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Unity in the Body of Christ

¹ I therefore, ^(a)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(b)walk in a manner worthy of ^(c)the calling to which you have been called, ² with all ^(d)humility and ^(e)gentleness, with ^(f)patience, ^(g)bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ^(h)the bond of peace. ⁴ There is ⁽ⁱ⁾one body and ^(j)one Spirit—just as you were called to the one ^(k)hope that belongs to your call— ^5 (l)one Lord, ^(m)one faith, ⁽ⁿ⁾one baptism, ^6 (o)one God and Father of all, ^(p)who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But ^(q)grace was given ^(r)to each one of us ^(s)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(v)In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(w)the lower regions, the earth?^{[b] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(x)ascended ^(y)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(z)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(aa)he gave the ^(ab)apostles, the prophets, the ^(ac)evangelists, the ^(ad)shepherds^[c] and teachers,^{[d] 12 (ae)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(af)building up ^(ag)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(ah)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(ai)to mature manhood,^[e] to the measure of the stature of ^(aj)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(ak)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(al)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(am)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(an)grow up in every way into him who is ^(ao)the head, into Christ, ^16 (ap)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(aq)when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(ar)testify in the Lord, ^(as)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(at)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(au)are darkened in their understanding, ^(av)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(aw)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(ax)have become callous and ^(ay)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(az)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(ba)you have heard about him and ^(bb)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(bc)put off ^(bd)your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(be)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(bf)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(bg)the new self, ^(bh)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(bi)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(bj)we are members one of another. ^26 (bk)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(bl)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(bm)let him labor, ^(bn)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(bo)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (bp)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give ^(bq)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(br)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(bs)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(bt)redemption. ^31 (bu)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (bv)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(bw)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.