Unity in the Body
(1 Corinthians 1:10–17)

1Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling with which you are called, 2with all humility and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in divine love; 3endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, as ye indeed are called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and above you all, and in all.

7And to each one of you grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8Therefore he says, Having ascended upon high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to the people.

9But what is that which ascended, except that which descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10But the one having descended and the one having ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things, is the same. 11And he gave some, apostles; some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12unto the perfection of the saints, in the work of the ministry, in the edification of the body of Christ: 13until we may all come into the unity of the faith, and of the perfect knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, into the measure of the likeness of the fulness of Christ: 14in order that we may be no longer infants, tossed by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, in the caprice of the people, in their craftiness, pursuant to their method of delusion; 15but speaking the truth in divine love, let its grow up in him in all things, who is the head, Christ; 16from whom the whole body, being assimilated and knitted together through every joint of the supply, according to the working in each several part, makes increase of the body in the edification of itself in divine love.

New Life in Christ
(Colossians 3:1–17)

17Therefore I say this, and witness in the Lord, that you no longer walk about as the Gentiles also walk about in the vanity of their mind, 18being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance being in themselves, on account of the blindness of their heart; 19who being past feeling have given themselves up to debauchery, unto the working of all impurity with greediness. 20But you did not so learn Christ: 21if indeed ye have heard him, and been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that with reference to your former life, you are to lay aside the old man, who is corrupt in the lusts of deception; 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and to put on the new man, who has been created in harmony with God in the righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25Therefore, having laid aside lying, speak the truth each one with his neighbors: because we are members of one another. 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your provocation: 27neither give place to the devil. 28Let the one stealing steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his own hands doing that which is good, that he may have to give to the one having need. 29Let no corrupt communication go forth out of your mouth, but if anything is good unto edification of need, in order that he may give grace to those who hear. 30And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and blasphemy, depart from you, with all evil. 32But be ye kind toward one another, merciful, forgiving one another, as indeed God in Christ forgave you.