Ephesians 4
1Therefore I, a prisoner for the sake of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3being diligent to keep the unity that comes from the spirit by keeping the bond of peace.
4There is one body and one spirit, just as you were also called to one hope when you were called,
5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8This is why it says, When he ascended on high, he took captives, and gave gifts to people.
9(Now when it says, “he ascended,” what does it mean except that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.)
11And he himself gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, with the goal of building up the body of Christ,
13until we all attain unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, having grown into a mature person, reaching the measure of the full stature of Christ,
14so that we are no longer children, tossed here and there and blown around by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery and craftiness in carrying out their deceitful schemes.
15But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
16From him the whole body, being fitted together and held together by every supporting ligament, produces the growth of the body as each individual part does its proper function with the goal of building itself up in love.
17Therefore I say this and insist on it in the Lord: you must no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in their futile way of thinking.
18They are darkened in their understanding and are alienated from the life God gives because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19They have lost all sensitivity and have given themselves over to unrestrained behavior to engage in every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
20But that is not the way you learned Christ!
21Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught the truth in him, because the truth is in Jesus,
22you are to put off the old self that belongs to your former way of life and that is being corrupted because of deceitful desires,
23and renew the thoughts of your mind,
24and put on the new self, which has been created in the likeness of God—in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore, putting away falsehood, each one of you is to speak the truth to his neighbor, because we are members with one another.
26Be angry and yet do not sin! Do not let the sun go down on your angry mood,
27and do not give an opportunity to the Devil!
28The one who steals must stop stealing, and instead he must labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to give to the one who has need.
29Do not let corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up others according to the need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.
30And do not grieve the holy spirit of God, which is the seal with which you were marked until the day of redemption.
31Get rid of all bitterness and rage and anger and angry shouting and slander, along with all malice,
32and instead be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God has forgiven you in union with Christ.