Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, ^(A)the prisoner of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^(C)on behalf of you ^(D)Gentiles— ² if indeed you heard of the ^(E)stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; ^3 (F)that ^(G)by revelation there was ^(H)made known to me ^(I)the mystery, ^(J)as I wrote before in brief. ⁴ About which, when you read you can understand ^(K)my insight ^[a]into the ^(L)mystery of Christ, ⁵ which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy ^(M)apostles and prophets ^[b]in the Spirit: ⁶ that the Gentiles are ^(N)fellow heirs and ^(O)fellow members of the body, and ^(P)fellow partakers of the promise in ^(Q)Christ Jesus through the gospel, ^7 (R)of which I was made a ^(S)minister, according to the gift of ^(T)God’s grace which was given to me ^(U)according to the working of His power. ⁸ To me, ^(V)the very least of all ^[c]saints, this grace was given, to ^(W)proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable ^(X)riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the ^(Y)mystery which for ages has been ^(Z)hidden in God ^(AA)who created all things; ¹⁰ so that the manifold ^(AB)wisdom of God might now be ^(AC)made known through the church to the ^(AD)rulers and the authorities in ^(AE)the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in ^(AF)accordance with the ^[d]eternal purpose which He ^[e]carried out in ^(AG)Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and ^[f](AH)confident ^(AI)access through faith ^[g]in Him. ¹³ Therefore I ask ^[h]you not ^(AJ)to lose heart at my afflictions ^(AK)on your behalf, which are your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Power

¹⁴ For this reason I ^(AL)bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom ^[i]every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would give you, according to ^(AM)the riches of His glory, to be ^(AN)strengthened with power through His Spirit in ^(AO)the inner man, ¹⁷ so that ^(AP)Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly ^(AQ)rooted and ^(AR)grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with ^(AS)all the ^[j]saints what is ^(AT)the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know ^(AU)the love of Christ which ^(AV)surpasses knowledge, that you may be ^(AW)filled up to all the ^(AX)fullness of God.

^20 (AY)Now to Him who is ^(AZ)able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, ^(BA)according to the power that works within us, ^21 (BB)to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations ^[k]forever and ever. Amen.

Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, ^(BC)the prisoner in the Lord, ^(BD)exhort you to ^(BE)walk worthy of the ^(BF)calling with which you have been ^(BG)called, ² with all ^(BH)humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another ^(BI)in love, ³ being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the ^(BJ)bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(BK)one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one ^(BL)hope of your calling; ^5 (BM)one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all ^(BN)who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But ^(BO)to each one of us ^(BP)grace was given ^(BQ)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore ^[l]it says,

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ^(BT)ascended,” what ^[m]does it mean except that He also ^[n]descended into ^(BU)the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended ^(BV)far above all the heavens, so that He might ^(BW)fill all things.) ¹¹ And He Himself ^(BX)gave ^(BY)some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as ^(BZ)evangelists, and some as pastors and ^(CA)teachers, ^12 (CB)for the equipping of the ^[o]saints for the work of service, to the building up of ^(CC)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(CD)the unity of the faith, and of the ^[p](CE)full knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(CF)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[q]which belongs to the ^(CG)fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we are ^(CH)no longer to be children, ^(CI)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ^(CJ)craftiness ^[r]in ^(CK)deceitful scheming, ¹⁵ but ^[s]speaking the truth ^(CL)in love, ^[t]we are to ^(CM)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(CN)head, that is Christ, ¹⁶ from whom ^(CO)the whole body, being joined and held together ^[u]by what every joint supplies, according to the properly ^(CP)measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(CQ)in love.

Put On the New Man

^17 (CR)Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, ^(CS)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the ^(CT)futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being ^(CU)darkened in their mind, ^(CV)alienated from the life of God because of the ^(CW)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(CX)hardness of their heart. ¹⁹ And they, having ^(CY)become callous, ^(CZ)have given themselves over to ^(DA)sensuality ^[v]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not ^(DB)learn ^[w]Christ in this way— ²¹ if indeed you ^(DC)heard Him and were ^(DD)taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ^22 [x]to ^(DE)lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the ^(DF)old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(DG)lusts of deceit, ²³ and to be ^(DH)renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and to ^(DI)put on the ^(DJ)new man, which ^[y](DK)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(DL)laying aside falsehood, ^(DM)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are ^(DN)members of one another. ^26 (DO)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not ^(DP)give the devil ^[z]an opportunity. ²⁸ He who steals must steal no longer, but rather ^(DQ)he must labor, ^(DR)performing with his own hands what is good, ^(DS)so that he will have something to share with ^[aa]one who has need. ²⁹ Let no ^[ab](DT)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for ^(DU)building up ^[ac]what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ^30 (DV)And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[ad]by whom you were ^(DW)sealed for the day of redemption. ^31 (DX)Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be ^(DY)put away from you, along with all ^(DZ)malice. ^32 (EA)Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, ^(EB)just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven ^[ae]you.