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4 I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for.
2Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. 3The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together.
4There is one body. There is one Spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen. 5There is one Lord. There is one faith and one baptism. 6There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything.
7But each one of us has received a gift of grace, just as Christ wanted us to have it. 8That is why Scripture says,
“When he went up to his place on high,
he led a line of prisoners.
He gave gifts to people.” (Psalm 68:18)
9What does “he went up” mean? It can only mean that he also came down to the lower, earthly places. 10The One who came down is the same as the One who went up higher than all the heavens. He did it in order to fill all of creation. 11He is the One who gave some the gift to be apostles. He gave some the gift to be prophets. He gave some the gift of preaching the good news. And he gave some the gift to be pastors and teachers. 12He did it so that they might prepare God’s people to serve. If they do, the body of Christ will be built up.
13That will continue until we all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son. Then we will be grown up in the faith. We will receive everything that Christ has for us.
14We will no longer be babies in the faith. We won’t be like ships tossed around by the waves. We won’t be blown here and there by every new teaching. We won’t be blown around by the cleverness and tricks of people who try to hide their evil plans. 15Instead, we will speak the truth in love. We will grow up into Christ in every way.
He is the Head. 16He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.
17Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live like those who aren’t Jews. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose. 18They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That is because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn.
19They have lost all feeling for what is right. They have given themselves over to the evil pleasures of their bodies. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they always long for more.
20But that is not what you have learned about Christ. 21I’m sure you heard of him. I’m sure you were taught by him. What you learned was the truth about Jesus.
22You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That’s because it is polluted by longing for things that lead you down the wrong path.
23You were taught to be made new in your thinking. 24You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is.
25So each of you must get rid of your lying. Speak the truth to your neighbor. We are all parts of one body.
26Scripture says, “When you are angry, do not sin.” (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. 27Don’t give the devil a chance.
28Those who have been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need.
29Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen.
30Do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad. He marked you with a seal for the day when God will set you completely free.
31Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. 32Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.
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About New International Reader’s Version (1998)The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) was developed to help early readers understand the Bible. Begun in 1992, the NIrV is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV). The NIrV uses shorter words and sentences so that those with a typical fourth grade reading level can comprehend what they are reading. The chapters have been separated into shorter sections and most have titles that clearly indicate what the section is all about. The NIrV will be a valuable translation to those for whom English is a second language. The NIrV still relies on the best and oldest copies of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts for its translation, guaranteeing that those who read it are getting the actual Word of God. |
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Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. The NIrV text may be quoted for non-commercial usage in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio) up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without the express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows: Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. When quotations from the NIrV text are used in non-saleable media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (NIrV) must appear at the end of each quotation. Any commentary or other Biblical reference work produced for commercial sale that uses the New International Reader’s Version must obtain written permission for use of the NIrV text. Permission requests for commercial use within the U.S. and Canada that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530. Permission requests for commercial use within the U.K., EEC, and EFTA countries that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, Hodder Headline Plc., 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, England. Permission requests for non-commercial usage that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, International Bible Society, 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. |
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