Through My Bible Yr 01 – July 25

Ephesians 5

³ But do not let sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints. ⁴ Obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking are also out of place. Instead, give thanks. ⁵ Certainly you are aware of this: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, who is God. ^{[1] 6} Let no one deceive you with empty words. It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. ⁷ So do not share in what they do.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, ⁹ for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. ¹⁰ Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord, ¹¹ and do not participate in fruitless deeds of darkness. Instead, expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention the things that are done by people in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes things visible. ¹⁴ Therefore it is said, “Awake, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Consider carefully, then, how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise people. ¹⁶ Make the most of your time, ^[2] because the days are evil. ¹⁷ For this reason, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk on wine, which causes you to lose control. Instead, be filled with the Spirit ¹⁹ by speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (singing and making music with your hearts to the Lord), ²⁰ by always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ and by submitting to one another in reverence for Christ.

Husbands and Wives

²² Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he himself is the Savior. ²⁴ Moreover, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, in the same way as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, by cleansing her with the washing of water in connection with the Word. ²⁷ He did this so that he could present her to himself as a glorious church, having no stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but so that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands have an obligation to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ To be sure, no one has ever hated his own body, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. ^{[3] 31} “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will be one flesh.” ^{[4] 32} This is a great mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ In any case, each one of you also is to love his wife as himself, and each wife is to respect her husband.

Parents and Children

Ephesians 6

¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother,” ^[5] which is the first commandment with a promise: ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on the earth.” ^{[6] 4} Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

⁵ Slaves, obey your human masters ^[7] with respect and reverence, and with a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ. ⁶ Do this not just when they are watching, as if merely to please people, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. ⁷ Serve with eagerness, as for the Lord and not for people, ⁸ because you know that each person, whether slave or free, will receive back from the Lord whatever good he has done. ⁹ And masters, do the same for your slaves. Do not threaten them, because you know that the one who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and with him there is no favoritism.