New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

1Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,

2Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love,

3Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

3diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.

4For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

4There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope at your calling--

5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.

7Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah's gift.

8That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”

8For it says: When He ascended on high, He took prisoners into captivity; He gave gifts to people.

9Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.

9But what does "He ascended" mean except that He descended to the lower parts of the earth?

10And 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.

10The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.

11Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

11And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

12Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

12for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

13This 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.

13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ's fullness.

14Then 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.

14Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

15Instead, 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.

15But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head--Christ.

16He 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. Living as Children of Light

16From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

17With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

17Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

18Their 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.

18They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

19They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

19They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

20But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.

20But that is not how you learned about the Messiah,

21Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,

21assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus.

22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

22You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires;

23Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

23you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;

24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

24you put on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

25Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

26And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

26Be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger,

27for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

27and don't give the Devil an opportunity.

28If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

28The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

29Don’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.

29No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.

30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

30And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption.

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

31All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.

32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

32And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.