1You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow his example. 2Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.
3There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among you. Don’t do anything impure. And do not always want more and more. These are not the things God’s holy people should do. 4There must not be any bad language or foolish talk or dirty jokes. They are out of place. Instead, you should give thanks. 5Here is what you can be sure of. Those who give themselves over to sexual sins are lost. So are people whose lives are impure. The same is true of those who always want more and more. People who do these things might as well worship statues of gods. No one who does them will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Don’t let anyone fool you with worthless words. People who say things like that aren’t obeying God. He is angry with them. 7So don’t go along with people like that.
8At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. 9The light produces what is completely good, right and true. 10Find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like. 12It is shameful even to talk about what people who don’t obey do in secret. 13But everything the light shines on can be seen. And everything that the light shines on becomes a light. 14That is why it is said,
“Wake up, sleeper.
Rise from the dead.
Then Christ will shine on you.”
15So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil. 17So don’t be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants. 18Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. 20Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Teachings for Christian Families
21Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.
22Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands as you follow the Lord. 23The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ’s body. He is its Savior. 24The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her. 26He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word. 27He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame. 28In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated their own body. Instead, they feed and care for their body. And this is what Christ does for the church. 30We are parts of his body. 31Scripture says, “That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.” (Genesis 2:24) 32That is a deep mystery. But I’m talking about Christ and the church. 33A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.
行事與聖徒的身分相稱
1因此，你們既然是上帝疼愛的兒女，就要效法上帝。 2要以愛心待人，像基督愛我們一樣，祂為我們犧牲自己作為獻給上帝的馨香供物和祭物。
3一切淫亂、污穢或貪婪的事在你們當中連提都不要提，才合乎聖徒的身分。 4污言穢語、愚昧粗俗的談笑都不合宜，總要說感恩的話才好。 5因為你們清楚知道，淫亂的人、污穢的人，還有貪婪的人，就是拜偶像的人，在基督和上帝的國裡沒有立足之地。 6不要被虛空的道理欺騙，因為上帝的烈怒必臨到上述那些悖逆的人。 7所以，你們不要與他們同流合污。
8你們從前活在黑暗中，現在既然活在主的光明中，行事為人就該像光明的兒女。 9光明總是結出良善、公義和真理的果子。 10你們要察驗什麼是主所喜悅的事， 11不可參與那些黑暗無益的事，反要揭發斥責， 12因為那些人暗地裡做的事就是提起來都覺得可恥。 13然而，一切的事被光一照，都會真相大白， 14因為光能使一切顯明出來。因此有人說：
「沉睡的人啊，醒來吧！
從死人中起來吧，
基督要光照你了！」
15因此，你們要注意自己的生活，不要像愚昧人，要像有智慧的人。 16要愛惜光陰，因為現今是個邪惡的世代。 17所以，不要做糊塗人，要明白主的旨意。 18不要醉酒，醉酒會使人放蕩，要被聖靈充滿。 19要用詩篇、聖樂、靈歌互相激勵，從心底唱出讚美主的旋律。 20凡事總要奉我們主耶穌基督的名感謝父上帝。
夫婦之道
21你們要存敬畏基督的心彼此順服。
22作妻子的要順服自己的丈夫，如同順服主基督。 23因為丈夫是妻子的頭，正如基督是祂的身體——教會的頭，又是教會的救主。 24教會怎樣順服基督，妻子也要照樣凡事順服丈夫。
25作丈夫的要愛妻子，正如基督愛教會，為教會捨己， 26好藉著自己的道用水洗淨教會，使她聖潔， 27以便把聖潔、完美、沒有污點、皺紋等瑕疵的榮耀教會呈獻給祂自己。 28同樣，作丈夫的也要愛妻子如同愛自己的身體，愛妻子就是愛自己。 29沒有人會厭惡自己的身體，人總是珍惜保養身體，正如基督對待教會一樣， 30因為我們是祂身上的肢體。 31「因此，人要離開父母，與妻子結合，二人成為一體。」 32這是一個極大的奧祕，然而我是指著基督和教會的關係說的。 33總之，你們作丈夫的都要愛妻子如同愛自己，作妻子的也要敬重丈夫。
