Ephesians 4:1-16

Modern English Version

Unity of the Body

4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called. ² With all humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, even 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 grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ. ⁸ Therefore He says:

⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also He who ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, and for the building up of the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so we may no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, by craftiness with deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ But, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ Himself, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body is joined together and connected by every joint and ligament, as every part effectively does its work and grows, building itself up in love.