Unity in the Body of Christ

1Therefore I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received,

2with all humility and gentleness, and with patience, bearing with one another in love,

3and being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4There is one body and one Spirit (just as you were called to one hope at your calling),

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in ¹⁹us all.

7Now each one of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.

8Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive
and gave gifts to men.”

9(Now what does “he ascended” mean except that he ²⁰first also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10He who descended is the very one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)

11It was he who appointed some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12to equip the saints for the work of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ's fullness.

14So we must no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men and their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, that is, Christ.

16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting joint, grows and builds itself up in love as each individual part does its work.

Living the New Life

17Therefore, I solemnly declare in the Lord that you should no longer walk as ²¹the rest of the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

18They are darkened in their understanding, being excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

19They became callous and gave themselves up to lewd behavior, greedy to engage in every kind of impurity.

20But you did not learn Christ in that way!

21Surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus,

22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former way of life and is being corrupted by its deceitful desires,

23to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

24and to put on the new self, created according to the image of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each of you must speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

26Do not sin in your anger. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

27and do not give any opportunity to the devil.

28He who steals must no longer steal; rather he must labor, doing honest work with ²²his hands, so that he may have something to contribute to anyone in need.

29Let no foul word come out of your mouth, but only what is good for edification, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31Put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, outbursts, and slander, together with all malice.

32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven ²³us.