Ephesians 4
4
Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it#4:8 Or God says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”#4:8 Psalm 68:18
9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions#4:9 Or the depths of the earth? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Instructions for Christian Living
17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26“In your anger do not sin”#4:26 Psalm 4:4 (see Septuagint): Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Ephesians 4
4
1Therefore I impart chizzuk (strengthening) to you, I, the prisoner of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu, and I admonish you to walk and fier zich (comport oneself) in your derech in a manner worthy of the kri'ah by which you were called,
2With all anavah (humility) of mind and meekness, with savlanut (longsuffering), showing forbearance to one another in ahavah,
3Being eager to keep the achdus (unity) of the Ruach Hakodesh in the uniting bond of shalom;
4As there is one Guf (Body)#4:4 Gn 47:18; Ps 16:9-10; Job 19:25-27; Isa 53:11 and one Ruach Hakodesh, as also you were called in one Tikvah (hope) of your kri'ah:
5Adon echad, Emunah achat, Tevilah achat,
6One Elokim and Avi khol (Father of all), who is over all and through all and in all.#4:6 Dt 6:4; Zech 14:9
7But to each of us was given the Chen v'Chesed Hashem according to the measure of the Matnat HaMoshiach.
8Therefore it says, ALITA LAMMAROM SHAVITA SHEVI LAKACHTA MATANOT#4:8 Ps 68:18 [19] (You ascended to the height, you led captive, you received gifts), He has led captive a host of captives, He had brought matanot (gifts) to Bnei Adam.
9Now if He “ASCENDED”, what can it mean except that also He descended into the lower parts of ha'aretz?
10The one who descended is Himself also the one having ascended far above all the Shomayim, that He might fill all things.#4:10 Prov 30:1-4
11And He gave some to be shlichim, and some nevi'im, and some gifted to be used in Kiruv efforts for Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and some supervising mashgichim ruchaniyim (spiritual overseers) who are ro'im and morim in the Kehillah,
12For the equipping of the Kedoshim for the work of avodas kodesh ministry, to the building up of HaGuf HaMoshiach,
13Until we all attain to the achdus (unity) of the emunah and to the da'as (knowledge) of the Zun fun der Oybershter, to the in Bnei Chayil maturity, to the measure of the stature of the melo (plentitude) of Moshiach.
14In this way, we are no longer olalim (infants) tossed by waves and carried around by every wind of limmud (instruction), by the cunning of Bnei Adam, with craftiness leading to the scheming of remiyah (deceit) and madduchei shav (delusion);#4:14 Isa 57:20
15But saying HaEmes in ahavah, let us grow up in every respect unto Him who is the Rosh, Moshiach,
16From whom all HaGuf HaMoshiach being fitly joined together and being united in an agudah binding by that which every joint contributes according as each partʼs proper working process promotes the growth of HaGuf HaMoshiach in building itself up in ahavah.
17This therefore I say and give solemn edut in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu: no longer are you to fier zich (comport oneself) in your derech as also the Goyim walk, in the futility of their machshavot (thoughts),
18Their binah (understanding) being in choshech, having been alienated from the life of Hashem because of the ignorance existing in them, because of the KESHI#4:18 Dt 9:27 (stubbornness, hardness) of their levavot,#4:18 Dt 29:4
19Who, having put away remorse, gave themselves over to zimah (lewdness) for the practice of every kind of tumah (uncleanness) with chamdanut (covetousness).
20But you did not so have lernen of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach,
21If indeed you heard about Him and took shiurim in Him, as HaEmes is in Yehoshua.
22For the torah you received was that you must disrobe from your former derech of your old self, the one being corrupted according to the ta'avot of AKOV#4:22 Jer 17:9 (deceitful) remiyah (guile),
23And to be renewed by the Ruach Hakodesh controlling your machshavot (thoughts),
24And to enrobe yourself in the Adam HeChadash (the new Man, humanity), having been created according to the demut Hashem in tzidkat Elokeinu and in the kedushah of HaEmes.
25Therefore, disrobed from Sheker (Falsehood, Lying), let us say HaEmes,#4:25 Zech 8:16 each one with his re'a (neighbor), because we are evarim (members) one of another.#4:25 Ps 15:2; Lv 19:11
26Have ka'as and do not sin; do not let the shemesh go down on your anger.#4:26 Ps 4:4
27Do not leave an open door for HaSatan.
28Let the one stealing no longer be a ganav, but rather let the ganav get a parnasah (livelihood) and toil with his own hands at something beneficial, that he may have something to share with the one who is nitzrach (needy).
29Let no lashon hora proceed out of your peh, but only a dvar that is tov, for edification in accordance with the need, that it may mediate Chen v'Chesed Hashem to the ones hearing.
30And do not grieve the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem, by whom you were sealed for the Yom HaGeulah.#4:30 Isa 63:10
31Let all merirut lev (bitterness) and ka'as and wrath and clamor and lashon hora be removed from you, with all resha.
32And have Chen v'Chesed graciousness with one another. Be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, as also Hashem in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach forgave you.
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