Ephesians

Unity in the Body

Therefore, I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to embrace the calling you have received.

Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.

Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit among you through bonds of peace.

Let there be one body and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God, the Father of all, who is above all, and works through all, and is in all.

But to each of us, divine grace is granted in proportion to Christ’s gift.

Therefore, it is said: When he ascended on high, he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.

He ascended; does that mean he also descended to the lower parts of the world?

He himself, who went down, then ascended far above all the heavens to fill all things.

Regarding his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles; to others, prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers.

So, he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry to build up the Body of Christ,

until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. In this way, we will become complete persons upon reaching maturity and sharing in the fullness of Christ.

Then, we will no longer be like children, tossed about by waves or wind of doctrine, and deceived by the cleverness of people who drag them into error.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow in every way toward him who is the head—Christ.

From him comes the growth of the whole body, which is given order and cohesion by a network of joints, considering and utilizing the function of each part. Thus, the body builds itself in love.

Christian Conduct

I tell you clearly and urgently, I advise you in the Lord: do not imitate the Gentiles who live aimlessly.

Their understanding is darkened and they remain ignorant because of their blinded conscience, far from God’s life.

Due to their corruption, they have given in to sensuality and eagerly participate in every form of immorality.

But you did not follow Christ for this reason.

I believe you have heard of him and received his teaching, which is evident in Jesus,

that you must leave behind your old way of life, the former self, whose deceptive desires lead to self-destruction.

Renew yourselves spiritually from within,

and put on the new self, created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, abandon lying; let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are parts of one another.

Be angry, but do not sin: do not let your anger last until the end of the day,

and do not give the devil a foothold.

Let the one who used to steal stop stealing and instead work productively with his hands so he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome words come from your mouth, but only words that are helpful and encouraging, when necessary, to benefit those who listen.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed. He will be your guarantee on the day of salvation.

Get rid of all hostility, rage, anger, insults, and every form of malice. Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, just as God forgave you in Christ.