The Daily Audio Bible

4 I, therefore, being the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called,

² with all humility and gentleness; with patience, bearing with one another in love,

³ being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called into one hope of your vocation;

⁵ one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism,

⁶ one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in all.

⁷ But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸ Therefore it says, “When He ascended upon high, He captured captivity, and gave gifts to man.

⁹ (Now, in that He ascended, what is it but that He had also descended first into the lowest parts of the earth?

¹⁰ He Who descended is also the same Who ascended far above all heavens, so that He might complete all things.)

¹¹ He, indeed, gave some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors, and Teachers,

¹² for the preparing of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edification of the body of Christ,

¹³ until we all reach the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature belonging to the fullness of Christ;

¹⁴ So that we are henceforth children no more, wavering and carried about with every wind of doctrine and by the deceit of man, who with craftiness lay in wait to deceive.

¹⁵ But let us follow the truth in love. And in all things grow up into Him Who is the Head, Christ;

¹⁶ by Whom all the body, being coupled and knit together by the supply of every joint, according to the measure of each individual part, makes increase to the body, to the edifying of itself in love.