Unity of the Spirit

Therefore I, (A)the prisoner of the Lord, (B)implore you to (C)walk in a manner worthy of the (D)calling with which you have been (E)called, with all (F)humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another (G)in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the (H)bond of peace. There is (I)one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one (J)hope of your calling; (K)one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (L)who is over all and through all and in all.

But (M)to each one of us (N)grace was given (O)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore [a]it says,

(P)When He ascended on high,
He (Q)led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

(Now this expression, “He (R)ascended,” what [b]does it mean except that He also [c]had descended into (S)the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended (T)far above all the heavens, so that He might (U)fill all things.) 11 And He (V)gave (W)some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as (X)evangelists, and some as pastors and (Y)teachers, 12 (Z)for the equipping of the [d]saints for the work of service, to the building up of (AA)the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to (AB)the unity of the faith, and of the [e](AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a (AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature [f]which belongs to the (AE)fullness of Christ. 14 [g]As a result, we are (AF)no longer to be children, (AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by (AH)craftiness [h]in (AI)deceitful scheming; 15 but [i]speaking the truth (AJ)in love, [j]we are to (AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the (AL)head, even Christ, 16 from whom (AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together [k]by what every joint supplies, according to the [l]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself (AN)in love.

The Christian’s Walk

17 (AO)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, (AP)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the (AQ)futility of their mind, 18 being (AR)darkened in their understanding, [m](AS)excluded from the life of God because of the (AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the (AU)hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having (AV)become callous, (AW)have given themselves over to (AX)sensuality [n]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (AY)learn [o]Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you (AZ)have heard Him and have (BA)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you (BB)lay aside the (BC)old [p]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (BD)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be (BE)renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and (BF)put on the (BG)new [q]self, which [r](BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, (BI)laying aside falsehood, (BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are (BK)members of one another. 26 (BL)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not (BM)give the devil [s]an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather (BN)he must labor, (BO)performing with his own hands what is good, (BP)so that he will have something to share with [t]one who has need. 29 Let no [u](BQ)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for (BR)edification [v]according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 (BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [w]by whom you were (BT)sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (BU)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be (BV)put away from you, along with all (BW)malice. 32 (BX)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, (BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven [x]you.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:8 Or He
  2. Ephesians 4:9 Lit is it except
  3. Ephesians 4:9 One early ms reads had first descended
  4. Ephesians 4:12 Or holy ones
  5. Ephesians 4:13 Or true knowledge
  6. Ephesians 4:13 Lit of the fullness
  7. Ephesians 4:14 Lit So that we will no longer be
  8. Ephesians 4:14 Lit with regard to the scheming of deceit
  9. Ephesians 4:15 Or holding to or being truthful in
  10. Ephesians 4:15 Or let us grow up
  11. Ephesians 4:16 Lit through every joint of the supply
  12. Ephesians 4:16 Lit working in measure
  13. Ephesians 4:18 Or alienated
  14. Ephesians 4:19 Or greedy for the practice of every kind of impurity
  15. Ephesians 4:20 I.e. the Messiah
  16. Ephesians 4:22 Lit man
  17. Ephesians 4:24 Lit man
  18. Ephesians 4:24 Lit according to God
  19. Ephesians 4:27 Lit a place
  20. Ephesians 4:28 Lit the one
  21. Ephesians 4:29 Lit rotten
  22. Ephesians 4:29 Lit of the need
  23. Ephesians 4:30 Lit in
  24. Ephesians 4:32 Two early mss read us