Ephesians 4

New American Standard Bible 1995

Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, ^(A)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(B)implore 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, showing tolerance for one another ^(G)in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the ^(H)bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(I)one body and one Spirit, just as also you 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, and some as prophets, and some as ^(X)evangelists, and some as pastors and ^(Y)teachers, ^12 (Z)for the equipping of the ^[d]saints for the work of service, to the building up of ^(AA)the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to ^(AB)the unity of the faith, and of the ^[e](AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[f]which belongs to the ^(AE)fullness of Christ. ^14 [g]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 men, by ^(AH)craftiness ^[h]in ^(AI)deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but ^[i]speaking the truth ^(AJ)in love, ^[j]we are to ^(AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(AL)head, even Christ, ¹⁶ from whom ^(AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together ^[k]by what every joint supplies, according to the ^[l]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 this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, ^(AP)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the ^(AQ)futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being ^(AR)darkened in their understanding, ^[m](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 over to ^(AX)sensuality ^[n]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not ^(AY)learn ^[o]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 manner of life, you ^(BB)lay aside the ^(BC)old ^[p]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(BD)lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be ^(BE)renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and ^(BF)put on the ^(BG)new ^[q]self, which ^[r](BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(BI)laying aside falsehood, ^(BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are ^(BK)members 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 ^[s]an opportunity. ²⁸ He who steals must steal no longer; but rather ^(BN)he must labor, ^(BO)performing with his own hands what is good, ^(BP)so that he will have something to share with ^[t]one who has need. ²⁹ Let no ^[u](BQ)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for ^(BR)edification ^[v]according to the need of the moment, 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)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be ^(BV)put away from you, along with all ^(BW)malice. ^32 (BX)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, ^(BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[x]you.