Ephesians 4

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BBE WEB

Words urging mutual forbearance and union

I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you, I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
With all gentle and quiet behaviour, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love; with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;
Taking care to keep the harmony of the Spirit in the yoke of peace. being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, even as you have been marked out by God in the one hope of his purpose for you; 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 Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

To a due use of spiritual gifts and graces

But to every one of us has grace been given in the measure of the giving of Christ. But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
For this reason he says, He went up on high, taking his prisoners with him, and gave freely to men. Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
(Now this, He went up, what is it but that he first went down into the lower parts of the earth? Now this, “He ascended,” what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who went down is the same who went up far over all the heavens so that he might make all things complete.) He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as Apostles, and some, prophets; and some, preachers of the good news; and some to give care and teaching; He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
For the training of the saints as servants in the church, for the building up of the body of Christ: for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure 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;
So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error; 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 saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;
Through whom all the body, being rightly formed and united together, by the full working of every part, is increased to the building up of itself in love. 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.

To purity and holiness

This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit, 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,
Whose thoughts are dark, to whom the life of God is strange because they are without knowledge, and their hearts have been made hard; 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;
Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire. who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you; But you did not learn Christ that way;
If in fact you gave ear to him, and were given teaching in him, even as what is true is made clear in Jesus: if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit; that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
And be made new in the spirit of your mind, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
And put on the new man, to which God has given life, in righteousness and a true and holy way of living. and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

And to take heed of the sins practised among the heathen

And so, putting away false words, let everyone say what is true to his neighbour: for we are parts one of another. Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
Be angry without doing wrong; let not the sun go down on your wrath; “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
And do not give way to the Evil One. neither give place to the devil.
Let him who was a thief be so no longer, but let him do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who is in need. Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.
Let no evil talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for giving necessary teaching, and for grace to those who give ear. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
And do not give grief to the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were marked for the day of salvation. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitter, sharp and angry feeling, and noise, and evil words, be put away from you, with all unkind acts; Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
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