¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,^(A) may give you the Spirit^[a] of wisdom^(B) and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened^(C) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called^(D) you, the riches^(E) of his glorious inheritance^(F) in his holy people,^{(G) 19} and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power^(H) is the same as the mighty strength^{(I) 20} he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead^(J) and seated him at his right hand^(K) in the heavenly realms,^{(L) 21} far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,^(M) and every name^(N) that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.^{(O) 22} And God placed all things under his feet^(P) and appointed him to be head^(Q) over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body,^(R) the fullness of him^(S) who fills everything in every way.^(T)

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[a]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended^(A) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^{(B) 11} So Christ himself gave^(C) the apostles,^(D) the prophets,^(E) the evangelists,^(F) the pastors and teachers,^{(G) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(H) may be built up^{(I) 13} until we all reach unity^(J) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(K) and become mature,^(L) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(M)

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants,^(N) tossed back and forth by the waves,^(O) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{(P) 15} Instead, speaking the truth in love,^(Q) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^(R) that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^(S) and builds itself up^(T) in love,^(U) as each part does its work.

Instructions for Christian Living

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer^(V) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.^{(W) 18} They are darkened in their understanding^(X) and separated from the life of God^(Y) because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.^{(Z) 19} Having lost all sensitivity,^(AA) they have given themselves over^(AB) to sensuality^(AC) so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off^(AD) your old self,^(AE) which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;^{(AF) 23} to be made new in the attitude of your minds;^{(AG) 24} and to put on^(AH) the new self,^(AI) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.^(AJ)