Bible Gateway passage: Ephesians 4 - New King James Version (2024)

Walk in Unity

4I, therefore, the prisoner ^[a]of the Lord, ^[b]beseech you to ^(A)walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ²with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit ^(B)in the bond of peace. ^4(C)There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ^5(D)one Lord, ^(E)one faith, ^(F)one baptism; ^6(G)one God and Father of all, who is above all, and ^(H)through all, and in ^[c]you all.

Spiritual Gifts

⁷But ^(I)to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸Therefore He says:

^(J)“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

^9(K)(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also ^[d]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is also the One ^(L)who ascended far above all the heavens, ^(M)that He might fill all things.)

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, ^(N)for the ^[e]edifying of ^(O)the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith ^(P)and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to ^(Q)a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be ^(R)children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of ^(S)deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the ^(T)head—Christ— ^16(U)from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

¹⁷This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should ^(V)no longer walk as ^[f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(W)blindness of their heart; ^19(X)who, being past feeling, ^(Y)have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²²that you ^(Z)put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³and ^(AA)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and that you ^(AB)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

²⁵Therefore, putting away lying, ^(AC)“Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for ^(AD)we are members of one another. ^26(AE)“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ^27(AF)nor give ^[g]place to the devil. ²⁸Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather ^(AG)let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something ^(AH)to give him who has need. ^29(AI)Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but ^(AJ)what is good for necessary ^[h]edification, ^(AK)that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰And ^(AL)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ^31(AM)Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[i]clamor, and ^(AN)evil speaking be put away from you, ^(AO)with all malice. ³²And ^(AP)be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(AQ)forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.