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Ephesians 5
The walk of chapter 4 continues, now framed by light and darkness. Readers are urged to be "imitators of God," to walk in love as Christ "gave himself up" for them, and to keep clear of immorality, greed, and empty talk. A striking line anchors the middle: "you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord." Watch the practical turn — "redeeming the time, because the days are evil" — and the call to be filled with the Spirit rather than with wine.
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Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.
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Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
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But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;
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nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate, but rather giving of thanks.
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Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
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Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
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Therefore don’t be partakers with them.
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For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
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for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,
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proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.
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Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them.
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For it is a shame even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
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But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light.
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Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
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Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise,
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redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
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Therefore, don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
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Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
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speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
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giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
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subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
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Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
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For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.
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But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
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Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her,
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that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
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that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect.
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Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
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For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly,
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because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
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“For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.”
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This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the assembly.
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Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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Portanto, sejam imitadores de Deus, como filhos amados.
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Andem em amor, assim como Cristo também nos amou e se entregou por nós, como oferta e sacrifício a Deus, de aroma suave.
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Mas a imoralidade sexual, e toda impureza ou cobiça, não sejam sequer mencionadas entre vocês, como convém aos santos;
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nem obscenidade, nem conversas tolas, nem piadas indecentes, que não são apropriadas, mas, em vez disso, ações de graças.
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Saibam disto com certeza: nenhum imoral, ou impuro, ou avarento (que é idólatra) tem qualquer herança no Reino de Cristo e de Deus.
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Ninguém os engane com palavras vazias, pois por causa dessas coisas a ira de Deus vem sobre os filhos da desobediência.
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Portanto, não sejam participantes com eles.
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Pois outrora vocês eram trevas, mas agora são luz no Senhor. Andem como filhos da luz,
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pois o fruto do Espírito está em toda bondade, justiça e verdade,
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provando o que é agradável ao Senhor.
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Não tenham comunhão com as obras infrutíferas das trevas, mas, em vez disso, até mesmo as repreendam.
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Pois é vergonhoso até mesmo falar das coisas que são feitas por eles em segredo.
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Mas todas as coisas, quando são repreendidas, são reveladas pela luz, pois tudo o que revela é luz.
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Por isso ele diz: “Desperte, você que dorme, levante-se dentre os mortos, e Cristo brilhará sobre você.”
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Portanto, prestem muita atenção em como vocês andam, não como tolos, mas como sábios,
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remindo o tempo, porque os dias são maus.
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Portanto, não sejam insensatos, mas entendam qual é a vontade do Senhor.
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Não se embriaguem com vinho, no qual há devassidão, mas encham-se do Espírito,
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falando uns aos outros com salmos, hinos e cânticos espirituais; cantando e fazendo melodia em seu coração ao Senhor;
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dando graças sempre por todas as coisas, em nome de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, a Deus, o Pai;
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sujeitando-se uns aos outros no temor de Cristo.
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Esposas, sujeitem-se aos seus próprios maridos, como ao Senhor.
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Pois o marido é o cabeça da esposa, assim como Cristo também é o cabeça da igreja, sendo ele próprio o salvador do corpo.
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Mas, assim como a igreja está sujeita a Cristo, que as esposas também estejam sujeitas aos seus próprios maridos em tudo.
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Maridos, amem as suas esposas, assim como Cristo também amou a igreja e se entregou por ela,
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para que pudesse santificá-la, tendo-a purificado pela lavagem de água com a palavra,
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para que pudesse apresentar a igreja a si mesmo gloriosamente, sem mancha, nem ruga, nem qualquer coisa semelhante, mas para que fosse santa e sem defeito.
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Da mesma forma, os maridos também devem amar as suas próprias esposas como aos seus próprios corpos. Quem ama a sua própria esposa, ama a si mesmo.
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Pois ninguém jamais odiou a sua própria carne, mas a nutre e cuida dela, assim como o Senhor também faz com a igreja,
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porque somos membros do seu corpo, da sua carne e dos seus ossos.
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“Por esta causa o homem deixará seu pai e sua mãe e se unirá à sua esposa. Então os dois se tornarão uma só carne.”
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Este mistério é grande, mas eu falo a respeito de Cristo e da igreja.
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No entanto, cada um de vocês também deve amar a sua própria esposa como a si mesmo; e a esposa tenha o cuidado de respeitar o seu marido.
Mutual submission, then marriage
Verse 21 — "subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ" — is the hinge into the household instructions. What follows on wives and husbands flows out of that mutual posture, not against it.
Paul grounds marriage in Christ and the church: the husband's love is measured by how Christ "gave himself up" to present her without "spot or wrinkle." Citing Genesis on "one flesh," he calls it a great "mystery" pointing beyond itself to Christ and the assembly.
Context layers
Keep these closed by default and open them only when you want more context.
- ObedienceWhat obedience means in the Bible, how it relates to faith and love, and why it should not be confused with legalistic performance.
- RighteousnessWhat righteousness means in the Bible, how it relates to justice and right standing, and why it cannot be reduced to private morality.
- Fear of the LordWhat the fear of the Lord means in the Bible, how it relates to wisdom, reverence, obedience, and trust.
- Kingdom of GodWhat the kingdom of God means in the Bible, how it relates to Christ's reign, and where to read it without flattening it into politics or vague spirituality.
- Deuteronomy 6:4-6Key passage connected to Obedience.
- John 14:15Key passage connected to Obedience.
- James 1:22-25Key passage connected to Obedience.
- Matthew 5:6Key passage connected to Righteousness.
- Romans 3:21-26Key passage connected to Righteousness.
- Philippians 3:8-9Key passage connected to Righteousness.
- Proverbs 1:7Key passage connected to Fear of the Lord.
- Psalms 111:10Key passage connected to Fear of the Lord.
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