Ephesians Chapter 4
1 I,
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling
with which you were called, 2 with
all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in
love, 3 endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and
one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; 6 one
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all. 7 But
to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore He says: "When
He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to
men." 9 (Now
this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first
descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the
One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to
be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, 12 for
the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ, 13 till
we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be
children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in
love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body,
joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the
effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body
for the edifying of itself in love. 17 This
I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as
the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that
is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have
given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned
Christ, 21 if
indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in
Jesus: 22 that
you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and
be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and
that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness
and holiness. 25 Therefore,
putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his
neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not
sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no
longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good,
that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed
out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart
grace to the hearers. 30 And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Let
all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you,
with all malice. 32 And
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in
Christ forgave you.