Ephesians 2:14-4:32

English Standard Version

¹⁴ For ^(A)he himself is our peace, ^(B)who has made us both one and has broken down ^(C)in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ^(D)ordinances, that he might create in himself one ^(E)new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might ^(F)reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷ And he came and ^(G)preached peace to you who were ^(H)far off and peace to those who were ^(I)near. ¹⁸ For ^(J)through him we both have ^(K)access in ^(L)one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer ^(M)strangers and aliens,^[a] but you are ^(N)fellow citizens with the saints and ^(O)members of the household of God, ^20 (P)built on the foundation of the ^(Q)apostles and prophets, ^(R)Christ Jesus himself being ^(S)the cornerstone, ^21 (T)in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into ^(U)a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him ^(V)you also are being built together ^(W)into a dwelling place for God by^[b] the Spirit.

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, ^(X)a prisoner of Christ Jesus ^(Y)on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of ^(Z)the stewardship of ^(AA)God's grace that was given to me for you, ^3 (AB)how the mystery was made known to me ^(AC)by revelation, ^(AD)as I have written briefly. ^4 (AE)When you read this, you can perceive my insight into ^(AF)the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ This mystery is^[c] that the Gentiles are ^(AG)fellow heirs, ^(AH)members of the same body, and ^(AI)partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

^7 (AJ)Of this gospel I was made ^(AK)a minister according to the gift of ^(AL)God's grace, which was given me ^(AM)by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, ^(AN)though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, ^(AO)to preach to the Gentiles the ^(AP)unsearchable ^(AQ)riches of Christ, ⁹ and ^(AR)to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery ^(AS)hidden for ages in^[d] God, ^(AT)who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold ^(AU)wisdom of God ^(AV)might now be made known to ^(AW)the rulers and authorities ^(AX)in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was ^(AY)according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have ^(AZ)boldness and ^(BA)access with ^(BB)confidence through our ^(BC)faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering ^(BD)for you, ^(BE)which is your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom ^(BF)every family^[e] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to ^(BG)the riches of his glory ^(BH)he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit ^(BI)in your inner being, ^17 (BJ)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being ^(BK)rooted and ^(BL)grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to ^(BM)comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and ^(BN)height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ ^(BO)that surpasses knowledge, that ^(BP)you may be filled with all ^(BQ)the fullness of God.

^20 (BR)Now to ^(BS)him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, ^(BT)according to the power at work within us, ^21 (BU)to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, ^(BV)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(BW)walk in a manner worthy of ^(BX)the calling to which you have been called, ² with all ^(BY)humility and ^(BZ)gentleness, with ^(CA)patience, ^(CB)bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ^(CC)the bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(CD)one body and ^(CE)one Spirit—just as you were called to the one ^(CF)hope that belongs to your call— ^5 (CG)one Lord, ^(CH)one faith, ^(CI)one baptism, ^6 (CJ)one God and Father of all, ^(CK)who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But ^(CL)grace was given ^(CM)to each one of us ^(CN)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(CQ)In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(CR)the lower regions, the earth?^{[g] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(CS)ascended ^(CT)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(CU)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(CV)he gave the ^(CW)apostles, the prophets, the ^(CX)evangelists, the ^(CY)shepherds^[h] and teachers,^{[i] 12 (CZ)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(DA)building up ^(DB)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(DC)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(DD)to mature manhood,^[j] to the measure of the stature of ^(DE)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(DF)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(DG)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(DH)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(DI)grow up in every way into him who is ^(DJ)the head, into Christ, ^16 (DK)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(DL)when 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 ^(DM)testify in the Lord, ^(DN)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(DO)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(DP)are darkened in their understanding, ^(DQ)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(DR)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(DS)have become callous and ^(DT)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(DU)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(DV)you have heard about him and ^(DW)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(DX)put off ^(DY)your old self,^[k] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(DZ)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(EA)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(EB)the new self, ^(EC)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(ED)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(EE)we are members one of another. ^26 (EF)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(EG)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(EH)let him labor, ^(EI)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(EJ)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (EK)Let 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 ^(EL)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(EM)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(EN)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(EO)redemption. ^31 (EP)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (EQ)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(ER)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.