Ephesians 4

Walk in Unity

4I, therefore, the prisoner ¹of the Lord, ²beseech you to ^awalk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ²with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit ^bin the bond of peace. ^4cThere is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ^5done Lord, ^eone faith, ^fone baptism; ^6gone God and Father of all, who is above all, and ^hthrough all, and in ³you all.

Spiritual Gifts

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

^j“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

^9k(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also ⁴first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is also the One ^lwho ascended far above all the heavens, ^mthat He might fill all things.)

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, ⁿfor the ⁵edifying of ^othe body of Christ, ¹³till 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; ¹⁴that 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, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the ^thead—Christ—^16ufrom 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

¹⁷This 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, ¹⁸having 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; ^19xwho, being past feeling, ^yhave given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²²that you ^zput off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³and ^abe renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and that you ^bput on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

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