1 You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. 2 Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!
The Old Life and the New
5 You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry). 6 Because of such things God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him. 7 At one time you yourselves used to live according to such desires, when your life was dominated by them.
8 But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips. 9 Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits 10 and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself. 11 As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.
12 You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. 14 And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity. 15 The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts. 17 Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.
Personal Relations in the New Life
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God.
21 Parents, do not irritate your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your human masters in all things, not only when they are watching you because you want to gain their approval; but do it with a sincere heart because of your reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve. 25 And all wrongdoers will be repaid for the wrong things they do, because God judges everyone by the same standard.
السّلوك المسيحي
1 وإنْ كُنتُم قُمتُم معَ المَسيحِ، فاَسعَوا إلى الأُمورِ التي في السّماءِ حَيثُ المَسيحُ جالِسٌ عَنْ يَمينِ اللهِ. 2 اَهتمّوا بالأُمورِ التي في السّماءِ، لا بالأُمورِ التي في الأرضِ، 3 لأنّكُم مُتّم وحَياتُكُم مُستَتِرَةٌ معَ المَسيحِ في اللهِ. 4 فمَتى ظَهَرَ المَسيحُ الذي هوَ حَياتُكُم، تَظهَرونَ أنتُم أيضًا معَهُ في مَجدِهِ.
5 أميتوا، إذًا، ما هوَ أرضِيّ فيكُم كالزّنى والفِسقِ والهَوى والشّهوَةِ الرّديئَةِ والفجورِ، فهوَ عِبادَةُ الأوثانِ، 6 وتِلكَ أُمورٌ تَجلِبُ غضَبَ اللهِ على أبناءِ المَعصيةِ. 7 كذلِكَ كانَت حالُكُم فيما مَضى حينَ كُنتُم تَعيشونَ فيها.
8 أمّا الآنَ فتَخَلّصوا مِنْ كُلّ ما فيهِ غَضَبٌ ونَقمَةٌ وخُبثٌ وشَتيمَةٌ. لا تَــتَلفّظوا بِالكَلامِ البَذيءِ، 9 ولا يكذِبْ بَعضُكُم على بَعضٍ، لأنّكُم خَلَعتُمُ الإنسانَ القَديمَ وكُلّ أعمالِهِ، 10 ولَبِستُمُ الإنسانَ الجَديدَ الذي يتَجَدّدُ في المَعرِفَةِ على صُورَةِ خالِقِهِ. 11 فلا يَبقى هُناكَ يَهودِيّ أو غَيرُ يَهودِيّ، ولا مَختونٌ أو غَيرُ مَختونٍ، ولا أعجَمِـيّ أو بَربَرِيّ، ولا عَبدٌ أو حُرّ، بَلِ المَسيحُ الذي هوَ كُلّ شيءٍ وفي كُلّ شيءٍ.
12 وأنتُم الذينَ اَختارَهُمُ اللهُ فقَدّسَهُم وأحَبّهُم، اَلبَسُوا عَواطِفَ الحَنانِ والرّأْفَةِ والتّواضُعِ والوَداعَةِ والصّبرِ. 13 اَحتَمِلوا بَعضُكُم بَعضًا، ولْيُسامِـحْ بَعضُكُم بَعضًا إذا كانَت لأَحَدٍ شَكوى مِنَ الآخَرِ. فكما سامَحَكُمُ الرّبّ، سامِحوا أنتُم أيضًا. 14 واَلبَسُوا فَوقَ هذا كُلّهِ المَحبّةَ، فهِيَ رِباطُ الكَمالِ. 15 ولْيَملِكْ في قُلوبِكُم سلامُ المَسيحِ، فإلَيهِ دَعاكُمُ اللهُ لِتَصيروا جَسَدًا واحدًا. كونوا شاكِرينَ.
16 لِتَحِلّ في قُلوبِكُم كَلِمَةُ المَسيحِ بِكُلّ غِناها لِتُعَلّموا وتُنَبّهوا بَعضُكُم بَعضًا بِكُلّ حِكمَةٍ. رَتّلوا المَزاميرَ والتّسابـيحَ والأناشيدَ الرّوحِيّةَ شاكِرينَ اللهَ مِنْ أعماقِ قُلوبِكُم.
17 ومَهما يكُنْ لكُم مِنْ قَولٍ أو فِعلٍ، فلْيكُنْ باَسمِ الرّبّ يَسوعَ، حامِدينَ بِه اللهَ الآبَ.
وصايا اجتماعية
18 أيّتُها النّساءُ اَخضَعْنَ لأزواجِكُنّ كما يَليقُ في الرّبّ. 19 أيّها الرّجالُ، أحِبّوا نِساءَكُم ولا تكونوا قُساةً علَيهِنّ. 20 أيّها البَنونَ، أطيعوا والِديكُم في كُلّ شيءٍ لأنّ هذا يُرضي الرّبّ. 21 أيّها الآباءُ، لا تُغيظوا أبناءَكُم لِئَلاّ يَيأسوا.
22 أيّها العَبـيدُ، أطيعوا في كُلّ شَيءٍ سادَتكُم في هذِهِ الدّنيا، لا بِخدمَةِ العَينِ كمَنْ يُرضي النّاسَ، بَلْ بِنَقاوَةِ القَلبِ ومَخافَةِ الرّبّ. 23 ومَهما تَعمَلوا فاَعمَلوهُ مِنْ كُلّ قُلوبِكُم كأنّهُ لِلرّبّ لا لِلنّاسِ، 24 عالِمينَ أنّ الرّبّ سَيُكافِئُكُم بِميراثِهِ، فأنتُم تَخدِمونَ الرّبّ المَسيحَ. 25 أمّا الذي يَعمَلُ الشّرّ فسَيَنالُ جَزاءَ عَمَلِهِ، ولا مُحاباة.