Walk in Unity

4 I, therefore, the prisoner 1of the Lord, 2beseech you to awalk 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 bin the bond of peace. 4 cThere is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 done Lord, eone faith, fone baptism; 6 gone God and Father of all, who is above all, and hthrough all, and in 3you all.

Spiritual Gifts

7 But ito each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:

j“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

9 k(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also 4first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One lwho ascended far above all the heavens, mthat 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, nfor the 5edifying of othe body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith pand of the knowledge of the Son of God, to qa perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be rchildren, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of sdeceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the thead—Christ—16 ufrom 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.

The New Man

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should vno longer walk as 6the 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 wblindness of their heart; 19 xwho, being past feeling, yhave 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 zput off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and abe renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you bput on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

25 Therefore, putting away lying, c“Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for dwe are members of one another. 26 e“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 fnor give 7place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather glet him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something hto give him who has need. 29 iLet no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but jwhat is good for necessary 8edification, kthat it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And ldo not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 mLet all bitterness, wrath, anger, 9clamor, and nevil speaking be put away from you, owith all malice. 32 And pbe kind to one another, tenderhearted, qforgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Walk in Love

5 Therefore abe imitators of God as dear bchildren. 2 And cwalk in love, das Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God efor a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all funcleanness or gcovetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 hneither filthiness, nor ifoolish talking, nor coarse jesting, jwhich are not fitting, but rather kgiving of thanks. 5 For 1this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any linheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be mpartakers with them.

Walk in Light

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are nlight in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for othe fruit of the 2Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 pfinding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have qno fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather 3expose them. 12 rFor it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But sall things that are 4exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

t“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

Walk in Wisdom

15 uSee then that you walk 5circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 vredeeming the time, wbecause the days are evil.

17 xTherefore do not be unwise, but yunderstand zwhat the will of the Lord is. 18 And ado not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another bin psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making cmelody in your heart to the Lord, 20 dgiving thanks always for all things to God the Father ein the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 fsubmitting to one another in the fear of 6God.

Marriage—Christ and the Church

22 Wives, gsubmit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For hthe husband is head of the wife, as also iChrist is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands jin everything.

25 kHusbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and lgave Himself for her, 26 that He might 7sanctify and cleanse her mwith the washing of water nby the word, 27 othat He might present her to Himself a glorious church, pnot having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For qwe are members of His body, 8of His flesh and of His bones. 31 r“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the stwo shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless tlet each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she urespects her husband.

Children and Parents

6 Children, aobey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 b“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

4 And cyou, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but dbring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

5 eBondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, fwith fear and trembling, gin sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 hnot with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 iknowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that 1your own jMaster also is in heaven, and kthere is no partiality with Him.