However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

So just as you once accepted the Christ, Jesus, as your Lord, you must live in vital union with him.

You must be rooted and built up in him and made strong in faith, just as you were taught to be, overflowing with it in your gratitude.

Such people lose their connection with the head, from which the whole body through its ligaments and sinews must be governed and united if it is to grow in the divine way.

If you died with Christ to the world's rudimentary notions, why, as if you still lived in the world, do you submit yourselves to dogmatisms found on teachings and doctrines of men??21 such as "Do not handle this," "You must not taste that," "Do not touch this"??22 all things which are intended to perish in the using?

"You must not handle," "You must not taste," "You must not touch"??22 referring to things that are all meant to be used up and destroyed? This is to follow mere human rules and regulations.

But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.

You must not lie to one another. For you have stripped off your old self with its ways

As God's own chosen, then, as consecrated and beloved, be clothed with compassion, kindliness, humility, gentleness, and good temper ??13 forbear and forgive each other in any case of complaint; as Christ forgave you, so must you forgive.

bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.

And above all you must be loving, for love is the link of the perfect life.

And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

You married women must subordinate yourselves to your husbands, for that is your duty as Christians.

You who are husbands must love your wives and not be harsh to them.

You who are slaves must always obey your earthly masters, not with mere external service, as though you had only men to please, but with sincerity of heart, because you fear the Lord.

You who are masters must treat your slaves justly and fairly, and remember that you have a Master too, in heaven.

You must persevere in prayer and by this means stay wide awake when you give thanks.

And when this Letter has been read among you, let it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans, and you in turn must read the one I am sending to Laodicea.