Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 4
{4:1} I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk
worthily of the calling with which you were called, {4:2} with all
lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in
love; {4:3} being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. {4:4} There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were
called in one hope of your calling; {4:5} one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, {4:6} one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through
all, and in us all. {4:7} But to each one of us was the grace given
according to the measure of the gift of Christ. {4:8} Therefore he
says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave
gifts to men."[1] {4:9} Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that
he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? {4:10} He
who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
{4:11} He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, [2>]shepherds[<2] and teachers; {4:12} for the
perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up
of the body of Christ; {4:13} until we all attain to the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; {4:14} that we
may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness,
after the wiles of error; {4:15} but speaking truth in love, we may
grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; {4:16} from
whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which
every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each
individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself
in love.
{4:17} This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no
longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of
their mind, {4:18} being darkened in their understanding, alienated
from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them,
because of the hardening of their hearts; {4:19} who having become
callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with
greediness. {4:20} But you did not learn Christ that way; {4:21} if
indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in
Jesus: {4:22} that you put away, as concerning your former way of
life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
{4:23} and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, {4:24} and
put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in
righteousness and holiness of truth.
{4:25} Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with
his neighbor. For we are members of one another. {4:26} "Be angry, and
don't sin."[3] Don't let the sun go down on your wrath, {4:27} neither
give place to the devil. {4:28} Let him who stole steal no more; but
rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good,
that he may have something to give to him who has need. {4:29} Let no
corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for
building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who
hear. {4:30} Don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. {4:31} Let all bitterness, wrath,
anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
{4:32} And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each
other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
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Footnotes:
[1] {4:8} Psalm 68:18
[2] {4:11} or, pastors
[3] {4:26} Psalm 4:4
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