Ephesians
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy the calling
you have received.
2 Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.
4 There is one spirit and one body – just as you were called to one hope when
you were called –
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
8 This is why is says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train
and gave gifs to men.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower,
earthly regions?
10 He who descended is the very one who 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, and some to be pastors and teachers;
12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may
be built up
13 until we all reach unity in the 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, and
blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and
craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grown up into him,
who is the head, that is, Christ.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting
ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live
as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God
because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so
as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20 You , however, did not come to know Christ that way.
21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth
that is in Jesus.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old
self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his
neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
26 “In your anger do not sin “ : do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something
useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in
need.
29 Do let the unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful
for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen.
30 And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with
every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you.
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