Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, ^(A)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(B)urge you to ^(C)walk in a manner worthy of the ^(D)calling with which you have been ^(E)called, ² with all ^(F)humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another ^(G)in love, ³ being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the ^(H)bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(I)one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one ^(J)hope of your calling; ^5 (K)one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all ^(L)who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But ^(M)to each one of us ^(N)grace was given ^(O)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore ^[a]it says,

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ^(R)ascended,” what ^[b]does it mean except that He also ^[c]had descended into ^(S)the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended ^(T)far above all the heavens, so that He might ^(U)fill all things.) ¹¹ And He ^(V)gave ^(W)some as apostles, some as prophets, some as ^(X)evangelists, some as ^[d]pastors and ^(Y)teachers, ^12 (Z)for the equipping of the ^[e]saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of ^(AA)the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to ^(AB)the unity of the faith, and of the ^[f](AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[g]which belongs to the ^(AE)fullness of Christ. ^14 [h]As a result, we are ^(AF)no longer to be children, ^(AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by ^(AH)craftiness ^[i]in ^(AI)deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but ^[j]speaking the truth ^(AJ)in love, ^[k]we are to ^(AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(AL)head, that is, Christ, ¹⁶ from whom ^(AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together ^[l]by what every joint supplies, according to the ^[m]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(AN)in love.

The Christian’s Walk

^17 (AO)So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, ^(AP)that you are to no longer walk just as the ^[n]Gentiles also walk, in the ^(AQ)futility of their minds, ¹⁸ being ^(AR)darkened in their understanding, ^[o](AS)excluded from the life of God because of the ^(AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(AU)hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having ^(AV)become callous, ^(AW)have given themselves up to ^(AX)indecent behavior ^[p]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not ^(AY)learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you ^(AZ)have heard Him and have ^(BA)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to ^(BB)rid yourselves of the ^(BC)old ^[q]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(BD)lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you are to be ^(BE)renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to ^(BF)put on the ^(BG)new ^[r]self, which ^[s](BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(BI)ridding yourselves of falsehood, ^(BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are ^(BK)parts of one another. ^26 (BL)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not ^(BM)give the devil ^[t]an opportunity. ²⁸ The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather ^(BN)he must labor, ^(BO)producing with his own hands what is good, ^(BP)so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. ²⁹ Let no ^[u](BQ)unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for ^(BR)edification ^[v]according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ^30 (BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[w]by whom you were ^(BT)sealed for the day of redemption. ^31 (BU)All bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[x]clamor, and slander must be ^(BV)removed from you, along with all ^(BW)malice. ^32 (BX)Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, ^(BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[y]you.

Be Imitators of God

5 ^(A)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and ^(B)walk in love, just as Christ also ^(C)loved ^[a]you and ^(D)gave Himself up for us, an ^(E)offering and a sacrifice to God ^[b]as a ^(F)fragrant aroma.

³ But ^(G)sexual immorality ^[c]or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among ^[d]saints; ⁴ and there must be no ^(H)filthiness ^[e]or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which ^(I)are not fitting, but rather ^(J)giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know with certainty, that ^(K)no sexually immoral or ^[f]impure or greedy person, which ^[g]amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom ^(L)of Christ and God.

^6 (M)See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things ^(N)the wrath of God comes upon ^(O)the ^[h]sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not become ^(P)partners with them; ⁸ for ^(Q)you were once ^(R)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as ^(S)children of light ⁹ (for ^(T)the fruit of the light consists in all ^(U)goodness, righteousness, and truth), ^10 [i](V)as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. ^11 (W)Do not participate in the useless ^(X)deeds of ^(Y)darkness, but instead even ^(Z)expose them; ¹² for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things become visible ^(AA)when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. ¹⁴ For this reason ^[j]it says,

¹⁵ So then, ^[k]be careful how you ^(AE)walk, not ^(AF)as unwise people but as wise, ^16 [l](AG)making the most of your time, because ^(AH)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but ^(AI)understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(AJ)do not get drunk with wine, ^[m]in which there is ^(AK)debauchery, but be ^(AL)filled with the Spirit, ^19 (AM)speaking to ^[n]one another in ^(AN)psalms and ^(AO)hymns and spiritual ^(AP)songs, ^(AQ)singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; ^20 (AR)always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our ^(AS)God and Father; ^21 [o](AT)and subject yourselves to one another in the ^[p](AU)fear of Christ.

Marriage like Christ and the Church

^22 (AV)Wives, ^(AW)subject yourselves to your own husbands, ^(AX)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(AY)the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the ^(AZ)head of the church, He Himself ^(BA)being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

^25 (BB)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(BC)gave Himself up for her, ^26 (BD)so that He might sanctify her, having ^(BE)cleansed her by the ^(BF)washing of water with ^(BG)the word, ²⁷ that He might ^(BH)present to Himself the church ^[q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be ^(BI)holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands also ought to ^(BJ)love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are ^(BK)parts of His ^(BL)body. ^31 (BM)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to ^(BN)love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^(BO)respects her husband.