Ephesians 4
1 So I—this prisoner in the Lord—am encouraging you to make sure you live according to the principles to which you were called.
So then, as the prisoner in the Lord I urge you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
2 Don't think proudly of yourselves; be gentle and patient, showing tolerance to each other in love.
with all humility and courtesy, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 Make every effort to remain one in the Spirit through the peace that binds you together.
taking pains to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace.
4 For there's one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope.
There is one body and one Spirit (just as you also were called in one hope of your calling),
5 The Lord is one, our trust in him is one, and there's one baptism;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 there's one God and Father of everyone. He is over all and through all and in all.
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all.
7 To each of us grace was given in proportion to Christ's generous gift.
Now to each one of us the grace according to the measure of Christ's gift was given.
8 As Scripture says, “When he ascended to the heights he took captives with him, and gave gifts to humanity.”
That is why He says, “When He ascended into the heights He captured the concentration camp, and distributed gifts to men.”
9 (Regarding this: it says he ascended, but that means he also had previously descended to our lowly world.
(What does ‘He ascended’ imply if not that He also first descended into the interior regions of the earth?
10 The one that descended is the same one who also ascended to the highest heaven in order that he could make the whole universe complete.)
He who descended is the very one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 The gifts he gave were so that some could be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers,
Yes, He Himself gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
12 with the purpose of preparing God's people for the work of helping others, to help the body of Christ to grow.
for the equipping of the saints into the work of the ministry, so as to build up the body of Christ,
13 We grow together until we all reach the state of being one in our trust in and knowledge of the Son of God, completely grown up, measuring up to full maturity in Christ.
until we all attain into the unity of the faith and of the real knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, into the resulting full stature of Christ;
14 We shouldn't be little children any more, tossed about and blown along by every passing breeze of doctrine, confused by human trickery, led into error by crafty people who deceitfully scheme;
so that we no longer be ‘infants’, tossed about as by waves and carried off by every doctrinal fad, through the underhanded dealings of the people who collect the fee for the error;
15 instead by speaking the truth in love we ought to grow up in everything into Christ, who is our head.
rather, speaking the truth in love, let us in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, the Christ;
16 It's because of him that the whole body operates, every joint holding it together as each individual part does what it's supposed to, and the whole body grows, building itself up in love.
from whom the whole body, being fitted and knit together by what every joint supplies, as each individual part does its work, promotes its own growth, its own edification, in love.
17 So let me say this to you—in fact I insist on it in the Lord—that you should no longer live like the foreigners do, in their empty-headed way.
So then, I affirm and insist on this in the Lord: you must no longer carry on as the rest of the Gentiles do, in the futility of their mind,
18 In the darkness of their minds they don't understand, and they have been cut off from the life of God because they don't know anything and in their stubbornness they don't want to know.
having been darkened in their understanding, being alienated [as a continuing condition] from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts,
19 Because they are past caring they abandon themselves to sensuality, and greedily do all kinds of disgusting things.
who, having become dead to hope, have abandoned themselves to depravity, greedily indulging in every kind of vileness.
20 But that's not what you learned about Christ!
Now that is not how you ‘learned Christ’—
21 Didn't you hear about him? Weren't you taught concerning him? Didn't you learn the truth as it is in Jesus?
if indeed you have heard Him and been taught by Him (as the truth is in Jesus):
22 So get rid of your former lifestyle, that old nature that ruins you through deceptive desires!
that you put away, concerning your former way of life, the old man (that keeps on being corrupted by the deceitful desires),
23 Let yourselves be re-made spiritually and mentally,
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on your new nature that God created so you will be like him, right and holy in the truth.
and put on the new man, created in the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 So reject lies, and tell the truth to each other—for we belong to each other.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.
26 Don't sin by getting angry; don't let evening come and find you still mad—
‘Be angry but do not sin’; do not let the sun set on your angry mood,
27 and don't give the devil any opportunity.
nor give an opportunity to the devil.
28 Thieves, stop your stealing, and do honest, productive work with your hands, so you'll have something to give to those who need it.
The one who steals must steal no longer, but rather let him work, doing something good with his hands, that he may have something to share with someone in need.
29 Don't use bad language. Speak words that will encourage people as necessary, so that those who listen will be helped.
Let no evil word proceed from your mouth, but only what is good for edification, as needed, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
30 Don't disappoint the Holy Spirit of God that marked you as belonging to him until the day of redemption.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of every kind of bitterness, rage, anger, verbal abuse, and insults, along with all forms of evil.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander be removed from you, with all malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to each other, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Rather, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you.
