistoće.
20Ali vi niste tako poučeni kad ste spoznali Krista. 21Ako ste slušali o njemu i ako ste poučeni da je istina u Isusu, 22odbacite stari način života, starog čovjeka u vama kojega prijevarne požude vode u propast. 23Umjesto toga, Duh mora obnoviti vaš način razmišljanja. 24Morate postati novim čovjekom,4:24 U grčkome: obući se u novoga čovjeka. stvorenim na Božju sliku—pravednim, svetim i istinoljubivim.
25Odbacite zato laž i “govorite istinu jedan drugomu”4:25 Zaharija 8:16. jer pripadamo jedni drugima, udovi smo istoga Tijela. 26“Srdite se ako morate, ali nemojte da vas srdžba odvede u grijeh!”4:26 Psalam 4:5. 27Ne dajte đavlu priliku da djeluje.
28Tko je krao, neka to više ne čini. Radije neka se trudi vlastitim rukama priskrbiti dobra, da ima što podijeliti s onima koji su u potrebi. 29Nikakva ružna riječ neka ne prijeđe preko vaših usana. Neka sve što kažete bude dobro, na izgradnju i dobrobit onima koji vas slušaju.
30Ne žalostite svojim životom Božjega Svetog Duha, kojim ste zapečaćeni za dan otkupljenja.
31Klonite se svake gorčine, srdžbe, gnjeva, vike i kletve te svake opakosti! 32Budite, naprotiv, jedni drugima dobrostivi i milosrdni te praštajte jedni drugima kao što je i Bog u Kristu nama oprostio.
