Walk Worthy of Your Calling
4 1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live in a way worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your calling 5 —one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and gave gifts to people." a a v8 Paul is quoting Psalm 68:18, a victory psalm celebrating a conquering king. He applies it to Christ's ascension after his death and resurrection.
9 (Now what does the phrase "he ascended" mean except that he also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the very one who also ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of our Father, into full maturity, to the complete measure of Christ's fullness; 14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by human trickery and the craftiness of deceitful scheming. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Put on the New Self
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the emptiness of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of our Father because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 Having become callous, they have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21 —assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former way of life and is corrupted through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of our Father in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only what is good for building up as the moment calls for, so that it brings grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of our Father, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as our Father forgave you through Christ.