The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, ^(A)a prisoner of Christ Jesus ^(B)on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of ^(C)the stewardship of ^(D)God's grace that was given to me for you, ^3 (E)how the mystery was made known to me ^(F)by revelation, ^(G)as I have written briefly. ^4 (H)When you read this, you can perceive my insight into ^(I)the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ This mystery is^[a] that the Gentiles are ^(J)fellow heirs, ^(K)members of the same body, and ^(L)partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

^7 (M)Of this gospel I was made ^(N)a minister according to the gift of ^(O)God's grace, which was given me ^(P)by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, ^(Q)though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, ^(R)to preach to the Gentiles the ^(S)unsearchable ^(T)riches of Christ, ⁹ and ^(U)to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery ^(V)hidden for ages in^[b] God, ^(W)who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold ^(X)wisdom of God ^(Y)might now be made known to ^(Z)the rulers and authorities ^(AA)in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was ^(AB)according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have ^(AC)boldness and ^(AD)access with ^(AE)confidence through our ^(AF)faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering ^(AG)for you, ^(AH)which is your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom ^(AI)every family^[c] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to ^(AJ)the riches of his glory ^(AK)he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit ^(AL)in your inner being, ^17 (AM)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being ^(AN)rooted and ^(AO)grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to ^(AP)comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and ^(AQ)height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ ^(AR)that surpasses knowledge, that ^(AS)you may be filled with all ^(AT)the fullness of God.

^20 (AU)Now to ^(AV)him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, ^(AW)according to the power at work within us, ^21 (AX)to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, ^(AY)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(AZ)walk in a manner worthy of ^(BA)the calling to which you have been called, ² with all ^(BB)humility and ^(BC)gentleness, with ^(BD)patience, ^(BE)bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ^(BF)the bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(BG)one body and ^(BH)one Spirit—just as you were called to the one ^(BI)hope that belongs to your call— ^5 (BJ)one Lord, ^(BK)one faith, ^(BL)one baptism, ^6 (BM)one God and Father of all, ^(BN)who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But ^(BO)grace was given ^(BP)to each one of us ^(BQ)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(BT)In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(BU)the lower regions, the earth?^{[e] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(BV)ascended ^(BW)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(BX)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(BY)he gave the ^(BZ)apostles, the prophets, the ^(CA)evangelists, the ^(CB)shepherds^[f] and teachers,^{[g] 12 (CC)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(CD)building up ^(CE)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(CF)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(CG)to mature manhood,^[h] to the measure of the stature of ^(CH)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(CI)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(CJ)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(CK)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(CL)grow up in every way into him who is ^(CM)the head, into Christ, ^16 (CN)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(CO)when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(CP)testify in the Lord, ^(CQ)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(CR)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(CS)are darkened in their understanding, ^(CT)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(CU)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(CV)have become callous and ^(CW)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(CX)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(CY)you have heard about him and ^(CZ)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(DA)put off ^(DB)your old self,^[i] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(DC)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(DD)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(DE)the new self, ^(DF)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(DG)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(DH)we are members one of another. ^26 (DI)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(DJ)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(DK)let him labor, ^(DL)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(DM)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (DN)Let 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 ^(DO)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(DP)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(DQ)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(DR)redemption. ^31 (DS)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (DT)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(DU)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Sin and Shin

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