This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms

even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! –

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;

and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.

because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.”

Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth?

He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body.

But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely,

Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ,

The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ,

Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: