1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
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I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you. 4:1
Trivia: According to Ephesians 4, who descended into the lower parts of the earth?
1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
So follow God, dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Walk in love.
Christ sacrificed his life as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God. [1]
3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Don't fornicate or covet. [2]
4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
Don't be filthy, talk foolish, or joke.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
No whoremonger, unclean or covetous person, or idolater will inherit the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Because of these things the wrath of God is on disobedient children.
7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Don't associate with them.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Don't be friends with the unfruitful works of darkness. [3]
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Walk like wise people, not like fools.
16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Don't waste time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Be wise. [4]
18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Don't get drunk with wine, [5] but be filled with the spirit.
19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Talk to yourselves with psalms and hymns.
21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Submit to each other in the fear of God. [6]
22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Wives, submit to you husbands, as you would to God. [7]
23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Because the husband is the head of the wife,
as Christ is the head of the church.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
So wives must obey their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church,
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
so he could clean it with the word and present it to himself,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
without spot, wrinkle, or blemish.
28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. "He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
So men should love their wives, [8]
like they love their own bodies.
He that loves his wife, loves himself.
Because men love their bodies, like God loves the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Let every man love his wife,
and let every woman revere her husband.
The bloody death of Jesus smelled good to God.
To Jehovah's Witnesses, everything outside of the Watchtower Organization is controlled by Satan. This is one of the verses that the Governing Body uses to condemn all holidays, civic activities, and association with non-JWs.
Wives must submit to their husbands "in every thing" as though they were Christ. "For the husband is the head of the wife."