Ephesians 4
Unity in the Body of Christ
I therefore, aa prisoner for the Lord, urge you to bwalk in a manner worthy of cthe calling to which you have been called, 2 with all ahumility and bgentleness, with cpatience, dbearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in athe bond of peace. 4 There is aone body and bone Spirit—just as you were called to the one chope that belongs to your call— 5 aone Lord, bone faith, cone baptism, 6 aone God and Father of all, bwho is over all and through all and in all. 7 But agrace was given bto each one of us caccording to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
a“When he ascended on high bhe led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (aIn saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into bthe lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also aascended bfar above all the heavens, that he might cfill all things.) 11 And ahe gave the bapostles, the prophets, the cevangelists, the dshepherds and teachers, 12 ato equip the saints for the work of ministry, for bbuilding up cthe body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to athe unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, bto mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of cthe fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, atossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in bdeceitful schemes. 15 Rather, aspeaking the truth in love, we are to bgrow up in every way into him who is cthe head, into Christ, 16 afrom whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, bwhen each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The New Life
17 Now this I say and atestify in the Lord, bthat you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, cin the futility of their minds. 18 They aare darkened in their understanding, balienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ctheir hardness of heart. 19 They ahave become callous and bhave given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you alearned Christ!— 21 assuming that ayou have heard about him and bwere taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to aput off byour old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through cdeceitful desires, 23 and ato be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on athe new self, bcreated after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you aspeak the truth with his neighbor, for bwe are members one of another. 26 aBe angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and agive no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather alet him labor, bdoing honest work with his own hands, so cthat he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 aLet no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give bgrace to those who hear. 30 And ado not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, bby whom you were sealed for the day of credemption. 31 aLet all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 aBe kind to one another, tenderhearted, bforgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.