Ephesians 2–5

Made Alive in Christ

2And you, although you were dead^a* in your trespasses and sins, ²in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, ³among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will^b of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath^c by nature, as also the rest of them were.

⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), ⁶and raised us together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that he might show in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹it is not from works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.

Jewish and Gentile Believers United in Christ

¹¹Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, the so-called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision in the flesh, made by hands, ¹²that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones who once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the partition, the enmity, in his flesh, ¹⁵invalidating the law of commandments in ordinances, in order that he might create the two in himself into one new man, thus^* making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, killing the enmity in himself.^{d 17}And coming, he proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to the ones who were near, ¹⁸because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹Consequently, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,^{e 21}in whom the whole building, joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²²in whom you also are built up together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.^f

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

3On account of this I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles ²—if indeed you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace given to me for you. ³According to^a revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief, ⁴so that you may be able when you read^b to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ ⁵(which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit): ⁶that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ⁷of which I became a servant, according to the gift of God’s grace given to me, according to the working of his power.

⁸To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles, ⁹and to enlighten everyone as to what is the administration of the mystery hidden from the ages by God, who created all things, ¹⁰in order that the many-sided wisdom of God might be made known now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places through the church, ¹¹according to the purpose of the ages which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through faith in him.^{c 13}Therefore I ask you^* not to be discouraged at my afflictions on behalf of you, which are your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

¹⁴On account of this, I bend my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every^d family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶that he may grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, ¹⁷that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (you having been firmly rooted and established in love), ¹⁸in order that you may be strong enough to grasp together with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to the one who is able to do beyond all measure more than all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us, ²¹to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Christians Should Live in Unity

4Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called: ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, ³being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; ⁴one body and one Spirit (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling), ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

Gifted Leaders Bring the Church to Maturity

⁷Now to each one of us was given this grace, according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸Therefore it says,

“Ascending on high he led captivity captive;

he gave gifts to men.”^a

⁹Now “he ascended,” what is it, except that he also descended^b to the lower regions of the earth? ¹⁰The one who descended himself is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order that he might fill all things.

¹¹And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers ¹²for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined together and held together by every supporting ligament, according to the working by measure of each single part, the growth of the body makes for the building up of itself in love.

Appeal for New Behavior

¹⁷This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, ¹⁹who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness.

²⁰But you did not learn Christ in this way, ²¹if indeed you have heard about him, and you were taught by him (just as truth is in Jesus), ²²that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires, ²³be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth.

Old Behavior, New Behavior, and Motivation

²⁵Therefore, putting aside the lie, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor,^c because we are members of one another. ²⁶Be angry and do not sin;^d do not let the sun set on your anger, ²⁷nor give place to the devil. ²⁸The one who steals must steal no longer, but instead must labor, working with his own hands what is good, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. ²⁹No rotten word must proceed^e from your mouth, but only something good for the building up of the need, in order that it may give grace to those who hear, ³⁰and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹All bitterness, and rage, and wrath, and clamor, and abusive speech, must be removed from you, together with all wickedness. ³²Become^f kind toward one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ has forgiven you.

Imitators of God

5Therefore become imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and live in love, just as also Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant smell.^{a 3}But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints), ⁴and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For this you know for certain^b, that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Walk Like Children of Light

⁷Therefore do not be sharers^c with them, ⁸for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), ¹⁰trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to speak about the things being done by them in secret, ¹³but all things exposed by the light are made visible, ¹⁴for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says,

Wake up, sleeper,

and rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.^d

¹⁵Therefore,…