Ephesians chapter 4
Walk worthy of the calling
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all humility and meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Therefore he says: “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
9 Now this, “he ascended”—what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11 And he gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ,
13 until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming,
15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting joint, according to the effective working in the measure of each part, makes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Put off the old man
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to sensuality, to work all uncleanness with greed.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning the former way of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to the deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, let each one speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
26 Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word go out of your mouth, but what is good for needed building up, that it may give grace to those who hear.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you.
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