Unity in the Body of Christ
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I therefore, 1a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to 2walk in a manner worthy of 3the calling to which you have been called,
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eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in 8the bond of peace.
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There is 9one body and 10one Spirit--just as you were called to the one 11hope that belongs to your call--
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Therefore it says, 20"When he ascended on high 21he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."
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(22In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into 23the lower regions, the earth?a
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He who descended is the one who also 24ascended 25far above all the heavens, that he might 26fill all things.)
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until we all attain to 34the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 35to mature manhood,d to the measure of the stature of 36the fullness of Christ,
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so that we may no longer be children, 37tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in 38deceitful schemes.
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Rather, 39speaking the truth in love, we are to 40grow up in every way into him who is 41the head, into Christ,
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42from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, 43when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The New Life
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Now this I say and 44testify in the Lord, 45that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, 46in the futility of their minds.
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They 47are darkened in their understanding, 48alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to 49their hardness of heart.
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They 50have become callous and 51have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
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But that is not the way you 52learned Christ!--
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to 55put off 56your old self,e which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through 57deceitful desires,
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and 58to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
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and to put on 59the new self, 60created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
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Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you 61speak the truth with his neighbor, for 62we are members one of another.
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63Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
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and 64give no opportunity to the devil.
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Let the thief no longer steal, but rather 65let him labor, 66doing honest work with his own hands, so 67that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
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68Let 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 69grace to those who hear.
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And 70do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 71by whom you were sealed for the day of 72redemption.
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73Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)