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Ephesians 4
New American Standard Bible

Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, (A)the prisoner of the Lord, (B)urge you to (C)walk in a manner worthy of the (D)calling with which you have been (E)called, 2 with all (F)humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another (G)in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the (H)bond of peace. 4 There is (I)one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one (J)hope of your calling; 5 (K)one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all (L)who is over all and through all and in all.

7 But (M)to each one of us (N)grace was given (O)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore [a]it says,

“(P)When He ascended on high,
He (Q)led captive the captives,
And He gave gifts to people.”

9 (Now this expression, “He (R)ascended,” what [b]does it mean except that He also [c]had descended into (S)the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended (T)far above all the heavens, so that He might (U)fill all things.) 11 And He (V)gave (W)some as apostles, some as prophets, some as (X)evangelists, some as [d]pastors and (Y)teachers, 12 (Z)for the equipping of the [e]saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of (AA)the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to (AB)the unity of the faith, and of the [f](AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a (AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature [g]which belongs to the (AE)fullness of Christ. 14 [h]As a result, we are (AF)no longer to be children, (AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by (AH)craftiness [i]in (AI)deceitful scheming; 15 but [j]speaking the truth (AJ)in love, [k]we are to (AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the (AL)head, that is, Christ, 16 from whom (AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together [l]by what every joint supplies, according to the [m]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself (AN)in love.

The Christian’s Walk

17 (AO)So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, (AP)that you are to no longer walk just as the [n]Gentiles also walk, in the (AQ)futility of their minds, 18 being (AR)darkened in their understanding, [o](AS)excluded from the life of God because of the (AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the (AU)hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having (AV)become callous, (AW)have given themselves up to (AX)indecent behavior [p]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (AY)learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you (AZ)have heard Him and have (BA)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to (BB)rid yourselves of the (BC)old [q]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (BD)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you are to be (BE)renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to (BF)put on the (BG)new [r]self, which [s](BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, (BI)ridding yourselves of falsehood, (BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are (BK)parts of one another. 26 (BL)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not (BM)give the devil [t]an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather (BN)he must labor, (BO)producing with his own hands what is good, (BP)so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no [u](BQ)unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for (BR)edification [v]according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 (BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [w]by whom you were (BT)sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (BU)All bitterness, wrath, anger, [x]clamor, and slander must be (BV)removed from you, along with all (BW)malice. 32 (BX)Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, (BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven [y]you.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:8 Or He
  2. Ephesians 4:9 Lit is it except
  3. Ephesians 4:9 One early ms had first descended
  4. Ephesians 4:11 From Gr for shepherds
  5. Ephesians 4:12 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  6. Ephesians 4:13 Or true knowledge
  7. Ephesians 4:13 Lit of the fullness
  8. Ephesians 4:14 Lit So that we will no longer be
  9. Ephesians 4:14 Lit with regard to the scheming of deceit
  10. Ephesians 4:15 Or holding to; or being truthful in
  11. Ephesians 4:15 Or let’s grow up
  12. Ephesians 4:16 Lit through every joint of the supply
  13. Ephesians 4:16 Lit working in measure
  14. Ephesians 4:17 I.e., unbelieving Gentiles
  15. Ephesians 4:18 Or alienated
  16. Ephesians 4:19 Or greedy for the practice of every kind of impurity
  17. Ephesians 4:22 Lit person
  18. Ephesians 4:24 Lit person
  19. Ephesians 4:24 Lit according to God
  20. Ephesians 4:27 Lit a place
  21. Ephesians 4:29 Lit rotten
  22. Ephesians 4:29 Lit of the need
  23. Ephesians 4:30 Lit in
  24. Ephesians 4:31 Or shouting
  25. Ephesians 4:32 Two early mss us
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Ephesians 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 4

Unity in the Body. 1 [a]I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,(A) 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,(B) 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:(C) 4 [b]one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;(D) 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;(E) 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.(F)

Diversity of Gifts. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.(G) 8 Therefore, it says:

“He ascended[c] on high and took prisoners captive;
    he gave gifts to men.”(H)

9 What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower [regions] of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

11 [d]And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,(I) 12 to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,[e] for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[f] to the extent of the full stature of Christ,(J) 14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.(K) 15 Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head,(L) Christ,[g] 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.(M)

Renewal in Christ.[h] 17 So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;(N) 18 darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart,(O) 19 they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess.(P) 20 That is not how you learned Christ, 21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, 22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,(Q) 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,(R) 24 and put on[i] the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.(S)

IV. Daily Conduct, an Expression of Unity[j]

Rules for the New Life. 25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another.(T) 26 Be angry but do not sin;(U) do not let the sun set on your anger,[k] 27 and do not leave room for the devil.(V) 28 The thief must no longer steal, but rather labor, doing honest work[l] with his [own] hands, so that he may have something to share with one in need.(W) 29 No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.(X) 30 And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.[m] 31 All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.(Y) 32 [And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 4:1–16 A general plea for unity in the church. Christians have been fashioned through the Spirit into a single harmonious religious community (one body, Eph 4:4, 12; cf. Eph 4:16), belonging to a single Lord (in contrast to the many gods of the pagan world), and by one way of salvation through faith, brought out especially by the significance of baptism (Eph 4:1–6; cf. Rom 6:1–11). But Christian unity is more than adherence to a common belief. It is manifested in the exalted Christ’s gifts to individuals to serve so as to make the community more Christlike (Eph 4:11–16). This teaching on Christ as the source of the gifts is introduced in Eph 4:8 by a citation of Ps 68:18, which depicts Yahweh triumphantly leading Israel to salvation in Jerusalem. It is here understood of Christ, ascending above all the heavens, the head of the church; through his redemptive death, resurrection, and ascension he has become the source of the church’s spiritual gifts. The “descent” of Christ (Eph 4:9–10) refers more probably to the incarnation (cf. Phil 2:6–8) than to Christ’s presence after his death in the world of the dead (cf. 1 Pt 3:19).
  2. 4:4–6 The “seven unities” (church, Spirit, hope; Lord, faith in Christ [Eph 1:13], baptism; one God) reflect the triune structure of later creeds in reverse.
  3. 4:8–10 While the emphasis is on an ascension and gift-giving by Christ, there is also a reference in taking prisoners captive to the aeons and powers mentioned at Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12.
  4. 4:11 Concerning this list of ministers, cf. 1 Cor 12:28 and Rom 12:6–8. Evangelists: missionary preachers (cf. Acts 21:8; 2 Tm 4:5), not those who wrote gospels. Pastors and teachers: a single group in the Greek, shepherding congregations.
  5. 4:12 The ministerial leaders in Eph 4:11 are to equip the whole people of God for their work of ministry.
  6. 4:13 Mature manhood: literally, “a perfect man” (cf. Col 1:28), possibly the “one new person” of Eph 2:15, though there anthrōpos suggests humanity, while here anēr is the term for male. This personage becomes visible in the church’s growing to its fullness in the unity of those who believe in Christ.
  7. 4:15–16 The head, Christ: cf. Col 1:18 and contrast 1 Cor 12:12–27 and Rom 12:4–5 where Christ is identified with the whole body, including the head. The imagery may derive from ancient views in medicine, the head coordinating and caring for the body, each ligament (perhaps the ministers of Eph 4:11) supporting the whole. But as at Eph 2:19–22, where the temple is depicted as a growing organism, there may also be the idea here of growing toward the capstone, Christ.
  8. 4:17–24 Paul begins to indicate how the new life in Christ contrasts with the Gentiles’ old way of existence. Literally, the old self (Eph 4:22) and the new self (Eph 4:24) are “the old man” and “the new man” (anthrōpos, person), as at Eph 2:15; cf. note on Eph 4:13.
  9. 4:24 Put on: in baptism. See note on Gal 3:27.
  10. 4:25–6:20 For similar exhortations to a morally good life in response to God’s gift of faith, see notes on Rom 12:1–13:14 and Gal 5:13–26.
  11. 4:26 If angry, seek reconciliation that day, not giving the devil (Eph 6:11) opportunity to lead into sin.
  12. 4:28 Honest work: literally, “the good.” His [own] hands: some manuscripts have the full phrase as in 1 Cor 4:12.
  13. 4:30 See note on Eph 1:13.
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Ephesians 4
New King James Version

Walk in Unity

4 I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to (A)walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit (B)in the bond of peace. 4 (C)There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 (D)one Lord, (E)one faith, (F)one baptism; 6 (G)one God and Father of all, who is above all, and (H)through all, and in [c]you all.

Spiritual Gifts

7 But (I)to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:

(J)“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

9 (K)(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also [d]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One (L)who ascended far above all the heavens, (M)that He might fill all things.)

11 And He Himself 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, (N)for the [e]edifying of (O)the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith (P)and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to (Q)a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be (R)children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of (S)deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the (T)head—Christ— 16 (U)from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should (V)no longer walk as [f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the (W)blindness of their heart; 19 (X)who, being past feeling, (Y)have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you (Z)put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and (AA)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you (AB)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

25 Therefore, putting away lying, (AC)“Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for (AD)we are members of one another. 26 (AE)“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 (AF)nor give [g]place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather (AG)let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something (AH)to give him who has need. 29 (AI)Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but (AJ)what is good for necessary [h]edification, (AK)that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And (AL)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (AM)Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, [i]clamor, and (AN)evil speaking be put away from you, (AO)with all malice. 32 And (AP)be kind to one another, tenderhearted, (AQ)forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:1 Lit. in
  2. Ephesians 4:1 exhort, encourage
  3. Ephesians 4:6 NU omits you; M us
  4. Ephesians 4:9 NU omits first
  5. Ephesians 4:12 building up
  6. Ephesians 4:17 NU omits the rest of
  7. Ephesians 4:27 an opportunity
  8. Ephesians 4:29 building up
  9. Ephesians 4:31 loud quarreling
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Ephesians 3
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