Ephesians 4–6

1 mI therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to nwalk oin a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with ppatience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the qbond of peace. 4 There is rone body and sone Spirit—just as you were called to tthe one hope that belongs to your call— 5 uone Lord, vone faith, wone baptism, 6 xone God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to yeach one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,

z“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.”1

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?2 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended afar above all the heavens, that he might bfill all things.) 11 And he gave cthe apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds3 and teachers,4 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the dbody of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to emature manhood,5 to the measure of the stature of the ffullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be gchildren, htossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, iby human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the jhead, into Christ, 16 kfrom whom the whole body, ljoined and mheld together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

17 Now this I say and ntestify in the Lord, that you must ono longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the pfutility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, qalienated from the life of God because of the rignorance that is in them, due to their shardness of heart. 19 They have become tcallous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is unot the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were vtaught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to wput off your xold self,6 which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be yrenewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the znew self, acreated after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore, having put away bfalsehood, let each one of you cspeak the truth with his neighbor, for dwe are members one of another. 26 eBe angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and fgive no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest gwork with his own hands, hso that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 iLet no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for jbuilding up, as fits the occasion, kthat it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And ldo not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were msealed for the nday of redemption. 31 oLet all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be pkind to one another, tenderhearted, qforgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1 Therefore rbe imitators sof God, as beloved children. 2 And twalk uin love, as Christ loved us vand wgave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But xsexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 yLet there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 zFor you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous a(that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you bwith empty words, for cbecause of these things the wrath of God comes upon the dsons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for eat one time you were fdarkness, but now you are light in the Lord. gWalk as hchildren of light 9 (for the ifruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to jdiscern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 kTake no part in the unfruitful lworks of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But mwhen anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

n“Awake, O sleeper,

and arise from the dead,

and Christ will oshine on you.”

15 Look carefully then phow you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the qdays are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but runderstand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get sdrunk with wine, for that is debauchery, tbut be filled with the Spirit, 19 uaddressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the vname of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 wsubmitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 xWives, ysubmit to your own husbands, zas to the Lord. 23 For athe husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the bhead of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 cHusbands, love your wives, as Christ dloved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might esanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 fso that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be gholy and without blemish.7 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as htheir own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because iwe are jmembers of his body. 31 k“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and lthe two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mmystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

1 nChildren, oobey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 p“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 qFathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but rbring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

5 sBondservants,8 tobey your earthly masters9 with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, uas you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this vhe will receive back from the Lord, wwhether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is xboth their Master10 and yours is in heaven, and that there is yno partiality with him.

10 Finally, zbe strong in the Lord and in the astrength of his might. 11 bPut on the cwhole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the drulers, against the authorities, against the ecosmic powers over this present fdarkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the gheavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the hevil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the ibelt of truth, and having put on the jbreastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as kshoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the lshield of faith, with which you can mextinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the nhelmet of salvation, and the osword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 ppraying qat all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, rkeep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and salso for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth tboldly to proclaim the umystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an vambassador win chains, that I may declare it boldly, xas I ought to speak.

21 ySo that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, zTychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may aencourage your hearts.

23 Peace be to the brothers,11 and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

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2 View All Leviticus 19:27
ch. 21:5; [Isa. 15:2; Jer. 9:26; 48:37]