Ephesians 4:1-21

Christian Standard Bible

Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ

4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord,^(A) urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, ²with all humility^(B) and gentleness, with patience,^(C) bearing^(D) with one another in love,^(E) ³making every effort to keep the unity^(F) of the Spirit^(G) through the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit^(H)—just as you were called to one hope^[a]^(I) at your calling— ⁵one Lord,^(J) one faith,^(K) one baptism, ⁶one God^(L) and Father^(M) of all, who is above all and through all and in all.^(N)

⁷Now grace was given to each one of us^(O) according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸For it says:

When he ascended^(P) on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.^[b]^(Q)

⁹But what does “he ascended” mean except that he^[c] also descended to the lower parts of the earth?^[d]^(R) ¹⁰The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens,^(S) to fill all things.^(T) ¹¹And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,^(U) ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son,^(V) growing into maturity with a stature^(W) measured by Christ’s fullness. ¹⁴Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching,^(X) by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head^(Y)—Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, fitted and knit together^(Z) by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth^(AA) of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Living the New Life

¹⁷Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because^[e] of the hardness of their hearts. ¹⁹They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity^(AB) with a desire for more and more.^[f]

²⁰But that is not how you came to know Christ, ²¹assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth^(AC) is in Jesus,

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Footnotes

4:4 Lit called in one hope
4:8 Ps 68:18
4:9 Other mss add first
4:9 Or the lower parts, namely, the earth
4:18 Or in them because
4:19 Lit with greediness

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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