And those who are Christ's have put to death on the cross the flesh with its passions and its evil desires.

If we are living by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us be guided.

Brothers, if a man is taken in any wrongdoing, you who are of the Spirit will put such a one right in a spirit of love; keeping watch on yourself, for fear that you yourself may be tested.

So then, as we have the chance, let us do good to all men, and specially to those who are of the family of the faith.

And on all who are guided by this rule be peace and mercy, and on the Israel of God.

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the purpose of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and those who have faith in Christ Jesus:

The ordering of the times when they are complete, so that all things might come to a head in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on the earth; in him, I say,

Which is his body, the full measure of him in whom all things are made complete.

So that we came back from death with him, and are seated with him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus;

For this reason keep it in mind that in the past you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are looked on as being outside the circumcision by those who have circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;

But now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

Because through him the two of us are able to come near in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God,

In whom you, with the rest, are united together as a living-place of God in the Spirit.

For this reason it is my prayer that you may not become feeble because of my troubles for you, which are your glory.

This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,

Whose thoughts are dark, to whom the life of God is strange because they are without knowledge, and their hearts have been made hard;

That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit;

And so, putting away false words, let everyone say what is true to his neighbour: for we are parts one of another.

And let there be no low behaviour, or foolish talk, or words said in sport, which are not right, but in place of them the giving of praise.

For you at one time were dark, but now are light in the Lord: let your behaviour be that of children of light

For the things which are done by them in secret it is shame even to put into words.

But all things, when their true quality is seen, are made clear by the light: because everything which is made clear is light.

For this reason he says, Be awake, you who are sleeping, and come up from among the dead, and Christ will be your light.

Take care then how you are living, not as unwise, but as wise;

Making good use of the time, because the days are evil.

Because we are parts of his body.

This is a great secret: but my words are about Christ and the church.

Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ;

Being full of the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

And most of the brothers in the Lord, taking heart because of my chains, are all the stronger to give the word of God without fear.

Though some are preaching Christ out of envy and competition, others do it out of a good heart:

But those are preaching Christ in a spirit of competition, not from their hearts, but with the purpose of giving me pain in my prison.

Only let your behaviour do credit to the good news of Christ, so that if I come and see you or if I am away from you, I may have news of you that you are strong in one spirit, working together with one soul for the faith of the good news;

Having no fear of those who are against you; which is a clear sign of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God;

So that you may be holy and gentle, children of God without sin in a twisted and foolish generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

For we are the circumcision, who give worship to God and have glory in Jesus Christ, and have no faith in the flesh:

Yes truly, and I am ready to give up all things for the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, which is more than all: for whom I have undergone the loss of all things, and to me they are less than nothing, so that I may have Christ as my reward,

Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,

Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you:

Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given.

For there are those, of whom I have given you word before, and do so now with sorrow, who are haters of the cross of Christ;

Whose end is destruction, whose god is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, whose minds are fixed on the things of the earth.

For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ:

And I make request to you, true helper in my work, to see to the needs of those women who took part with me in the good news, with Clement and the rest of my brother-workers whose names are in the book of life.

For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things.

Give words of love to every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their love.

All the saints send their love to you, specially those who are of Caesar's house.

Through him uniting all things with himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven.

Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ;

In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge.

And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority:

For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.

(Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?

Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods;

Servants, in all things do the orders of your natural masters; not only when their eyes are on you, as pleasers of men, but with all your heart, fearing the Lord:

Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.

Be wise in your behaviour to those who are outside, making good use of the time.

And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may have news of how we are, and so that he may give your hearts comfort;

And Jesus, whose other name is Justus; these are of the circumcision: they are my only brother-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me.

For you yourselves, brothers, are conscious that our coming among you was not without effect:

But even as the good news was given to us by the approval of God, so we give it out; not as pleasing men, but God by whom our hearts are tested.

You are witnesses, with God, how holy and upright and free from all evil was our way of life among you who have faith;

For you, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews;

Who put to death the Lord Jesus and the prophets, violently driving us out; who are unpleasing to God and against all men;

For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus, at his coming?

For you are our glory and our joy.

So that no man might be moved by these troubles; because you see that these things are part of God's purpose for us.

For how great is the praise which we give to God for you, and how great the joy with which we are glad because of you before our God;

And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.

And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;

That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.

For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.

Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.

But you, my brothers, are not in the dark, for that day to overtake you like a thief:

For you are all sons of light and of the day: we are not of the night or of the dark.

For those who are sleeping do so in the night; and those who are the worse for drink are so in the night;

But let us, who are of the day, be serious, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and on our heads, the hope of salvation.

But we make this request to you, my brothers: give attention to those who are working among you, who are over you in the Lord to keep order among you;

And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all.

I give orders in the name of the Lord that all the brothers are to be present at the reading of this letter.

So that we ourselves take pride in you in the churches of God for your untroubled mind and your faith in all the troubles and sorrows which you are going through;

For it is an act of righteousness on God's part to give trouble as their reward to those who are troubling you,

And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with the angels of his power in flames of fire,

For this reason, you are ever in our prayers, that you may seem to our God such as may have a part in his purpose and that by his power he will make all his good purpose, and the work of faith, complete;

And we have faith in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things about which we give you orders.

For you yourselves are used to taking us as your example, because our life among you was ruled by order,

For it has come to our ears that there are some among you whose behaviour is uncontrolled, who do no work at all, but are over-interested in the business of others.

These words of love to you at the end are in my writing, Paul's writing, and this is the mark of every letter from me.

We are conscious that the law is good, if a man makes a right use of it,

Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given up to Satan, so that they may say no more evil words against God.

But clothed with good works, as is right for women who are living in the fear of God.

Deacons, in the same way, are to be serious in their behaviour, not false in word, not given to taking much wine or greatly desiring the wealth of this world;

Women are to be serious in behaviour, saying no evil of others, controlling themselves, true in all things.

Through the false ways of men whose words are untrue, whose hearts are burned as with a heated iron;

Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living.

Give honour to widows who are truly widows.

And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.