Unity in the Body
1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the vocation with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in us all. 7 But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 This is why it says,
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives away,
and gave gifts to people.” a
9 Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11 He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers; 12 for the equipping of the saints in the work of serving, to build up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, reaching mature manhood, to the measure of Christ’s full stature 14 Then we will 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. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, 16 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
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 thinking. 18 They are 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. 19 Having become callous, they gave themselves up to sexual immorality, greedy to engage in every manner of impurity.
20 But you did not learn about Christ this way, 21 if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22 You put away your former way of life, the old self that grows corrupt by deceitful lusts. 23 You are being renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new self, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and the holiness of truth.
25 Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin.” b Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 and do not give opportunity to the devil. 28 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.
29 Let no corrupt speech proceed from 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. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
a Psalm 68:18
b Psalm 4:4