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Ephesians · Berean Standard Bible

Ephesians 4 Berean Standard Bible

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  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Critical text
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2022
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” 9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 11 And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part. 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more. 20 But this is not the way you came to know Christ. 21 Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus— 22 to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. 26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need. 29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Cross references (32)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Colossians 1:10; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2; 2 Peter 1:3
  2. 2 Colossians 3:12–13; 1 Corinthians 13:7; 1 Corinthians 13:4–5; Matthew 11:29; Romans 15:1
  3. 3 1 Corinthians 1:10; Colossians 3:13–15; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; John 13:34; Romans 14:17–19
  4. 4 Ephesians 2:18; Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 12:4–13; 1 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:1
  5. 5 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Peter 3:21; Romans 3:30; Galatians 3:26–28
  6. 6 Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Malachi 2:10; Galatians 3:26–28; Galatians 4:3–7
  7. 7 Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; Ephesians 3:2; Romans 12:6–8
  8. 8 Psalm 68:18; Colossians 2:15
  9. 9 John 3:13; Matthew 12:40; Proverbs 30:4; John 6:33; Psalm 63:9
  10. 10 Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 4:14; Ephesians 1:20–23; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 9:23–24
  11. 11 Jeremiah 3:15; 1 Corinthians 12:28–29; Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 4:5; Acts 20:28
  12. 12 1 Thessalonians 5:11–14; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 14:4–5
  13. 13 Colossians 1:28; John 17:21; Ephesians 4:3; Ephesians 4:5; Jeremiah 32:38–39
  14. 14 Hebrews 13:9; Romans 16:17–18; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 John 4:1; Hebrews 5:12–14
  15. 15 1 John 3:18; Ephesians 4:25; Zechariah 8:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 3:18
  16. 16 Colossians 2:19; John 15:5; Colossians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 13:13–14:1; Ephesians 4:15
  17. 17 Romans 1:21; 1 Peter 4:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2; Colossians 3:5–8; Ephesians 2:1–3
  18. 18 Matthew 13:15; Ephesians 2:12; Romans 1:21–23; John 12:40; 1 Thessalonians 4:5
  19. 19 Colossians 3:5; Romans 1:24–26; 1 Timothy 4:2; Jude 11; 2 Peter 2:12–14
  20. 20 Titus 2:11–14; John 6:45; Matthew 11:29; 1 John 2:27; Luke 24:47
  21. 21 1 John 5:20; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 3:7–8; 1 John 5:10–12; John 14:17
  22. 22 Romans 6:6; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1–2; Hebrews 3:13
  23. 23 Romans 12:2; Romans 8:6; Psalm 51:10; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:13
  24. 24 Colossians 3:10–14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 6:11
  25. 25 Colossians 3:9; Zechariah 8:16; Proverbs 12:22; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:15
  26. 26 James 1:19; Psalm 4:4; Psalm 37:8; Ephesians 4:31–32; Ecclesiastes 7:9
  27. 27 James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:16; Ephesians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 2:10–11
  28. 28 1 Timothy 6:18; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; Exodus 20:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12
  29. 29 Colossians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ecclesiastes 10:12; Proverbs 15:7; Colossians 3:8–9
  30. 30 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 1:13–14; Acts 7:51; Genesis 6:6
  31. 31 Colossians 3:8; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Titus 3:2–3; 1 Peter 2:1; James 1:19
  32. 32 Colossians 3:12–13; Matthew 6:14–15; Mark 11:25; 1 Peter 3:8–9; 2 Corinthians 2:10

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Commentary 4:4 John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians (Homily X)

    When the blessed Paul exhorts us to anything of special importance, so truly wise and spiritual as he is, he grounds his exhortation upon things in Heaven: this itself being a lesson he had learned from the Lord. Thus he saith also elsewhere, "Walk in love, even as Christ also hath loved us." (ch. v.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)

  2. Quotes verse 4:26 Polycarp of Smyrna, Epistle to the Philippians (Chapters VIII–XIV)

    It is declared then in these Scriptures, "Be ye angry, and sin not," and, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Happy is he who remembers this, which I believe to be the case with you.

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  3. Quotes verse 4:6 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book II, Chapter II)

    Now, that this God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul the apostle also has declared, [saying,] "There is one God, the Father, who is above all, and through all things, and in us all." I have indeed proved already that there is only one God; but I shall further demonstrate this from the apostles themselves, and from …

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  4. Quotes verse 4:14 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book IV, Chapters XIII–XV)

    But that orator was of the kind that I so loved as I wished myself to be such a one; and I erred through an inflated pride, and was "carried about with every wind," but yet was piloted by Thee, though very secretly.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)

  5. Quotes verse 4:26 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily XVI)

    For this cause Paul also, when urging us in another way to reconciliation, said, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." For much as Christ by this argument of the sacrifice, so there Paul by that of the day, is urging us on to the self-same point.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)