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Ephesians 4:25-32
FORGIVE AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU - Aug 17, 2022 -
Ephesians 4:17-24
PUT ON THE NEW SELF - Aug 16, 2022 -
Ephesians 4:25-32
DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT - Nov 28, 2020 -
Ephesians 4:17-24
CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD - Nov 25, 2020 -
Ephesians 4:1-16
LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING - Nov 24, 2020 -
Ephesians 4:25-32
DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT - Aug 26, 2016 -
Ephesians 4:17-24
PUT ON THE NEW SELF - Aug 25, 2016 -
Ephesians 4:1-16
LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING - Aug 24, 2016 -
Ephesians 4:1-6
LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING - Jan 01, 2000 -
Ephesians 4:7-13
HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN - Jan 01, 2000 -
Ephesians 4:14-16
SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE - Jan 01, 2000 -
Ephesians 4:17-24
PUT ON THE NEW SELF - Jan 01, 2000 -
Ephesians 4:25-32
DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT - Jan 01, 2000
UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
Key verse: 4
NIV
Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
4 As a prisoner(A) for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy(B) of the calling(C) you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another(D) in love.(E) 3 Make every effort to keep the unity(F) of the Spirit through the bond of peace.(G) 4 There is one body(H) and one Spirit,(I) just as you were called to one hope when you were called(J); 5 one Lord,(K) one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all,(L) who is over all and through all and in all.(M)
7 But to each one of us(N) grace(O) has been given(P) as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it[a] says:
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended(S) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)(T) 11 So Christ himself gave(U) the apostles,(V) the prophets,(W) the evangelists,(X) the pastors and teachers,(Y) 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ(Z) may be built up(AA) 13 until we all reach unity(AB) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God(AC) and become mature,(AD) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.(AE)
14 Then we will no longer be infants,(AF) tossed back and forth by the waves,(AG) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.(AH) 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love,(AI) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,(AJ) that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows(AK) and builds itself up(AL) in love,(AM) as each part does its work.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 4:8 Or God
- Ephesians 4:8 Psalm 68:18
- Ephesians 4:9 Or the depths of the earth
Cross references
- Ephesians 4:1 : S Eph 3:1
- Ephesians 4:1 : Php 1:27; Col 1:10; 1Th 2:12
- Ephesians 4:1 : S Ro 8:28
- Ephesians 4:2 : Col 3:12, 13
- Ephesians 4:2 : ver 15, 16; Eph 1:4
- Ephesians 4:3 : S Ro 15:5
- Ephesians 4:3 : Col 3:15
- Ephesians 4:4 : S Ro 12:5
- Ephesians 4:4 : 1Co 12:13; Eph 2:18
- Ephesians 4:4 : S Ro 8:28
- Ephesians 4:5 : 1Co 8:6
- Ephesians 4:6 : Dt 6:4; Zec 14:9
- Ephesians 4:6 : S Ro 11:36
- Ephesians 4:7 : 1Co 12:7, 11
- Ephesians 4:7 : S Ro 3:24
- Ephesians 4:7 : S Ro 12:3
- Ephesians 4:8 : Col 2:15
- Ephesians 4:8 : Ps 68:18
- Ephesians 4:10 : Pr 30:1-4
- Ephesians 4:10 : Eph 1:23
- Ephesians 4:11 : ver 8
- Ephesians 4:11 : 1Co 12:28; Eph 2:20; 3:5; 2Pe 3:2; Jude 17
- Ephesians 4:11 : S Ac 11:27; Ro 12:6; 1Co 12:10, 28; 13:2, 8; 14:1, 39; Eph 2:20; 3:5; 2Pe 3:2
- Ephesians 4:11 : Ac 21:8; 2Ti 4:5
- Ephesians 4:11 : Ac 13:1; Ro 2:21; 12:7; 1Co 12:28; 14:26; 1Ti 1:7; Jas 3:1
- Ephesians 4:12 : S 1Co 12:27
- Ephesians 4:12 : S Ro 14:19
- Ephesians 4:13 : ver 3, 5
- Ephesians 4:13 : S Php 3:8
- Ephesians 4:13 : S 1Co 2:6; Col 1:28
- Ephesians 4:13 : Jn 1:16; Eph 1:23; 3:19
- Ephesians 4:14 : S 1Co 14:20
- Ephesians 4:14 : Isa 57:20; Jas 1:6
- Ephesians 4:14 : Eph 6:11
- Ephesians 4:15 : ver 2, 16; Eph 1:4
- Ephesians 4:15 : S Eph 1:22
- Ephesians 4:16 : Col 2:19
- Ephesians 4:16 : 1Co 12:7
- Ephesians 4:16 : ver 2, 15; Eph 1:4
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Unity in the Body of Christ
4 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ephesians 4:8 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women
- Ephesians 4:9 Or the lower parts of the earth?
- Ephesians 4:11 Or pastors
- Ephesians 4:11 Or the shepherd-teachers
- Ephesians 4:13 Greek to a full-grown man
Cross references
- Ephesians 4:1 : See ch. 3:1
- Ephesians 4:1 : Col. 1:10; 2:6; 1 Thess. 2:12; [Phil. 1:27]
- Ephesians 4:1 : See Rom. 8:28
- Ephesians 4:2 : Acts 20:19; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 3:8; 5:5; [Col. 2:18, 23]
- Ephesians 4:2 : Gal. 5:23
- Ephesians 4:2 : Col. 1:11
- Ephesians 4:2 : Col. 3:13
- Ephesians 4:3 : Col. 3:14; [Acts 8:23]
- Ephesians 4:4 : ch. 2:16
- Ephesians 4:4 : See ch. 2:18
- Ephesians 4:4 : ch. 1:18
- Ephesians 4:5 : Zech. 14:9; See 1 Cor. 1:13; 8:6
- Ephesians 4:5 : [ver. 13; Jude 3]
- Ephesians 4:5 : See Gal. 3:27, 28
- Ephesians 4:6 : 1 Cor. 12:5, 6
- Ephesians 4:6 : Rom. 9:5
- Ephesians 4:7 : See ch. 3:2
- Ephesians 4:7 : [Matt. 25:15; 1 Cor. 12:7]
- Ephesians 4:7 : Rom. 12:3; [ver. 16]
- Ephesians 4:8 : Cited from Ps. 68:18
- Ephesians 4:8 : Judg. 5:12; [Col. 2:15]
- Ephesians 4:9 : See John 3:13
- Ephesians 4:9 : Ps. 63:9; Isa. 44:23
- Ephesians 4:10 : See Mark 16:19
- Ephesians 4:10 : Heb. 4:14; 7:26; 9:24
- Ephesians 4:10 : ch. 1:23
- Ephesians 4:11 : [1 Cor. 12:5, 6]
- Ephesians 4:11 : See 1 Cor. 12:28
- Ephesians 4:11 : Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. 4:5
- Ephesians 4:11 : Jer. 3:15; [Acts 20:28]
- Ephesians 4:12 : See 2 Cor. 13:9
- Ephesians 4:12 : ver. 16, 29
- Ephesians 4:12 : See 1 Cor. 12:27
- Ephesians 4:13 : [ver. 5]
- Ephesians 4:13 : Heb. 5:14
- Ephesians 4:13 : ch. 1:23
- Ephesians 4:14 : [Matt. 11:7; Heb. 13:9; James 1:6; Jude 12]
- Ephesians 4:14 : ch. 6:11
- Ephesians 4:15 : 1 John 3:18; [ver. 25]
- Ephesians 4:15 : ch. 2:21
- Ephesians 4:15 : See ch. 1:22
- Ephesians 4:16 : Col. 2:19
- Ephesians 4:16 : [ver. 7]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
Paul urges them to be united so that his chains of imprisonment may not be in vain. To do so, they must be completely humble and gentle; be patient and bear with one another in love. This strenuous effort to keep unity through the Holy Spirit brings peace. And this peace unites the body as one. We are one in Spirit and one in hope. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all. These are all the reasons why Christians must be united.
Paul explains that we each have a precious role in the church which is given through Christ’s grace. When he ascended from the dead, he broke the curse and restored spiritual gifts: to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These different gifts equip the church body for works of service. Together we build up the church, become unified, and attain maturity in Christ.
When we are united and work together, the church is no longer unstable or easily deceived by false teachers. Rather, we speak the truth in love and become mature with Christ as the head of the church, working together in love.
Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us real unity in Christ. Help me to be mature in faith, be united with other believers, and strengthen the body of Christ.
One Word: Mature and united in the body of Christ