1 So I—this prisoner in the Lord—am encouraging you to make sure you live according to the principles to which you were called. 2 Don't think proudly of yourselves; be gentle and patient, showing tolerance to each other in love. 3 Make every effort to remain one in the Spirit through the peace that binds you together. 4 For there's one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope. 5 The Lord is one, our trust in him is one, and there's one baptism; 6 there's one God and Father of everyone. He is over all and through all and in all. 7 To each of us grace was given in proportion to Christ's generous gift. 8 As Scripture says, “When he ascended to the heights he took captives with him, and gave gifts to humanity.” 9 (Regarding this: it says he ascended, but that means he also had previously descended to our lowly world. 10 The one that descended is the same one who also ascended to the highest heaven in order that he could make the whole universe complete.) 11 The gifts he gave were so that some could be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, 12 with the purpose of preparing God's people for the work of helping others, to help the body of Christ to grow. 13 We grow together until we all reach the state of being one in our trust in and knowledge of the Son of God, completely grown up, measuring up to full maturity in Christ. 14 We shouldn't be little children any more, tossed about and blown along by every passing breeze of doctrine, confused by human trickery, led into error by crafty people who deceitfully scheme. 15 Instead by speaking the truth in love we ought to grow up in everything into Christ, who is our head. 16 It's because of him that the whole body operates, every joint holding it together as each individual part does what it's supposed to, and the whole body grows, building itself up in love. 17 So let me say this to you—in fact I insist on it in the Lord—that you should no longer live like the foreigners do, in their empty-headed way. 18 In the darkness of their minds they don't understand, and they have been cut off from the life of God because they don't know anything and in their stubbornness they don't want to know. 19 Because they are past caring they abandon themselves to sensuality, and greedily do all kinds of disgusting things. 20 But that's not what you learned about Christ! 21 Didn't you hear about him? Weren't you taught concerning him? Didn't you learn the truth as it is in Jesus? 22 So get rid of your former lifestyle, that old nature that ruins you through deceptive desires! 23 Let yourselves be remade spiritually and mentally, 24 and put on your new nature that God created so you will be like him, right and holy in the truth. 25 So reject lies, and tell the truth to each other—for we belong to each other. 26 Don't sin by getting angry; don't let evening come and find you still mad— 27 and don't give the devil any opportunity. 28 Thieves, stop your stealing, and do honest, productive work with your hands, so you'll have something to give to those who need it. 29 Don't use bad language. Speak words that will encourage people as necessary, so that those who listen will be helped. 30 Don't disappoint the Holy Spirit of God that marked you as belonging to him until the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of every kind of bitterness, rage, anger, verbal abuse, and insults, along with all forms of evil. 32 Be kind and compassionate to each other, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians · Free Bible Version
Ephesians 4 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)