God's New Bible

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 4 -

(Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)
1
I, therefore, as the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthily of the calling by which you were called.
2
I urge you to live with great humility and gentleness and patience, putting up with one another in love.
3
Do your best to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one certain hope of your calling.
5
And there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6
and one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7
To each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8
It is as scripture says: “When he ascended to the heights, he led the captives into captivity, and he gave gifts to the people.”
9
What is the meaning of, “He ascended,” except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth?
10
He who descended is the same person who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11
Christ gave some to be apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.
12
He gave these offices to equip his holy people for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ.
13
He continues to build up his body until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, and that we become mature and so reach the measure of the fullness of Christ.
14
Christ builds us up so that we should no longer be children who are tossed back and forth by the waves, and carried away by every wind of teaching and by the trickery of people in their deceitful schemes.
15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, that is, Christ.
16
Christ builds the whole body, and it is joined and held together by every supporting ligament, and when each part works together, that makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

New Life in Christ

(Colossians 3:1–17)
17
Therefore, I say and insist on this in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.
18
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts.
19
They have no shame and have handed themselves over to sensuality, and they are continually practicing every kind of impurity.
20
But that is not how you learned about Christ.
21
I assume that you have heard about him, and that you were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.
22
You were taught to put off what belongs to your former manner of life, to put off the old man. It is the old man that is corrupt because of its deceitful desires.
23
You were taught to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24
and to put on the new man that is created in the image of God-in true righteousness and holiness.
25
Therefore, get rid of lies, and let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
26
Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.
27
Do not give an opportunity to the devil.
28
The one who had been stealing must steal no longer. He must labor, doing useful work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with the those who are in need.
29
Do not let any filthy talk come out of your mouth. Use only words that are helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that your words would be helpful to those who hear you.
30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, for it is by him that you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31
Put away all bitterness, rage, anger, quarreling, and insults, along with every kind of evil.
32
Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
(Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)
1
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling 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, even 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, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8
Therefore he says,When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, 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 to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds (b) and teachers;
12
for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,
13
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14
that we may 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 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

(Colossians 3:1–17)
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 mind,
18
being 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
They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20
But you didn’t learn Christ that way,
21
if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
22
that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit,
23
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24
and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and 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 don’t sin.”(c) Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
27
and don’t give place (d) 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 out of 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
Don’t 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, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Footnotes

(a)4:8 ℘ Psalms 68:18
(b)4:11 or, pastors
(c)4:26 ℘ Psalms 4:4
(d)4:27 or, opportunity