2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
Sermon Notes
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned
21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Outline:
1. Live C_____________ , Not C____________ (vv.1-10)
2. Live C____________ , Not C_________ (vv.11-19)
3. Live C_____________ , Not C________ (vv.20-32)
1 : 1 起初, 神创造天地。
1 : 2 地是空虚混沌,深渊上面一片黑暗; 神的灵 运行在水面上。
1 : 3 神说:「要有光」,就有了光。
1 : 4 神看光是好的,于是 神就把光和暗分开。
1 : 5 神称光为「昼」,称暗为「夜」。有晚上,有早晨,这是第一日。
1 : 6 神说:「众水之间要有穹苍,把水和水分开。」
1 : 7 神就造了穹苍,把穹苍以下的水和穹苍以上的水分开。事就这样成了。
1 : 8 神称穹苍为「天」。有晚上,有早晨,这是第二日。
1 : 9 神说:「天下面的水要聚集在一处,使干地露出来。」事就这样成了。
1 : 10 神称干地为「地」,称聚集在一起的水为「海」。 神看为好的。
1 : 11 神说:「地要长出植物,就是含种子的五谷菜蔬,和会结果子、果子裏有种子的树,在地上各从其类。」事就这样成了。
1 : 12 于是地长出了植物:含种子的五谷菜蔬,各从其类;会结果子、果子裏有种子的树,各从其类。 神看为好的。
1 : 13 有晚上,有早晨,这是第三日。
1 : 14 神说:「天上要有光体来分昼夜,让它们作记号,定季节、日子、年份,
1 : 15 它们要在天空发光,照在地上。」事就这样成了。
1 : 16 于是 神造了两个大光体,大的管昼,小的管夜,又造了星辰。
1 : 17 神把这些光体摆列在天空,照在地上,
1 : 18 管理昼夜,分别光暗。 神看为好的。
1 : 19 有晚上,有早晨,这是第四日。
1 : 20 神说:「水要滋生众多有生命之物;要有鸟飞在地面以上,天空之中。」
1 : 21 神就创造了大鱼和在水裏滋生的各样活动的生物,各从其类,以及各样有翅膀的鸟,各从其类。 神看为好的。
1 : 22 神就赐福给这一切,说:「要繁殖增多,充满在海的水裏;飞鸟也要在地上增多。」
1 : 23 有晚上,有早晨,这是第五日。
1 : 24 神说:「地要生出有生命之物,各从其类,就是牲畜、爬行动物、地上的走兽,各从其类。」事就这样成了。
1 : 25 于是 神造了地上的走兽,各从其类;牲畜,各从其类;和地上一切的爬行动物,各从其类。 神看为好的。
1 : 26 神说:「我们要照着我们的形像,按着我们的样式造人,使他们管理海裏的鱼、天空的鸟、地上的牲畜和全地,以及地上爬的一切爬行动物。」
1 : 27 神就照着他的形像创造人,照着 神的形像创造他们;他创造了他们,有男有女。
1 : 28 神赐福给他们, 神对他们说:「要生养众多,遍满这地,治理它;要管理海裏的鱼、天空的鸟和地上各样活动的生物。」
1 : 29 神说:「看哪,我把全地一切含种子的五谷菜蔬和一切会结果子、果子裏有种子的树,都赐给你们;这些都可作食物。
1 : 30 至于地上一切的走兽、天空一切的飞鸟,并一切在地上爬行的,有生命的动物,我把绿色植物赐给牠们作食物。」事就这样成了。
1 : 31 神看一切所造的,看哪,都非常好。有晚上,有早晨,这是第六日。