Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children New Living Translation Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. English Standard Version Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Berean Standard Bible Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, Berean Literal Bible Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, King James Bible Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; New King James Version Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. New American Standard Bible Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; NASB 1995 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; NASB 1977 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; Legacy Standard Bible Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, Amplified Bible Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; Christian Standard Bible Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, Holman Christian Standard Bible Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. American Standard Version Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; Contemporary English Version Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. English Revised Version Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; GOD'S WORD® Translation Imitate God, since you are the children he loves. Good News Translation Since you are God's dear children, you must try to be like him. International Standard Version So be imitators of God, as his dear children. Majority Standard Bible Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, NET Bible Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children New Heart English Bible Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Webster's Bible Translation Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; Weymouth New Testament Therefore be imitators of God, as His dear children. World English Bible Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionBecome, then, followers of God, as beloved children, Berean Literal Bible Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, Young's Literal Translation Become, then, followers of God, as children beloved, Smith's Literal Translation Be ye therefore imitators of God, as dearly beloved children; Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBe ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children; Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, as most beloved sons, be imitators of God. New American Bible So be imitators of God, as beloved children, New Revised Standard Version Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBE therefore God-like, as beloved chil dren. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, NT Translations Anderson New TestamentBe you, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children; Godbey New Testament Therefore be ye imitators of God, as beloved children; Haweis New Testament BE ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; Mace New Testament Be ye therefore imitators of God, as his dear children; live together in love, Weymouth New Testament Therefore be imitators of God, as His dear children. Worrell New Testament Become ye, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children; Worsley New Testament Be ye therefore imitators of God as his dear children; and walk in love, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Imitators of God1Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, 2and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.… Cross References 1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1 John 3:1-2 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. / Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. / Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. / And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. 1 John 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. / Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. / This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. ... 1 Corinthians 11:1 You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. / For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” / The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ... Galatians 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” / So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God. 1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. Philippians 2:15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world 1 Thessalonians 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering. 1 John 3:10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 2 Corinthians 6:18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. / Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. Treasury of Scripture Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; followers. Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Matthew 5:45,48 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust… as. Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD. Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Jump to Previous Beloved Children Dear Dearly Desire Followers Imitators Loved Well-LovedJump to Next Beloved Children Dear Dearly Desire Followers Imitators Loved Well-LovedEphesians 5 1. After general exhortations to love;3. to flee sexual immorality; 4. and all uncleanness; 7. not to converse with the wicked; 15. to walk carefully; 18. and to be filled with the Spirit; 22. he descends to the particular duties, how wives ought to obey their husbands; 25. and husbands ought to love their wives, 32. even as Christ does his church. Be imitators of God The Greek word for "imitators" is "mimētai," which is the root of the English word "mimic." This term suggests a deliberate and conscious effort to emulate or replicate the actions and character of another. In the context of Ephesians, Paul is urging believers to actively pursue a lifestyle that reflects God's holiness and love. Historically, the concept of imitation was significant in Greco-Roman culture, where students would learn by imitating their teachers. For Christians, God is the ultimate model, and this call to imitation is a call to holiness, righteousness, and love, reflecting the divine nature in our daily lives. therefore as beloved children (1, 2) These verses are an expansion and enforcement of the last verse of Ephesians 4. There the forgiveness of "God in Christ" is set forth in one pregnant phrase. Here the two parts of this idea are divided; and there is put before us, first, the free universal love of God as our Father, and next, the self-sacrificing love of Christ, as the Son of God and man. (1) Followers of God.--The phrase is unique and very striking; literally, imitators of God: and the word "therefore" implies that this imitation of God must be chiefly in His essential attribute of love. It is instructive to observe that our Lord's startling command, "Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), is explained both by the context and the parallel passage in St. Luke (Luke 6:36) to mean, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful." See in Hooker's Ecc. Pol., i. 5, a striking passage on the imitation of God as the law of all moral progress in man. In this idea, indeed, lies the essential and distinctive principle of a religious morality as such. As dear children.--Literally, as children beloved of Him. The knowledge of the love of God to us is the first source, as of our love to Him (1John 4:19), so also of our love to men as brethren under His fatherhood (1John 4:11). As being His "children," and therefore partakers of the divine nature (2Peter 1:4), we can imitate Him; as His "beloved children" we imitate Him most naturally in love, and especially in that form of love which we call "mercy," and which, as being ourselves sinners, we especially crave and receive from Him. . . . Verse 1. - Be ye therefore imitators of God, as children beloved. These words are closely connected with the preceding. In Ephesians 4:32 he had urged the example of God in one very momentous matter; he now urges it in a more general sense and on another ground. We ought to forgive men because God has forgiven us - all admit that; but moreover, we ought to imitate our Father in his forgiveness and in his loving spirit, be-because beloved children should always imitate, and will always strive to imitate, what is good in a beloved father. Forgiving love is one of the great glories of our Father; it has been made peculiarly attractive in our eyes, because it has been exercised by him towards us; every consideration, therefore, ought to induce us to show the same spirit.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek BeΓίνεσθε (Ginesthe) Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude. imitators μιμηταὶ (mimētai) Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 3402: An imitator, follower. From mimeomai; an imitator. of God, Θεοῦ (Theou) Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. therefore, οὖν (oun) Conjunction Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly. as ὡς (hōs) Adverb Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner. beloved ἀγαπητά (agapēta) Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural Strong's 27: From agapao; beloved. children, τέκνα (tekna) Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural Strong's 5043: A child, descendent, inhabitant. From the base of timoria; a child. Links Ephesians 5:1 NIVEphesians 5:1 NLT Ephesians 5:1 ESV Ephesians 5:1 NASB Ephesians 5:1 KJV Ephesians 5:1 BibleApps.com Ephesians 5:1 Biblia Paralela Ephesians 5:1 Chinese Bible Ephesians 5:1 French Bible Ephesians 5:1 Catholic Bible NT Letters: Ephesians 5:1 Be therefore imitators of God as beloved (Ephes. Eph. Ep) |
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