Unity and maturity in the body of Christ
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it4:8 Or God says:
‘When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.’4:8 Psalm 68:18
9(What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions4:9 Or the depths of the earth? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed to and fro by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Instructions for Christian living
17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body. 26‘In your anger do not sin’4:26 Psalm 4:4 (see Septuagint): do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave 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.
