³ Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five.

¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head,^(A) from whom the whole body,^(B) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.^(C)

² My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart^(A) and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery^(B) of God, namely, Christ,

¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^(A) and builds itself up^(B) in love,^(C) as each part does its work.

³ Make every effort to keep the unity^(A) of the Spirit through the bond of peace.^{(B) 4} There is one body^(C) and one Spirit,^(D) just as you were called to one hope when you were called^(E); ⁵ one Lord,^(F) one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all,^(G) who is over all and through all and in all.^(H)

²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(A) in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(B)

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,^(A) so it is with Christ.^{(B) 13} For we were all baptized^(C) by^[a] one Spirit^(D) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free^(E)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.^{(F) 14} Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.^(G)

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed^(H) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.^{(I) 19} If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.^(J)

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ,^(K) and each one of you is a part of it.^(L)

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit^(A) distributes them.