The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

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- Chapter 4 -

(Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)

And so, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called:

with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity.

Be anxious to preserve the unity of the Spirit within the bonds of peace.

One body and one Spirit: to this you have been called by the one hope of your calling:

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

Yet to each one of us there has been given grace according to the measure allotted by Christ.

Because of this, he says: “Ascending on high, he took captivity itself captive; he gave gifts to men.”

Now that he has ascended, what is left except for him also to descend, first to the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens, so that he might fulfill everything.

And the same one granted that some would be Apostles, and some Prophets, yet truly others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers,(a)

for the sake of the perfection of the saints, by the work of the ministry, in the edification of the body of Christ,

until we all meet in the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as a perfect man, in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ.

So may we then no longer be little children, disturbed and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, and by the craftiness which deceives unto error.

Instead, acting according to truth in charity, we should increase in everything, in him who is the head, Christ himself.

For in him, the whole body is joined closely together, by every underlying joint, through the function allotted to each part, bringing improvement to the body, toward its edification in charity.

New Life in Christ

(Colossians 3:1–17)

And so, I say this, and I testify in the Lord: that from now on you should walk, not as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind,

having their intellect obscured, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is within them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

Such as these, despairing, have given themselves over to sexual immorality, carrying out every impurity with rapacity.(b)

But this is not what you have learned in Christ.

For certainly, you have listened to him, and you have been instructed in him, according to the truth that is in Jesus:

to set aside your earlier behavior, the former man, who was corrupted, by means of desire, unto error,

and so be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and so put on the new man, who, in accord with God, is created in justice and in the holiness of truth.

Because of this, setting aside lying, speak the truth, each one with his neighbor. For we are all part of one another.

“Be angry, but do not be willing to sin.” Do not let the sun set over your anger.(c)

Provide no place for the devil.

Whoever was stealing, let him now not steal, but rather let him labor, working with his hands, doing what is good, so that he may have something to distribute to those who suffer need.

Let no evil words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good, toward the edification of faith, so as to bestow grace upon those who listen.

And do not be willing to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed, unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and outcry and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice.

And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Footnotes

(a)4:11 Gave some apostles--Until we all meet, etc:Here it is plainly expressed, that Christ has left in his church a perpetual succession of orthodox pastors and teachers, to preserve the faithful in unity and truth.(Challoner)

(b)4:19 The word ‘impudicitiae’ can refer generally to severe sexual immorality, or it can refer more specifically to homosexuality. In passages such as this one, where it is the only word referring to sexual immorality, it is understood generally. But in passages where a series of specific sexual sins are named (adultery, fornication, etc.), this word is to be understood more specifically.(Conte)

(Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all.

But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”(a)

Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds

(b)

and teachers;

for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,

from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

New Life in Christ

(Colossians 3:1–17)

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.

They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you didn’t learn Christ that way,

if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:

that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit,

and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

“Be angry, and don’t sin.”(c) Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,

and don’t give place

(d)

to the devil.

Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.

And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Footnotes

(a)4:8 ℘ Psalms 68:18

(b)4:11 or, pastors

(d)4:27 or, opportunity