Therefore I, athe prisoner
of the Lord
, bimplore
you to cwalk
in a manner
worthy
of the dcalling
with which
you have been ecalled
,
with all ahumility
and gentleness
, with patience
, showing
tolerance
for one
another
bin love
,
being diligent to preserve
the unity
of the Spirit
in the abond
of peace
.
There is aone body
and one
Spirit
, just
as also
you were called
in one
bhope
of your calling
;
aone Lord
, one
faith
, one
baptism
,
one God
and Father
of all
awho
is over
all
and through
all
and in all
.
But ato each one
of us bgrace
was given
caccording
to the measure
of Christ's
gift
.
Therefore 1it says
, " aWHEN HE ASCENDED
ON HIGH
, HE bLED
CAPTIVE
A HOST
OF CAPTIVES
, AND HE GAVE
GIFTS
TO MEN
."
(Now this
expression, "He aascended
," what
1does it mean
except
that He also
2had descended
into bthe lower
parts
of the earth
?
He who descended is Himself
also
He who ascended
afar
above
all
the heavens
, so
that He might bfill
all
things
.)
And He agave bsome
as apostles
, and some
as prophets
, and some
as cevangelists
, and some
as pastors
and dteachers
,
afor the equipping of the 1saints
for the work
of service
, to the building
up of bthe body
of Christ
;
until we all
attain
to athe unity
of the faith
, and of the 1 bknowledge
of the Son
of God
, to a cmature
man
, to the measure
of the stature
2which belongs to the dfullness
of Christ
.
1As a result, we are ano
longer
to be children
, btossed
here
and there
by waves
and carried
about
by every
wind
of doctrine
, by the trickery
of men
, by ccraftiness
2in ddeceitful
scheming
;
but 1speaking the truth
ain love
, 2we are to bgrow
up in all
aspects into Him who
is the chead
, even Christ
,
from whom athe whole
body
, being fitted
and held
together
1by what
every
joint
supplies
, according
to the 2proper
working
of each
individual
part
, causes
the growth
of the body
for the building
up of itself
bin love
.
aSo this
I say
, and affirm
together
with the Lord
, bthat you walk
no
longer
just
as the Gentiles
also
walk
, in the cfutility
of their mind
,
being adarkened
in their understanding
, 1 bexcluded
from the life
of God
because
of the cignorance
that is in them, because
of the dhardness
of their heart
;
and they, having abecome callous
, bhave given
themselves
over
to csensuality
1for the practice
of every
kind
of impurity
with greediness
.
But you did not alearn 1Christ
in this
way
,
if indeed
you ahave heard
Him and have bbeen taught
in Him, just
as truth
is in Jesus
,
that, in reference to your former
manner
of life
, you alay
aside
the bold
1self
, which is being corrupted
in accordance
with the clusts
of deceit
,
and that you be arenewed in the spirit
of your mind
,
and aput on the bnew
1self
, which 2 cin the likeness of God
has been created
in righteousness
and holiness
of the truth
.
Therefore, alaying
aside
falsehood
, bSPEAK
TRUTH
EACH
ONE
of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR
, for we are cmembers
of one
another
.
aBE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN
; do not let the sun
go
down
on your anger
,
and do not agive the devil
1an opportunity
.
He who steals must steal
no
longer
; but rather
ahe must labor
, bperforming
with his own
hands
what
is good
, cso
that he will have
something to share
with 1one
who has
need
.
Let no 1 aunwholesome
word
proceed
from your mouth
, but only
such
a word as is good
for bedification
2according to the need
of the moment, so
that it will give
grace
to those
who hear
.
aDo not grieve the Holy
Spirit
of God
, 1by whom
you were bsealed
for the day
of redemption
.
aLet all bitterness
and wrath
and anger
and clamor
and slander
be bput
away
from you, along
with all
cmalice
.
aBe kind to one
another
, tender-hearted
, forgiving
each
other
, bjust
as God
in Christ
also
has forgiven
1you.