1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.20But ye have not so learned Christ;21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:27Neither give place to the devil.28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4
English Standard Version
Unity in the Body of Christ
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, (Ro 8:28; Eph 3:1; Php 1:27; Col 1:10; Col 2:6; 1Th 2:12)2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, (Ac 20:19; Ga 5:23; Php 2:3; Col 1:11; Col 2:18; Col 2:23; Col 3:12; Col 3:13; 1Pe 3:8; 1Pe 5:5)3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ac 8:23; Col 3:14)4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— (Eph 1:18; Eph 2:16; Eph 2:18)5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (Zec 14:9; 1Co 1:13; 1Co 8:6; Ga 3:27; Eph 4:13; Jud 1:3)6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ro 9:5; 1Co 12:5)7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Mt 25:15; Ro 12:3; 1Co 12:7; Eph 3:2; Eph 4:16)8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”[1] (Jud 5:12; Ps 68:18; Col 2:15)9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[2] (Ps 63:9; Isa 44:23; Joh 3:13)10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Mr 16:19; Eph 1:23; Heb 4:14; Heb 7:26; Heb 9:24)11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[3] and teachers,[4] (Jer 3:15; Ac 20:28; Ac 21:8; 1Co 12:5; 1Co 12:28; 2Ti 4:5)12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (1Co 12:27; 2Co 13:9; Eph 4:16; Eph 4:29)13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[5] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Eph 1:23; Eph 4:5; Heb 5:14)14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Mt 11:7; Eph 6:11; Heb 13:9; Jas 1:6; Jud 1:12)15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (Eph 1:22; Eph 2:21; Eph 4:25; 1Jo 3:18)16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph 4:7; Col 2:19)
The New Life
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. (Ro 1:21; Eph 2:1; Eph 4:22; Col 2:18; Col 3:7; 1Th 2:12; 1Pe 1:18; 1Pe 4:3; 2Pe 2:18)18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. (Mr 3:5; Ro 11:10; Eph 2:12)19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (1Ki 21:25; Pr 23:35; Ro 1:24; Ro 1:26; Ro 1:28; 1Ti 4:2)20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— (Mt 11:29)21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, (Eph 1:13; Col 2:7)22to put off your old self,[6] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, (Ro 6:6; Col 3:8; Col 3:9; Heb 3:13; Heb 12:1; Jas 1:21; 1Pe 2:1)23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, (Ro 12:2)24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ro 6:4; Eph 2:10)25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (Zec 8:16; Ro 12:5; Eph 4:15; Col 3:9)26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, (Ps 37:8)27and give no opportunity to the devil. (Jas 4:7)28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (Pr 21:26; Ac 20:35; Ga 6:10; 1Th 4:11; 2Th 3:8; 2Th 3:11)29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ec 10:12; Mt 12:34; Eph 5:4; Col 3:8; Col 4:6)30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Isa 63:10; Eph 1:7; Eph 1:13; 1Th 5:19)31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Col 3:8; Col 3:19)32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Mt 6:14; 2Co 2:7; 2Co 2:10; Col 3:12; 1Pe 3:8)