Kwa hiyo, mwigeni Mungu, maana ninyi ni watoto wake wapenzi. Upendo uongoze maisha yenu, kama vile Kristo alivyotupenda, na kwa ajili yetu akajitoa mwenyewe kama dhabihu yenye harufu nzuri na tambiko impendezayo Mungu. Kwa vile ninyi ni watu wa Mungu, basi uasherati, uchafu wowote ule au choyo visitajwe kamwe miongoni mwenu. Tena maneno ya aibu, ya upuuzi au ubishi, yote hayo hayafai kwenu; maneno ya kumshukuru Mungu ndiyo yanayofaa. Jueni wazi kwamba mwasherati yeyote au mchafu au mfisadi, (ufisadi ni sawa na kuabudu sanamu), au mtu yeyote wa aina hiyo hataambulia chochote katika Utawala wa Kristo na wa Mungu. Msikubali kudanganywa na mtu kwa maneno matupu; maana, kwa sababu ya mambo kama hayo ghadhabu ya Mungu huwajia wote wasiomtii. Basi, msishirikiane nao. Zamani ninyi mlikuwa gizani, lakini sasa ninyi mko katika mwanga kwa kuungana na Bwana. Ishini kama watoto wa mwanga: maana matokeo ya mwanga ni wema kamili, uadilifu na ukweli. Jaribuni kujua yale yanayompendeza Bwana. Msishiriki katika matendo yasiyofaa, ya giza bali yafichueni. Mambo yanayotendwa kwa siri ni aibu hata kuyataja. Lakini mambo yale yanayotendwa katika mwanga, ukweli wake hudhihirishwa; na kila kilichodhihirishwa huwa mwanga. Ndiyo maana Maandiko yasema: “Amka wewe uliyelala, fufuka kutoka wafu, naye Kristo atakuangaza.” Basi, muwe waangalifu jinsi mnavyoishi: Msiishi kama wapumbavu, bali kama wenye hekima. Tumieni vizuri muda mlio nao maana siku hizi ni mbaya. Kwa hiyo, msiwe wapumbavu, bali jaribuni kujua matakwa ya Bwana. Acheni kulewa divai maana hiyo itawaangamiza, bali mjazwe Roho Mtakatifu. Zungumzeni kwa maneno ya Zaburi, nyimbo na tenzi za kiroho; mwimbieni Bwana nyimbo na zaburi kwa shukrani mioyoni mwenu. Mshukuruni Mungu Baba daima kwa ajili ya yote, kwa jina la Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo. Kila mmoja amstahi mwenzake kwa sababu ya kumcha Kristo. Wake wawatii waume zao kama kumtii Bwana. Maana mume anayo mamlaka juu ya mkewe, kama vile Kristo alivyo na mamlaka juu ya kanisa; naye Kristo mwenyewe hulikomboa kanisa, mwili wake. Kama vile kanisa linavyomtii Kristo, vivyo hivyo, wake wawatii waume zao katika mambo yote. Nanyi waume, wapendeni wake zenu kama Kristo alivyolipenda kanisa, akajitoa mwenyewe sadaka kwa ajili yake. Alifanya hivyo, ili kwa neno lake, aliweke wakfu kwa Mungu, baada ya kulifanya safi kwa kuliosha katika maji, kusudi ajipatie kanisa lililo takatifu na safu kabisa, kanisa lisilo na doa, kasoro au chochote cha namna hiyo. Basi, waume wanapaswa kuwapenda wake zao kama miili yao wenyewe. (Hakuna mtu yeyote auchukiaye mwili wake; badala ya kuuchukia, huulisha na kuuvika. Ndivyo naye Kristo anavyolitunza kanisa, maana sisi ni viungo vya mwili wake.) Kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Kwa hiyo, mwanamume atawaacha baba na mama yake, ataungana na mkewe, nao wawili watakuwa mwili mmoja.” Kuna ukweli uliofichika katika maneno haya, nami naona kwamba yamhusu Kristo na kanisa lake. Lakini yanawahusu ninyi pia: kila mume lazima ampende mkewe kama nafsi yake mwenyewe, naye mke anapaswa kumstahi mumewe.
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