Ephesians 4:1–16

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4As a prisoner^s for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy^t of the calling^u you have received. ²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another^v in love.^{w 3}Make every effort to keep the unity^x of the Spirit through the bond of peace.^{y 4}There is one body^z and one Spirit,^a just as you were called to one hope when you were called^b; ⁵one Lord,^c one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all,^d who is over all and through all and in all.^e

⁷But to each one of us^f grace^g has been given^h as Christ apportioned it. ⁸This is why it^a says:

“When he ascended on high,

he took many captivesⁱ

and gave gifts to his people.”^bj

⁹(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^c? ¹⁰He who descended is the very one who ascended^k higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^{l 11}So Christ himself gave^m the apostles,ⁿ the prophets,^o the evangelists,^p the pastors and teachers,^{q 12}to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^r may be built up^{s 13}until we all reach unity^t in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^u and become mature,^v attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^w

¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants,^x tossed back and forth by the waves,^y and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{z 15}Instead, speaking the truth in love,^a we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^b that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^c and builds itself up^d in love,^e as each part does its work.