4I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to {and} beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service,G1473G3767G1198G1722G2962G3870G5209G4043G516G2821G3739G2564 2Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another {and} making allowances because you love one another.G3326G3956G5012G2532G4236G3326G3115G430G240G1722G26 3Be eager {and} strive earnestly to guard {and} keep the harmony {and} oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.G4704G5083G1775G4151G1722G4886G1515 4[There is] one body and one Spirit--just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received--G1520G4983G2532G1520G4151G2531G2532G2564G1722G3391G1680G5216G2821 5[There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,G1520G2962G1520G4102G3391G908 6One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all.G1520G2316G2532G3962G3956G3588G1909G3956G2532G1223G3956G2532G1722G5213G3956 7Yet grace (God's unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ's [rich and bounteous] gift.G1161G1538G1520G2257G1325G5485G2596G3358G1431G5547 8Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.G1352G3004G305G1519G5311G162G161G2532G1325G1390G444 9[But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth?G1161G305G5101G2076G1508G3754G2597G2532G2597G4412G1519G2737G3313G1093 10He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).G846G2597G2076G2532G305G5231G3956G3772G2443G4137G3956 11And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.G2532G846G1325G3303G652G1161G4396G1161G2099G1161G4166G2532G1320 12His intention was the perfecting {and} the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church),G4314G2677G40G1519G2041G1248G1519G3619G4983G5547 13[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ {and} the completeness found in Him.G3360G3956G2658G1519G1775G4102G2532G1922G5207G2316G1519G5046G435G1519G3358G2244G4138G5547 14So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching {and} wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning {and} cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.G2443G5600G3371G3516G2831G2532G4064G3956G417G1319G1722G2940G444G1722G3834G4314G3180G4106 15Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way {and} in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).G1161G226G1722G26G837G1519G846G3956G3739G2076G2776G5547 16For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints {and} ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.G1537G3739G3956G4983G4883G2532G4822G1223G3956G860G2024G2596G1753G1722G3358G1538G1520G3313G4160G838G4983G1519G3619G1438G1722G26 17So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.G5124G3004G3767G2532G3143G1722G2962G5209G3371G4043G3371G2531G2532G3062G1484G4043G1722G3153G846G3563 18Their moral understanding is darkened {and} their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].G1271G4654G5607G526G2222G2316G1223G52G5607G1722G846G1223G4457G846G2588 19In their spiritual apathy they have become callous {and} past feeling {and} reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager {and} greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].G3748G524G3860G1438G3860G766G1519G2039G3956G167G1722G4124 20But you did not so learn Christ!G1161G5210G3129G3756G3779G3129G5547 21Assuming that you have really heard Him {and} been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],G1489G191G846G2532G1321G1722G846G2531G225G2076G1722G2424 22Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts {and} desires that spring from delusion;G5209G659G2596G4387G391G3820G444G3588G5351G2596G539G1939 23And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],G1161G365G4151G5216G3563 24And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.G2532G1746G2537G444G3588G2596G2316G2936G1722G1343G2532G225G3742 25Therefore, rejecting all falsity {and} being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body {and} members one of another.G1352G659G5579G2980G1538G225G3326G846G4139G3754G2070G3196G240 26When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.G3710G2532G264G3361G1931G3361G2246G1931G1909G5216G3950 27Leave no [such] room {or} foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].G3383G1325G5117G1228 28Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.G2813G2813G2813G3371G1161G3123G2872G2038G5495G18G2443G2192G3330G5532G2192 29Let no foul {or} polluting language, {nor} evil word {nor} unwholesome {or} worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good {and} beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need {and} the occasion, that it may be a blessing {and} give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.G4550G3361G3956G4550G3056G1607G1537G5216G4750G235G1536G18G4314G5532G3619G2443G1325G5485G191 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).G2532G3076G3361G40G4151G2316G1722G3739G4972G1519G2250G629 31Let all bitterness and indignation {and} wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).G142G3956G4088G2532G2372G2532G3709G2532G2906G2532G988G142G575G5216G4862G3956G2549 32And become useful {and} helpful {and} kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.G1161G1096G5543G1519G240G2155G5483G1438G2531G2532G2316G1722G5547G1722G5483G5213
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