Dual Panel1Were you not raised to life with Christ? Then aspire to the realm above, where Christ is, seated at God's right hand,
2and fix your thoughts on that higher realm, not on this earthly life.
3You died; and now your life lies hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you too will be revealed with him in glory.
Christian conduct
5SO PUT to death those parts of you which belong to the earth -- fornication, indecency, lust, evil desires, and the ruthless greed which is nothing less than idolatry;
6on these divine retribution falls.
7This is the way you yourselves once lived;
8but now have done with rage, bad temper, malice, slander, filthy talk -- banish them all from your lips!
9Do not lie to one another, now that you have discarded the old human nature and the conduct that goes with it,
10and have put on the new nature which is constantly being renewed in the image of its Creator and brought to know God.
11There is no question here of Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman; but Christ is all, and is in all.
12Put on, then, garments that suit God's chosen and beloved people: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience.
13Be tolerant with one another and forgiving, if any of you has cause for complaint: you must forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14Finally, to bind everything together and complete the whole, there must be love.
15Let Christ's peace be arbiter in your decisions, the peace to which you were called as members of a single body. Always be thankful.
16Let the gospel of Christ dwell among you in all its richness; teach and instruct one another with all the wisdom it gives you. With psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, sing from the heart in gratitude to God.
17Let every word and action, everything you do, be in the name of the Lord Jesus, and give thanks through him to God the Father.
18WIVES, be subject to your husbands; that is your Christian duty.
19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20Children, obey your parents in everything, for that is pleasing to God and is the Christian way.
21Fathers, do not exasperate your children, in case they lose heart.
22Slaves, give entire obedience to your earthly masters, not merely to catch their eye or curry favour with them, but with single-mindedness, out of reverence for the Lord.
23Whatever you are doing, put your whole heart into it, as if you were doing it for the Lord and not for men,
24knowing that there is a master who will give you an inheritance as a reward for your service. Christ is the master you must serve.
25Wrongdoers will pay for the wrong they do; there will be no favouritism.