Exhortations to a virtuous life. The mutual duties of man and wife, by the example of Christ and of the Church.

¹ Therefore, as most beloved sons, be imitators of God.

² And walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and delivered himself for us, as an oblation and a sacrifice to God, with a fragrance of sweetness.

³ But let not any kind of fornication, or impurity, or rapacity so much as be named among you, just as is worthy of the saints,

⁴ nor any indecent, or foolish, or abusive talk, for this is without purpose; but instead, give thanks.

⁵ For know and understand this: no one who is a fornicator, or lustful, or rapacious (for these are a kind of service to idols) holds an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶ Let no one seduce you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God was sent upon the sons of unbelief.

⁷ Therefore, do not choose to become participants with them.

⁸ For you were darkness, in times past, but now you are light, in the Lord. So then, walk as sons of the light.

⁹ For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth,

¹⁰ affirming what is well-pleasing to God.

¹¹ And so, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead, refute them.

¹² For the things that are done by them in secret are shameful, even to mention.

¹³ But all things that are disputed are made manifest by the light. For all that is made manifest is light.

¹⁴ Because of this, it is said: “You who are sleeping: awaken, and rise up from the dead, and so shall the Christ enlighten you.”

¹⁵ And so, brothers, see to it that you walk cautiously, not like the foolish,

¹⁶ but like the wise: atoning for this age, because this is an evil time.

¹⁷ For this reason, do not choose to be imprudent. Instead, understand what is the will of God.

¹⁸ And do not choose to be inebriated by wine, for this is self-indulgence. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

¹⁹ speaking among yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, singing and reciting psalms to the Lord in your hearts,

²⁰ giving thanks always for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God the Father.

²¹ Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

²² Wives should be submissive to their husbands, as to the Lord.

²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church. He is the Savior of his body.

²⁴ Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also should wives be subject to their husbands in all things.¹

1. 5:24As the church is subject to Christ: The church then, according to St. Paul, is ever obedient to Christ, and can never fall from him, but remain faithful to him, unspotted and unchanged to the end of the world.(Challoner)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and handed himself over for her,

²⁶ so that he might sanctify her, washing her clean by water and the Word of life,

²⁷ so that he might offer her to himself as a glorious Church, not having any spot or wrinkle or any such thing, so that she would be holy and immaculate.

²⁸ So, too, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹ For no man has ever hated his own flesh, but instead he nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ also does to the Church.

³⁰ For we are a part of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.

³¹ “For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.”

³² This is a great Sacrament. And I am speaking in Christ and in the Church.

³³ Yet truly, each and every one of you should love his wife as himself. And a wife should fear her husband.