Ephesians 4:1-21 ▼

1 I THEREFORE, a prisoner of our LORD, beseech you to live as is worthy of the rank to which you are called,

2 With all humility and gentleness and with patience, forbearing one another in love,

3 Endeavoring to preserve the harmony of the Spirit in the bond of peace,

4 That you may become one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling;

5 There is one LORD, one faith, and one baptism;

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all of us.

7 But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore it is said, He ascended on high, and took possession of heaven and gave good gifts to men.

9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the inner parts of the earth?

10 So he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens, that he might fulfil all things.

11 And he has assigned some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors, and some, teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Until we all become one in faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become a perfect man according to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be not as children easily stirred and carried away by every wind of false doctrines of men who through their craftiness are artful in deceiving the people;

15 But that we be sincere in our love, so that in everything we may progress through Christ, who is the head.

16 It is through him that the whole body is closely and firmly united at all joints, according to the measure of the gift which is given to every member, for the guidance and control of the body, in order to complete the edifying of the body in love.

17 This I say therefore and testify in the LORD: that you henceforth live not as other Gentiles, who live in the vanity of their mind,

18 And whose understanding is dark, and who are alienated from the life of God, because they have no knowledge, and because of the blindness of their hearts;

19 And who have given up their hope, and have surrendered themselves to wantonness, and to the practice of all uncleanness in their covetousness.

20 But that is not what you have been taught about Christ;

21 If you have truly heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is found in Jesus: