Imitators of God

1Therefore be imitators of God, as His dear children. 2And live and act lovingly, as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up to death on our behalf as an offering and sacrifice to God, yielding a fragrant odor.

3But fornication and every kind of impurity, or covetousness, let them not even be mentioned among you, for they ought not to be named among God's people. 4Avoid shameful and foolish talk and low jesting—they are all alike discreditable—and in place of these give thanks. 5For be well assured that no fornicator or immoral person and no money-grubber—or in other words idol-worshipper—has any share awaiting him in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is on account of these very sins that God's anger is coming upon the disobedient. 7Therefore do not become sharers with them.

Children of Light

8There was a time when you were nothing but darkness. Now, as Christians, you are Light itself. 9Live and act as sons of Light—for the effect of the Light is seen in every kind of goodness, uprightness and truth— 10and learn in your own experiences what is fully pleasing to the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the barren unprofitable deeds of darkness, but, instead of that, set your faces against them; 12for the things which are done by these people in secret it is disgraceful even to speak of. 13But everything can be tested by the light and thus be shown in its true colors; for whatever shines of itself is light.

14For this reason it is said, "Rise, sleeper; rise from among the dead, and Christ will shed light upon you."

15Therefore be very careful how you live and act. Let it not be as unwise men, but as wise. 16Buy up your opportunities, for these are evil times. 17On this account do not prove yourselves wanting in sense, but try to understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not over-indulge in wine—a thing in which excess is so easy— 19but drink deeply of God's Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and offer praise in your hearts to the Lord. 20Always and for everything let your thanks to God the Father be presented in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

(Song of Solomon 1:1-3; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

22Married women, submit to your own husbands as if to the Lord; 23because a husband is the Head of his wife as Christ also is the Head of the Church, being indeed the Saviour of this His Body. 24And just as the Church submits to Christ, so also married women should be entirely submissive to their husbands.

25Married men, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up to death for her; 26in order to make her holy, cleansing her with the baptismal water by the word, 27that He might present the Church to Himself a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle or any other defect, but to be holy and unblemished. 28So too married men ought to love their wives as much as they love themselves. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For never yet has a man hated his own body. On the contrary he feeds and cherishes it, just as Christ feeds and cherishes the Church; 30because we are, as it were, parts of His Body. 31"For this reason a man is to leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall be as one." 32That is a great truth hitherto kept secret: I mean the truth concerning Christ and the Church. 33Yet I insist that among you also, each man is to love his own wife as much as he loves himself, and let a married woman see to it that she treats her husband with respect.