[Ephesians 4]

 

             ^4:1 Therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, am encouraging you^° to walk around worthily of the calling of which you^° were called, ^4:2 with all humility and meekness, with patience tolerating one another in love^*, ^4:3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ^4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just-as you^° were also called in one hope of your^° calling; ^4:5 one Lord, one faith, one immersion^*, ^4:6 one God and Father of all, the one over all and through all and in us all.

             {Note on verses below: Heaven is not physically above the earth and neither is hell physically in the earth as some believe.}

             ^4:7 Now the grace was given to each one of us according-to the measure of the gift of the Christ. ^4:8 Hence he says, ‘After he ascended to high places, he captured captivity and gave presents to men.’ {Psa 68:18} ^4:9 Now the saying, He ascended (what is it saying?) except that he also descended into the downward parts of the earth first? ^4:10 He who descended is also he who ascended above all the heavens in-order-that he might fill all things.

               ^4:11 And he himself gave some to be the apostles, and the prophets, and the evangelists, and the shepherds and teachers, ^4:12 toward the equipping of the holy-ones, into the work of the service, into the building up of the body of the Christ, ^4:13 till we all might achieve: into the unity of the faith, of the full knowledge of the Son of God, into a mature man, into a measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ, ^4:14 in-order-that we may no longer be infants, bouncing on the waves and being carried around in every wind of teaching, in the trickery of men, in craftiness, toward the scheme of error. ^4:15 But declaring the truth in love^*, that we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, the Christ, ^4:16 from whom all the body (is fitly framed and knitted together through every supplying joint, according-to the working in measure of each one part) and who is making^* the growth of the body to the building up of itself in love^*.

 

             ^4:17 Therefore, I am saying and testifying this in the Lord: you^° are to walk around no longer as the rest of the Gentiles who are also walking around in the futility of their mind, ^4:18 have been darkened in their mind, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which is in them, because of the hardening of their heart, ^4:19 who are apathetic, gave themselves up to unbridled-lust, ^*for the working of all uncleanness in greed.

             ^4:20 But you^° did not so learn the Christ, ^4:21 if-indeed you^° heard him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: ^4:22 to place away {i.e. throw away} the old man from yourselves^° according-to your^° former conduct, the one being corrupted according-to the lusts of deception, ^4:23 and to be young again in the spirit of your^° mind, ^4:24 and to have clothed yourselves with the new man, who was created according-to God, in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

 

             ^4:25 Hence, placing all the lying away from yourselves, speak^° each one the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another. ^4:26 ‘Be^° angry and do^° not sin.’ {Psa 4:4} Do not let the sun set upon your^° anger, ^4:27 nor give^° a chance to the devil. ^4:28 Let the one stealing, steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working at what is the good thing with the hands he has in-order-that he may have something to give to the one who has need. ^4:29 Do not let any rotten speech travel from your^° mouth. But if something is good for the building up of the one in need, say it in-order-that it may give a favor to the ones hearing. ^4:30 And do^° not make the Holy Spirit of God sorrowful, in whom you^° were sealed to the day of redemption. ^4:31 Let all bitterness and fury and anger and outcrying and blasphemy, together-with all malice, be taken away from you^°, ^4:32 and become^° kind to one another, affectionate, forgiving^* others in yourselves, just-as God also forgave^* us in Christ.