1. as a prisoner for the Lord, then, i urge you to live
a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2. be
completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with
one another in love, 4 make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4. there
is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one
hope when you were called. 5. one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, 6. one God the Father of all, who is above all and
through all and in all.

7. but to each one of us grace has been given to us as Christ
apportioned it. 8. this is why it says, when he ascended on high
, he let captives in his train, and gave gifts to men. 9 (what does
"he ascended" mean except he also descended to the lower, earthly
regions? 10. he who descended is the very one ascended higher than
all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.

11. it was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers. 12 to prepare
God's people for the works of service, so the the body of Christ may
be built up, 13 until we all reach the unity in faith and in the knowledge
of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ.

14. then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,
blown here and there by every wind of teaching and cunning and craftiness
of men in their deceitful scheming, 15 instead, speaking the truth in love,
then we will all reach the Head, that is, Christ, 16. From whom the whole body,
jointed and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds it
up, as each part does it work.