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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 it says:
  “When he ascended on high,
   he took many captives
   and gave gifts to his people.”
9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? 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 back and forth 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 neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26“In your anger do not sin” : 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.

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Cov ntseeg koom ib lub cev

1Vim li no kuv uas raug kaw vim saib rau tus Tswv, thov nej ua lub neej kom phim qhov uas Vajtswv hu nej los xyaum. 2Nej yuav tsum txo kiag lub siab, thiab ua lub siab mos siab muag, ua lub siab ntev, thiab ua siab thev ib leeg rau ib leeg ntawm txojkev hlub, 3thiab kub siab tuav rawv qhov uas koom ua ib lub siab uas Vaj Ntsuj Plig pub, muab txojkev sib hum xeeb los khi nej. 4Muaj tib lub cev thiab tib tug Ntsuj Plig, ib yam li nej raug hu los txais tib txojkev vam rau thaum Vajtswv hu nej los, 5muaj tib tug Tswv, muaj tib txojkev ntseeg, muaj tib txoj kevcai raus dej, 6muaj tib tug Vajtswv uas yog peb txhua tus leej Txiv, nws kav txhua tus, txhua tus tshwm ntawm nws los, thiab nws nyob hauv txhua tus.
7Txojkev hlub muab pub rau peb txhua tus npaum li uas Khetos pub. 8Vim li ntawd thiaj muaj lus sau cia hais tias,
  “Thaum nws nce mus
   rau saum lub chaw siab,
  nws coj ib pab uas nws ntes tau
   nrog nws mus,
  thiab nws pub
   qhov txhia chaw rau tibneeg.”
9(Qhov uas hais tias “Nws nce mus saud” muaj lub ntsiab li cas? Kuj yog hais tias nws nqes mus rau hauv nruab yeeb lawm thiab. 10Tus uas nqes mus rau hauv nruab yeeb kuj yog tus uas nce mus siab dhau saum ntuj huvsi, kom thiaj nyob tau thoob plaws txhua qhov.) 11Tej uas nws pub ntawd kuj yog pub kom qee leej ua tubtxib, qee leej ua xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus, qee leej qhia txoj xov zoo, qee leej ua tus yug pawg ntseeg thiab ua xibhwb qhia, 12thiaj npaj tau cov xov dawb ua Vajtswv tes haujlwm tsim tsa Khetos lub cev kom kheev hlob, 13mus txog thaum peb sawvdaws txawj koom ua ib lub siab hauv txojkev ntseeg thiab hauv txojkev paub txog Vajtswv leej Tub, thiab peb hlob tiav txiv lawm, yog hlob puv npo ib yam li Khetos rau txhua fab. 14Peb thiaj tsis ua menyuam yaus ntxiv mus, tsis ua lub siab ywj fab ywj fwj raug ntas mus ntas los qaug raws cua rau neeg txhua yam lus qhia thiab tsis raug neeg tej kev txawj ntse li tswvyim phem dag ntxias. 15Tiamsis peb yuav hais qhov tseeb ntawm txojkev sib hlub kom thiaj loj hlob txhua fab koom rau tus uas yog lub taubhau, yog Khetos ntag. 16Vim muaj Khetos, tag nrho lub cev huvsi thiaj tau sib txuas thiab koom ua ke ntawm txhua lub pob qej txha uas pub rau lub cev ntawd, thiab thaum txhua yam nyias ua nyias tes haujlwm, kuj ua rau lub cev loj hlob thiab tsim tsa tus kheej ntawm txojkev sib hlub.

Lub neej qub thiab lub neej tshiab

17Yog li ntawd kuv hais li no thiab kuv hais tawv qhawv hauv tus Tswv kom nej tsis txhob ua nej lub neej ib yam li lwm haiv neeg dua li lawm. Lawv ua raws li lawv tej kev xav uas tsis muaj qabhau. 18Lawv tej kev xav tsaus ntuj nti lawm, lawv tsis muaj cai koom txojsia uas Vajtswv pub vim yog lawv tsis paub dabtsi li vim lawv lub siab tawv heev. 19Lawv yeej tsis paub txaj muag, lawv tso plhuav lawv lub cev mus ua kev phem kev qias thiab ua txhua yam kev vuab tsuab tsis tswj lub siab kiag li. 20Tiamsis zaj uas nej kawm txog Khetos tsis tau qhia li ntawd. 21Nej twb hnov txog Khetos tiag tiag li lawm thiab tau txais tej lus qhia uas yog txojkev tseeb hauv Yexus, 22yog qhia kom tso tus neeg qub hauv lub neej qub tseg, yog tus neeg qub uas raug txojkev ntshaw ntxias coj mus puam tsuaj, 23thiab cia nej tus ntsuj plig thiab tej kev xav raug hloov dua tshiab, 24thiab muab tus neeg tshiab los hnav, yog tus neeg uas raug muab tsim kom ncaj ncees thiab dawb huv tseeb tiag ib yam li Vajtswv.
25Vim li no, cia li muab txojkev dag tso tseg, txhua tus cia li hais lus tseeb rau kwvtij zej zog, rau qhov peb yeej koom tib lub cev. 26“Thaum nej chim tsis txhob ua txhaum,” tsis txhob cia hnub poob tseem chim, 27thiab tsis txhob pub sijhawm rau Ntxwg Nyoog. 28Tus uas txeev ua tub sab kuj tsis txhob ua dua li lawm, cia nws siv nws txhais tes ua tej haujlwm zoo mas zoo dua, kom thiaj li muaj faib rau cov uas cheem tsum. 29Tsis txhob cia tej lus phem tawm hauv nej lub qhov ncauj los, tsuas yog hais lo lus zoo uas tsim tsa lub neej raws li uas cheem tsum xwv thiaj li muaj nuj nqes rau cov uas tau hnov. 30Thiab tsis txhob ua rau Vajtswv tus Ntsuj Plig uas dawb huv tu siab, vim Vaj Ntsuj Plig yog lub hom thawj nias cia rau nej rau hnub uas txhiv nej dim. 31Cia li muab txhua yam kev cib nyeej, kev chim, kev npau taws, kev sib cav sib ceg, kev xyav luag moo thiab txhua yam kev phem tso tseg. 32Cia li muaj lub siab khuvleej, siab tab ncuab, siab zam txim ib leeg rau ib leeg ib yam li Vajtswv zam txim rau nej hauv Khetos.