Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

He explains the cause of his imprisonment, and more of the revelation of the mystery of Christ. He desires them not to faint because of his trouble, and prays God to make them steadfast in his Spirit.

3 For this then I, Paul, am in the bonds of Jesus Christ, for the sake of you who are heathen – ² if you have heard of the ministration of the grace of God that is given to me for you. ³ For by revelation he showed this mystery to me, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴ from which, when you read, you may know my understanding in the mystery of Christ. ⁵ This mystery was not in times past opened to the sons of men as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that the Gentiles should be inheritors also, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise that is in Christ by the means of the gospel – ⁷ of which gospel I am made a minister by the gift of the grace of God given to me through the working of his power. ⁸ To me, the least of all saints, is this grace given, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all men see what the fellowship of the mystery is.

This mystery has from the beginning of the world been hid in God, who made all things through Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ to the intent that now, through the congregation, the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the rulers and powers in heaven, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² by whom we are bold to draw near in the confidence that we have by faith on him.

¹³ Therefore I desire that you faint not because of my tribulations for your sakes, which are worthy to be glorified by you. ¹⁴ For this I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ who is Father over all that is called father in heaven and in earth. ¹⁶ I pray that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ and that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, so that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is that breadth and length, depth and height, ¹⁹ and to know what is the love of Christ, which love passes knowledge; that you might be filled with every kind of fullness that comes of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think by the power that works in us, ²¹ be praise in the congregation by Jesus Christ throughout all generations, world without end.

Amen.

He exhorts them to meekness and longsuffering, to love and peace. Everyone is to serve and edify the other with the gift that God has given him, to beware of strange doctrine, to lay aside the old life of greedy desires, and to walk in a new life.

4 I therefore, who am in bonds for the Lord’s sake, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling wherein you are called, ² in all humbleness of mind, and meekness and longsuffering, forbearing one another through love; ³ and to be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, ⁴ being one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling. ⁵ Let there be but one Lord, one faith, one baptism: ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in you all.

⁷ To every one of us grace is given according to the nature and scope of the gift of Christ. ⁸ Therefore he says: He ascended up on high, and has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men. ⁹ That he ascended, what does it mean but that he also descended first, into the lowest parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the same also who ascended up, even above all heavens, to fulfil all things. ¹¹ And the very same made some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds, and some teachers, ¹² so that the saints may have all things necessary to work and minister for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ until we every one (in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God) grow up to be perfect in the maturity of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ so that we henceforth would no longer be children, wavering and carried with every wind of doctrine by the wiliness of men, and craftiness whereby they lay in wait for us, to deceive us.

¹⁵ But let us follow the truth in love, and in all things grow in him who is the head; that is to say, Christ. ¹⁶ In him all the body is coupled and knit together in every joint, and one ministers to another (according to the divine working, as every part has its role), and advances the body for the edifying of itself in love.

  ¹⁷ I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that henceforth you must not walk like other Gentiles walk, in vanity of their mind, ¹⁸ blinded in their understanding, being alienated from the life that is in God, through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts; ¹⁹ who, being past repentance, have given themselves over to wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness, even with greediness. ²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ – ²¹ if it so be that you have heard him, and are taught in him, inasmuch as the truth is in Jesus. ²² So then, as concerning the former lifestyle, lay away from you that old man, which is corrupt through deceptive desires and affections, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and put on that new man, which is shapen in the image of God in righteousness and true holiness.

²⁵ Therefore put away lying, and let every person speak truth to his neighbour, seeing as we are members of one another. ²⁶ Be angry, but sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath; ²⁷ neither give place to the backbiter. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no more, but let him rather do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who has need.

²⁹ Let no unwholesome talk proceed out of your mouths, but that which is good to edify when needful, so that it may find favour with the hearers. ³⁰ And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, fierceness, and wrath, shouting and cursing, be put away from you, with all maliciousness. ³² Be kind to one another, and merciful, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake forgave you.