Study Desk

Therefore I, ^(C1)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(C2)urge you to ^(C3)walk in a manner worthy of the ^(C4)calling with which you have been ^(C5)called,

with all ^(C1)humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another ^(C2)in love,

being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the ^(C1)bond of peace.

There is ^(C1)one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one ^(C2)hope of your calling;

^(C1)one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all ^(C1)who is over all and through all and in all.

But ^(C1)to each one of us ^(C2)grace was given ^(C3)according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Therefore ^(F1)it says, "^(C1)WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE ^(C2)LED CAPTIVE THE CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO PEOPLE."

(Now this expression, "He ^(C1)ascended," what ^(F1)does it mean except that He also ^(F2)had descended into ^(C2)the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is Himself also He who ascended ^(C1)far above all the heavens, so that He might ^(C2)fill all things.)

And He ^(C1)gave ^(C2)some as apostles, some as prophets, some as ^(C3)evangelists, some as ^(F1)pastors and ^(C4)teachers,

^(C1)for the equipping of the ^(F1)saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of ^(C2)the body of Christ;

until we all attain to ^(C1)the unity of the faith, and of the ^(F1)(C2)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(C3)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^(F2)which belongs to the ^(C4)fullness of Christ.

^(F1)As a result, we are ^(C1)no longer to be children, ^(C2)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by ^(C3)craftiness ^(F2)in ^(C4)deceitful scheming;

but ^(F1)speaking the truth ^(C1)in love, ^(F2)we are to ^(C2)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(C3)head, that is, Christ,

from whom ^(C1)the whole body, being fitted and held together ^(F1)by what every joint supplies, according to the ^(F2)proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(C2)in love.