Poslanica Efežanima 4

Jedinstvo u Tijelu

1 Zaklinjem vas dakle kao sužanj u Gospodinu: živite dostojno poziva kojim vas je Bog pozvao.2 Budite ponizni i krotki. Podnosite jedni druge strpljivo i s ljubavlju.

3 Nastojte biti jedinstveni u Duhu, povezani mirom.
4 Svi smo mi jedno Tijelo, svi imamo jednoga Duha i svi smo pozvani k jednoj nadi.5 Samo je jedan Gospodin, jedna je vjera, jedno krštenje.6 Samo je jedan Bog Otac nad svima nama, koji prebiva u svima nama i djeluje kroz sve nas.7 A svakomu od nas dana je milost, dar koji nam je Isus dodijelio.

8 Zato u Svetome pismu piše:
"Uzlazeći na visinu,
poveo je sa sobom zarobljenike,
a ljudima je dao dare."9 Piše da je "uzišao". To znači da je najprije sišao dolje, na zemlju.

10 Koji je sišao, isti je onaj koji je uzišao nad sva nebesa, da sve ispuni.
11 Jednima je darovao da budu apostoli; drugima da budu proroci; jednima da budu evanđelisti, drugima pastiri i učitelji;12 da osposobi svete da mogu služiti i izgrađivati Crkvu, Kristovo tijelo,

13 sve dok ne postignemo takvo jedinstvo vjere i spoznaju Božjega Sina da postanemo zreli u Gospodinu, dok ne uzrastemo do Kristove punine.
14 Tada više nećemo biti poput nejačadi koju valovi bacaju amo-tamo i koju goni svaki vjetar prijevarnih ljudskih učenja, lukavština koje zavode na krivi put.15 Živjet ćemo istinoljubivo, u ljubavi, te postajati sve sličnijima Kristu, koji je glava Crkve, svojega Tijela.

16 Njegovom 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

17 Ovo kažem u Gospodinovo ime: zaklinjem vas da ne živite kao što žive pogani, razmišljajući isprazno.18 Oni su, naime, zaslijepljeni i zamračena uma, daleko su od Božjega života jer su zatvorili svoj razum prema njemu i ne mogu shvatiti Božje putove.

19 Ne mare više je li što dobro ili zlo. Odali su se bludu i u pohlepi počinjaju kojekakve nečistoće.
20 Ali vi niste tako poučeni kad ste spoznali Krista.21 Ako ste slušali o njemu i ako ste poučeni da je istina u Isusu,22 odbacite stari način života, starog čovjeka u vama kojega prijevarne požude vode u propast.23 Umjesto toga, Duh mora obnoviti vaš način razmišljanja.

24 Morate postati novim čovjekom, stvorenim na Božju sliku - pravednim, svetim i istinoljubivim.
25 Odbacite zato laž i "govorite istinu jedan drugomu" jer pripadamo jedni drugima, udovi smo istoga Tijela.26 "Srdite se ako morate, ali nemojte da vas srdžba odvede u grijeh!"

27 Ne dajte đavlu priliku da djeluje.
28 Tko 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.

29 Nikakva ružna riječ neka ne prijeđe preko vaših usana. Neka sve što kažete bude dobro, na izgradnju i dobrobit onima koji vas slušaju.
30 Ne žalostite svojim životom Božjega Svetog Duha, kojim ste zapečaćeni za dan otkupljenja.31 Klonite se svake gorčine, srdžbe, gnjeva, vike i kletve te svake opakosti!

32 Budite, naprotiv, jedni drugima dobrostivi i milosrdni te praštajte jedni drugima kao što je i Bog u Kristu nama oprostio.

Ephesians 4

Live in Unity

1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord,t urge you to livet worthily of the calling with which you have been called,s2 with all humility and gentleness,t with patience, bearing witht one another in love,3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling,5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he capturedtcaptives; he gave gifts to men,"s9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descendeds to the lower regions,s namely, the earth?t10 He, the very onet who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.11 It was het who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,s12 to equipt the saints for the work of ministry, that is,t to build up the body of Christ,13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining tot the measure of Christ’s full stature.t14 Sot we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.t15 But practicing the truth in love,t we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held togethert through every supporting ligament.t As each one does its part, the body grows in love.

Live in Holiness

17 So I say this, and insistt in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futilityt of their thinking.t18 They are darkened in their understanding,t being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.s20 But you did not learn about Christ like this,21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus.22 You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay asidet the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires,23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s imaget – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.t
25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,s for we are members of one another.26 Be angry and do not sin;s do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.t27 Do not give the devil an opportunity.28 The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.29 You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need,t that it may give grace to those who hear.30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.31 You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk.

32 Instead,s be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.t