3When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . .G5127G5484G1473G3972G1198G2424G5547G5228G5216G1484 2assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.G1489G191G3622G5485G2316G3588G1325G3427G1519G5209 3As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.G3754G2596G602G1107G3427G3466G2531G4270G1722G3641 4As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.G4314G3739G314G1410G3539G3450G4907G1722G3466G5547 5God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.G3739G1722G2087G1074G1107G3756G1107G5207G444G5613G601G3568G601G846G40G652G2532G4396G1722G4151 6And this is God's plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.G1484G1511G4789G2532G4954G2532G4830G846G1860G1722G5547G1223G2098 7By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.G3739G1096G1249G2596G1431G5485G2316G1325G3427G2596G1753G846G1411 8Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.G1698G1647G3956G40G1325G3778G5485G1325G2097G1722G1484G421G4149G5547 9I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.G2532G5461G3956G5461G5101G2842G3466G3588G575G165G613G1722G2316G3588G2936G3956G1223G2424G5547 10God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.G2443G3568G746G2532G1849G1722G2032G1107G1223G1577G4182G4678G2316 11This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.G2596G165G4286G3739G4160G1722G5547G2424G2257G2962 12Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.G1722G3739G2192G3954G2532G4318G1722G4006G1223G4102G846 13So please don't lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.G1352G154G1573G3361G1722G3450G2347G5228G5216G3748G2076G5216G1391 14When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,G5127G5484G2578G3450G1119G4314G3962G2257G2962G2424G5547 15the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.G1537G3739G3956G3965G1722G3772G2532G1909G1093G3687 16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.G2443G1325G5213G2596G4149G846G1391G2901G1411G1223G846G4151G1519G2080G444 17Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.G5547G2730G1722G5216G2588G1223G4102G2443G4492G2532G2311G1722G26 18And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.G1840G2638G4862G3956G40G5101G4114G2532G3372G2532G899G2532G5311 19May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.G5037G1097G26G5547G5235G1108G2443G4137G1519G3956G4138G2316 20Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.G1161G1410G4160G5228G1537G4053G5228G3956G3739G154G2228G3539G2596G1411G1754G1722G2254 21Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.G846G1391G1722G1577G1722G5547G2424G1519G3956G1074G165G165G281
4Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.G1473G3767G1198G1722G2962G3870G5209G4043G516G2821G3739G25642Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.G3326G3956G5012G2532G4236G3326G3115G430G240G1722G263Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.G4704G5083G1775G4151G1722G4886G15154For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.G1520G4983G2532G1520G4151G2531G2532G2564G1722G3391G1680G5216G28215There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,G1520G2962G1520G4102G3391G9086and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.G1520G2316G2532G3962G3956G3588G1909G3956G2532G1223G3956G2532G1722G5213G39567However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.G1161G1538G1520G2257G1325G5485G2596G3358G1431G55478That is why the Scriptures say, "When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people."G1352G3004G305G1519G5311G162G161G2532G1325G1390G4449Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.G1161G305G5101G2076G1508G3754G2597G2532G2597G4412G1519G2737G3313G109310And 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.G846G2597G2076G2532G305G5231G3956G3772G2443G4137G395611Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.G2532G846G1325G3303G652G1161G4396G1161G2099G1161G4166G2532G132012Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.G4314G2677G40G1519G2041G1248G1519G3619G4983G554713This 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.G3360G3956G2658G1519G1775G4102G2532G1922G5207G2316G1519G5046G435G1519G3358G2244G4138G554714Then 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.G2443G5600G3371G3516G2831G2532G4064G3956G417G1319G1722G2940G444G1722G3834G4314G3180G410615Instead, 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.G1161G226G1722G26G837G1519G846G3956G3739G2076G2776G554716He 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.G1537G3739G3956G4983G4883G2532G4822G1223G3956G860G2024G2596G1753G1722G3358G1538G1520G3313G4160G838G4983G1519G3619G1438G1722G2617With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.G5124G3004G3767G2532G3143G1722G2962G5209G3371G4043G3371G2531G2532G3062G1484G4043G1722G3153G846G356318Their 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.G1271G4654G5607G526G2222G2316G1223G52G5607G1722G846G1223G4457G846G258819They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.G3748G524G3860G1438G3860G766G1519G2039G3956G167G1722G412420But that isn't what you learned about Christ.G1161G5210G3129G3756G3779G3129G554721Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,G1489G191G846G2532G1321G1722G846G2531G225G2076G1722G242422throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.G5209G659G2596G4387G391G3820G444G3588G5351G2596G539G193923Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.G1161G365G4151G5216G356324Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.G2532G1746G2537G444G3588G2596G2316G2936G1722G1343G2532G225G374225So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.G1352G659G5579G2980G1538G225G3326G846G4139G3754G2070G3196G24026And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,G3710G2532G264G3361G1931G3361G2246G1931G1909G5216G395027for anger gives a foothold to the devil.G3383G1325G5117G122828If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.G2813G2813G2813G3371G1161G3123G2872G2038G5495G18G2443G2192G3330G5532G219229Don'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.G4550G3361G3956G4550G3056G1607G1537G5216G4750G235G1536G18G4314G5532G3619G2443G1325G5485G19130And 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.G2532G3076G3361G40G4151G2316G1722G3739G4972G1519G2250G62931Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.G142G3956G4088G2532G2372G2532G3709G2532G2906G2532G988G142G575G5216G4862G3956G254932Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.G1161G1096G5543G1519G240G2155G5483G1438G2531G2532G2316G1722G5547G1722G5483G5213
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