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 Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue living 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,"

But now you also must renounce them all. Anger, passion, and ill-will must be put away; slander, too, and foul talk, so that they may never soil your lips.

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

So as God's own chosen people, consecrated and dearly loved, you must once for all clothe yourselves with tenderheartedness, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience; you must keep on

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 continue to live in subordination to your husbands, for this is your Christian duty.

You husbands must continue to love your wives and stop being harsh with 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.

Masters, you must practice doing the right and square things by your slaves, for you know that you have a Master 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.