Study Desk

Therefore I, ^(a)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(b)implore you to ^(c)walk in a manner worthy of the ^(d)calling with which you have been ^(e)called,

with all ^(f)humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another ^(g)in love,

being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the ^(h)bond of peace.

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

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

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

But ^(m)to each one of us ⁽ⁿ⁾grace was given ^(o)according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Therefore ^[a]it says, "^(p) When He ascended on high , He ^(q) led captive a host of captives , And He gave gifts to men ."

(Now this expression, "He ^(r)ascended," what ^[b]does it mean except that He also ^[c]had descended into ^(s)the lower parts of the earth?

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

And He ^(v)gave ^(w)some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as ^(x)evangelists, and some as pastors and ^(y)teachers,

^(z)for the equipping of the ^[d]saints for the work of service, to the building up of ^(aa)the body of Christ;

until we all attain to ^(ab)the unity of the faith, and of the ^[e](ac)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(ad)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[f]which belongs to the ^(ae)fullness of Christ.

^[g]As a result, we are ^(af)no longer to be children, ^(ag)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ^(ah)craftiness ^[h]in ^(ai)deceitful scheming;

but ^[i]speaking the truth ^(aj)in love, ^[j]we are to ^(ak)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(al)head, even Christ,

from whom ^(am)the whole body, being fitted and held together ^[k]by what every joint supplies, according to the ^[l]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(an)in love.

^(ao)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, ^(ap)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the ^(aq)futility of their mind,

being ^(ar)darkened in their understanding, ^[m](as)excluded from the life of God because of the ^(at)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(au)hardness of their heart;

and they, having ^(av)become callous, ^(aw)have given themselves over to ^(ax)sensuality ^[n]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

But you did not ^(ay)learn ^[o]Christ in this way,

if indeed you ^(az)have heard Him and have ^(ba)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

that, in reference to your former manner of life, you ^(bb)lay aside the ^(bc)old ^[p]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(bd)lusts of deceit,

and that you be ^(be)renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and ^(bf)put on the ^(bg)new ^[q]self, which ^[r](bh)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Therefore, ^(bi)laying aside falsehood, ^(bj) speak truth each one of you with his neighbor , for we are ^(bk)members of one another.

^(bl) Be angry, and yet do not sin ; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

and do not ^(bm)give the devil ^[s]an opportunity.

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather ^(bn)he must labor, ^(bo)performing with his own hands what is good, ^(bp)so that he will have something to share with ^[t]one who has need.

Let no ^[u](bq)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for ^(br)edification ^[v]according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

^(bs)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[w]by whom you were ^(bt)sealed for the day of redemption.

^(bu)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be ^(bv)put away from you, along with all ^(bw)malice.

^(bx)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, ^(by)just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[x]you.