Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, ^(A)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(B)urge you to ^(C)walk in a manner worthy of the ^(D)calling with which you have been ^(E)called, ² with all ^(F)humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another ^(G)in love, ³ being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the ^(H)bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(I)one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one ^(J)hope of your calling; ^5 (K)one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all ^(L)who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But ^(M)to each one of us ^(N)grace was given ^(O)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore ^[a]it says,

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ^(R)ascended,” what ^[b]does it mean except that He also ^[c]had descended into ^(S)the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended ^(T)far above all the heavens, so that He might ^(U)fill all things.) ¹¹ And He ^(V)gave ^(W)some as apostles, some as prophets, some as ^(X)evangelists, some as ^[d]pastors and ^(Y)teachers, ^12 (Z)for the equipping of the ^[e]saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of ^(AA)the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to ^(AB)the unity of the faith, and of the ^[f](AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[g]which belongs to the ^(AE)fullness of Christ. ^14 [h]As a result, we are ^(AF)no longer to be children, ^(AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by ^(AH)craftiness ^[i]in ^(AI)deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but ^[j]speaking the truth ^(AJ)in love, ^[k]we are to ^(AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(AL)head, that is, Christ, ¹⁶ from whom ^(AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together ^[l]by what every joint supplies, according to the ^[m]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(AN)in love.

The Christian’s Walk

^17 (AO)So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, ^(AP)that you are to no longer walk just as the ^[n]Gentiles also walk, in the ^(AQ)futility of their minds, ¹⁸ being ^(AR)darkened in their understanding, ^[o](AS)excluded from the life of God because of the ^(AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(AU)hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having ^(AV)become callous, ^(AW)have given themselves up to ^(AX)indecent behavior ^[p]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not ^(AY)learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you ^(AZ)have heard Him and have ^(BA)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to ^(BB)rid yourselves of the ^(BC)old ^[q]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(BD)lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you are to be ^(BE)renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to ^(BF)put on the ^(BG)new ^[r]self, which ^[s](BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(BI)ridding yourselves of falsehood, ^(BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are ^(BK)parts of one another. ^26 (BL)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not ^(BM)give the devil ^[t]an opportunity. ²⁸ The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather ^(BN)he must labor, ^(BO)producing with his own hands what is good, ^(BP)so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. ²⁹ Let no ^[u](BQ)unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for ^(BR)edification ^[v]according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ^30 (BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[w]by whom you were ^(BT)sealed for the day of redemption. ^31 (BU)All bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[x]clamor, and slander must be ^(BV)removed from you, along with all ^(BW)malice. ^32 (BX)Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, ^(BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[y]you.