Ephesians Chapter 4

Christian Unity

            4^:1 So I, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live appropriate to your calling— ² with humility and gentleness, with patience toward each other in love. ³ Make every effort to maintain spiritual unity* by being bound together with peace.

                                    ⁴ There’s one body, one Spirit, one hope you’re called to,

                                    ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

                                    ⁶ one God and Father of all,

                                                who’s above all, through all, and in all.                                            

⁷ Christ has measured out grace to each of you, ⁸ like it says,

                                    “He ascended on high,

and captured captivity;

                                    he gave gifts to people” [Ps 68:18].                                                                               

Eph 4:1-8

Gifting for Ministry

⁹ What does “he ascended” involve but that he had also descended to earth? ¹⁰ And the One that had descended also ascended above the skies to complete everything. ¹¹ He “gave” apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers ¹² to equip the saints for service and to build up Christ’s body. ¹³ That work goes on till we become one in trusting and knowing God’s Son and are full-grown as measured by the stature of Christ. ¹⁴ That’s so we won’t stay like little kids, tossed back and forth and blown around by every idea that sly people devise to trick us. ¹⁵ Let’s speak the truth in love and grow up in Christ in every respect. ¹⁶ He’s the head that unites the whole body. Every ligament holds it together so each part can contribute properly to the growth of the body as it builds itself up in love.                                        

Eph 4:9-16

Wise Living with One Another

¹⁷ So don’t live like Gentiles anymore in their pointless way of thinking ¹⁸ and darkened understanding. They’re strangers to godly living because they’re ignorant and hardhearted. ¹⁹ They’ve become insensitive and have given themselves over to doing everything indecent, impure, and greedy. ²⁰ You didn’t learn to live that way from Christ. [ ²¹ ]^repeat                                   

Eph 4:17-21

²² So set aside the former way of living—the old kind of humanity that’s ruined by desires that deceive; ²³ adopt a new mentality. ²⁴ Put on the new kind of humanity that’s like God in the goodness and holiness that lie in the truth.  

Eph 4:22-24

²⁵ So don’t lie; “each of you, speak truthfully with your neighbor” [Zech 8:16], because you’re members of one another. ²⁶ “If you^pl feel angry, don’t sin” [Ps 4:4]. Don’t let^sg the sun set on your anger; ²⁷ don’t give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ If you’re stealing, stop it. Instead, work with your hands, doing what’s good so you can share with people who need help. ²⁹ Take every bad word out of your mouth and replace it with a good word that builds up with graciousness those who hear you. ³⁰ Don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit that Christ sealed you with to the day of final redemption. ³¹ Get rid of bitterness, wrath, anger, angry shouting, blasphemy, hateful feelings. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, gracious, like God in Christ was gracious to you.