Ephesians 4–6

Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ

4Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, ^kurge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, ²with all humility ^land gentleness, with patience, ^maccepting ^noone another in love, ^p3diligently keeping the unity ^qof the Spirit ^rwith the peace ^sthat binds us. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit ^t—just as you were called to one hope ^uvat your calling— ⁵one Lord, ^wone faith, ^xone baptism, ⁶one God ^yand Father ^zof all, who is above all and through all and in all. ^a

⁷Now grace was given to each one of us ^baccording to the measure of the Messiah’s gift. ⁸For it says:

When He ascended ^con high,

He took prisoners into captivity; ^d

He gave gifts to people. ^ef

⁹But what does “He ascended” mean except that He ^gdescended to the lower parts of the earth? ^hi10The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, ^jthat He might fill ^kall things. ^l11And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, ^m13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, ⁿgrowing into a mature man with a stature ^omeasured by Christ’s fullness. ¹⁴Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, ^pby human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head ^q—Christ. ¹⁶From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together ^rby every supporting ligament, promotes the growth ^sof the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Living the New Life

¹⁷Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. ¹⁹They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity ^twith a desire for more and more. ^u

²⁰But that is not how you learned about the Messiah, ²¹assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth ^vis in Jesus. ²²You took off ^wxyour former way of life, ^ythe old self ^zathat is corrupted by deceitful desires; ²³you are being renewed ^bin the spirit ^cof your minds; ²⁴you put on ^dethe new self, the one created ^faccording to God’s likeness ^gin righteousness and purity of the truth.

²⁵Since you put away ^hlying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, ^ijbecause we are members of one another. ²⁶Be angry and do not sin. ^klDon’t let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and don’t give the Devil an opportunity. ²⁸The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share ^mwith anyone in need. ²⁹No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, ⁿso that it gives grace to those who hear. ³⁰And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. ^oYou were sealed by Him ^pfor the day of redemption. ^q31All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. ³²And be kind ^rand compassionate ^sto one another, forgiving ^tone another, just as God also forgave you ^uin Christ.

5Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. ²And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, ^va sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. ³But sexual immorality ^wand any impurity ^xor greed ^yshould not even be heard of ^zamong you, as is proper for saints. ⁴Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. ⁵For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral ^aor impure ^bor greedy ^cperson, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom ^dof the Messiah and of God.

Light versus Darkness

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath ^eis coming on the disobedient because of these things. ^f7Therefore, do not become their partners. ⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light ^gin the Lord. Walk as children of light ^h— ⁹for the fruit of the light ⁱresults in all goodness, righteousness, and truth ^j— ¹⁰discerning ^kwhat is pleasing ^lto the Lord. ¹¹Don’t participate in the fruitless ^mworks of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. ¹³Everything exposed by the light is made clear, ⁿ¹⁴for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Get up, sleeper, ^oand rise up from the dead, ^p

and the Messiah will shine on you. ^qr

Consistency in the Christian Life

¹⁵Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— ¹⁶making the most of the time, ^stbecause the days are evil. ¹⁷So don’t be foolish, but understand ^uwhat the Lord’s will ^vis. ¹⁸And don’t get drunk ^wwith wine, ^xwhich leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit: ^y

¹⁹speaking to one another

in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,

singing and making music

from your heart to the Lord,

²⁰giving thanks always for everything

to God the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

²¹submitting to one another

in the fear of Christ. ^z

Wives and Husbands

²²Wives, ^asubmit ^bcto your own husbands ^das to the Lord, ²³for the husband is the head of the wife ^eas Christ is the head ^fof the church. He is the Savior of the body. ^g24Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, ^hjust as Christ loved ⁱthe church and gave Himself ^jfor her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing ^kher with the washing of water by the word. ²⁷He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. ^l28In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰since we are members of His body. ^m

³¹For this reason a man will leave

his father and mother

and be joined to his wife, ⁿ

and the two will become one flesh. ^op

³²This mystery ^qis profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Children and Parents

6Children, obey ^ryour parents as you would the Lord, ^sbecause this is right. ²Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment ^twith a promise, ³so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. ^uvw4Fathers, don’t stir up anger ^xin your children, but bring them up in the training ^yand instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

⁵Slaves, obey your human ^zmasters ^awith fear and trembling, ^bin the sincerity ^cof your heart, as to Christ. ⁶Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will ^dfrom your heart. ^e7Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men, ^f8knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. ⁹And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening ^gthem, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism ^hwith Him. ⁱ

Christian Warfare

¹⁰Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. ^j11Put on ^kthe full armor ^lof God so that you can stand against the tactics ^mof the Devil. ¹²For our battle is not against flesh ⁿand blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, ^oagainst the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil ^pin the heavens. ^q13This is why you must take up the full armor ^rof God, so that you may be able to resist ^sin the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ¹⁴Stand, ^ttherefore,

with truth ^ulike a belt around your waist,

righteousness ^vlike armor on your chest, ^w

¹⁵and your feet sandaled with readiness

for the gospel of peace. ^x

¹⁶In every situation take the shield ^yof faith, ^z

and with it you will be able to extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ^a

¹⁷Take the helmet ^bof salvation,

and the sword ^cof the Spirit, ^d

which is God’s word.

¹⁸Pray ^eat all times in the Spirit ^fwith every prayer and request, and stay alert ^gin this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. ¹⁹Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness ^hthe mystery of the gospel. ²⁰For this I am an ambassador ⁱin chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

Paul’s Farewell

²¹Tychicus, ^jour dearly loved brother and faithful servant ^kin the Lord, will tell you all the news about me so that you may be informed. ²²I am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to encourage ^lyour hearts. ^m

²³Peace to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father ⁿand the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. ^op