New Living Translation

King James Bible

Unity in the Body

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

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Unity in the Body

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

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Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

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With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

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Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

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Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

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For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

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There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

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There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

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One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

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one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

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One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

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However, he has given each one of us a special gifta through the generosity of Christ.

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But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

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That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”b

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Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

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Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.c

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(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

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And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

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He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

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Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

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And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

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Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

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For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

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This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

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Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

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Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

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That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

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Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

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But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

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He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

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From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

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Living as Children of Light

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

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Living as Children of Light

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

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Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

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Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

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They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

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Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

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But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.

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But ye have not so learned Christ;

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Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,

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If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

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throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

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That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

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Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

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And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

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Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.

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And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

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So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

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Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

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And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”d Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

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Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

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for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

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Neither give place to the devil.

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If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

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Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

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Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

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Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

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And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,e guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

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And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

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Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

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Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

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Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

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And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Parallel

New Living Translation

King James Bible

Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4