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

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,

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

not like those who do their work only when someone is watching – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

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

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

so that what you can be proud of may increase because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,

And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave – a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf –

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world?

When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.

But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth.