Ephesians · Berean Standard Bible
Ephesians 4 Berean Standard Bible
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:
1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling,
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all.
7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
7 But to each one of us, the grace was 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.”
8 Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”
9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
9 Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into 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.
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might 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,
11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
12 to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of 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.
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness 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.
14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,
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.
16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.
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.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
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.
18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening 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.
19 They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But this is not the way you came to know Christ.
20 But you didn’t learn Christ that way,
21 Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—
21 if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
22 to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit,
23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
27 and don’t give place to the devil.
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.
28 Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has 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.
29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
30 Don’t 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.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.
32 Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ 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 Colossians 1:10; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2; 2 Peter 1:3
- 2 Colossians 3:12–13; 1 Corinthians 13:7; 1 Corinthians 13:4–5; Matthew 11:29; Romans 15:1
- 3 1 Corinthians 1:10; Colossians 3:13–15; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; John 13:34; Romans 14:17–19
- 4 Ephesians 2:18; Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 12:4–13; 1 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:1
- 5 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Peter 3:21; Romans 3:30; Galatians 3:26–28
- 6 Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Malachi 2:10; Galatians 3:26–28; Galatians 4:3–7
- 7 Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; Ephesians 3:2; Romans 12:6–8
- 8 Psalm 68:18; Colossians 2:15
- 9 John 3:13; Matthew 12:40; Proverbs 30:4; John 6:33; Psalm 63:9
- 10 Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 4:14; Ephesians 1:20–23; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 9:23–24
- 11 Jeremiah 3:15; 1 Corinthians 12:28–29; Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 4:5; Acts 20:28
- 12 1 Thessalonians 5:11–14; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 14:4–5
- 13 Colossians 1:28; John 17:21; Ephesians 4:3; Ephesians 4:5; Jeremiah 32:38–39
- 14 Hebrews 13:9; Romans 16:17–18; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 John 4:1; Hebrews 5:12–14
- 15 1 John 3:18; Ephesians 4:25; Zechariah 8:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 3:18
- 16 Colossians 2:19; John 15:5; Colossians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 13:13–14:1; Ephesians 4:15
- 17 Romans 1:21; 1 Peter 4:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2; Colossians 3:5–8; Ephesians 2:1–3
- 18 Matthew 13:15; Ephesians 2:12; Romans 1:21–23; John 12:40; 1 Thessalonians 4:5
- 19 Colossians 3:5; Romans 1:24–26; 1 Timothy 4:2; Jude 11; 2 Peter 2:12–14
- 20 Titus 2:11–14; John 6:45; Matthew 11:29; 1 John 2:27; Luke 24:47
- 21 1 John 5:20; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 3:7–8; 1 John 5:10–12; John 14:17
- 22 Romans 6:6; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1–2; Hebrews 3:13
- 23 Romans 12:2; Romans 8:6; Psalm 51:10; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:13
- 24 Colossians 3:10–14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 6:11
- 25 Colossians 3:9; Zechariah 8:16; Proverbs 12:22; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:15
- 26 James 1:19; Psalm 4:4; Psalm 37:8; Ephesians 4:31–32; Ecclesiastes 7:9
- 27 James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:16; Ephesians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 2:10–11
- 28 1 Timothy 6:18; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; Exodus 20:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12
- 29 Colossians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ecclesiastes 10:12; Proverbs 15:7; Colossians 3:8–9
- 30 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 1:13–14; Acts 7:51; Genesis 6:6
- 31 Colossians 3:8; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Titus 3:2–3; 1 Peter 2:1; James 1:19
- 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).
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)
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.
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 …
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)
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)