By Grace Through Faith 2 j And you were k dead in the trespasses and sins 2 l in which you once walked , following the course of this world , following m the prince of the power of the air , the spirit that is now at work in n the sons of disobedience — 3 among whom we all once lived in o the passions of our flesh , carrying out the desires of the body and the mind , and p were by nature q children of wrath , like the rest of mankind . 4 But God , being r rich in mercy , s because of the great love with which he loved us , 5 even t when we were dead in our trespasses , u made us alive together with Christ — v by grace you have been saved — 6 and raised us up with him and w seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus , 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable x riches of his grace in y kindness toward us in Christ Jesus . 8 For z by grace you have been saved a through faith . And this is b not your own doing ; c it is the gift of God , 9 d not a result of works , e so that no one may boast . 10 For f we are his workmanship , g created in Christ Jesus h for good works , i which God prepared beforehand , j that we should walk in them . One in Christ 11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh , called “ the uncircumcision ” by what is called k the circumcision , which is made in the flesh by hands — 12 remember l that you were at that time separated from Christ , m alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to n the covenants of promise , o having no hope and without God in the world . 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were p far off have been brought near q by the blood of Christ . 14 For r he himself is our peace , s who has made us both one and has broken down t in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in u ordinances , that he might create in himself one v new man in place of the two , so making peace , 16 and might w reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross , thereby killing the hostility . 17 And he came and x preached peace to you who were y far off and peace to those who were z near . 18 For a through him we both have b access in c one Spirit to the Father . 19 So then you are no longer d strangers and aliens , but you are e fellow citizens with the saints and f members of the household of God , 20 g built on the foundation of the h apostles and prophets , i Christ Jesus himself being j the cornerstone , 21 k in whom the whole structure , being joined together , grows into l a holy temple in the Lord . 22 In him m you also are being built together n into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit .

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed 3 For this reason I , Paul , o a prisoner of Christ Jesus p on behalf of you Gentiles — 2 assuming that you have heard of q the stewardship of r God’s grace that was given to me for you , 3 s how the mystery was made known to me t by revelation , u as I have written briefly . 4 v When you read this , you can perceive my insight into w the mystery of Christ , 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit . 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are x fellow heirs , y members of the same body , and z partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel . 7 a Of this gospel I was made b a minister according to the gift of c God’s grace , which was given me d by the working of his power . 8 To me , e though I am the very least of all the saints , this grace was given , f to preach to the Gentiles the g unsearchable h riches of Christ , 9 and i to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery j hidden for ages in God , k who created all things , 10 so that through the church the manifold l wisdom of God m might now be made known to n the rulers and authorities o in the heavenly places . 11 This was p according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord , 12 in whom we have q boldness and r access with s confidence through our t faith in him . 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering u for you , v which is your glory . Prayer for Spiritual Strength 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father , 15 from whom w every family in heaven and on earth is named , 16 that according to x the riches of his glory y he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit z in your inner being , 17 a so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you , being b rooted and c grounded in love , 18 may have strength to d comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and e height and depth , 19 and to know the love of Christ f that surpasses knowledge , that g you may be filled with all h the fullness of God . 20 i Now to j him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think , k according to the power at work within us , 21 l to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations , forever and ever . Amen .

Unity in the Body of Christ 4 I therefore , m a prisoner for the Lord , urge you to n walk in a manner worthy of o the calling to which you have been called , 2 with all p humility and q gentleness , with r patience , s bearing with one another in love , 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in t the bond of peace . 4 There is u one body and v one Spirit — just as you were called to the one w hope that belongs to your call — 5 x one Lord , y one faith , z one baptism , 6 a one God and Father of all , b who is over all and through all and in all . 7 But c grace was given d to each one of us e according to the measure of Christ’s gift . 8 Therefore it says , f “ When he ascended on high g he led a host of captives , and he gave gifts to men . ” 9 ( h In saying , “ He ascended , ” what does it mean but that he had also descended into i the lower regions , the earth ? 10 He who descended is the one who also j ascended k far above all the heavens , that he might l fill all things . ) 11 And m he gave the n apostles , the prophets , the o evangelists , the p shepherds and teachers , 12 q to equip the saints for the work of ministry , for r building up s the body of Christ , 13 until we all attain to t the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God , u to mature manhood , to the measure of the stature of v the fullness of Christ , 14 so that we may no longer be children , w tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine , by human cunning , by craftiness in x deceitful schemes . 15 Rather , y speaking the truth in love , we are to z grow up in every way into him who is a the head , into Christ , 16 b from whom the whole body , joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped , c when each part is working properly , makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love . The New Life 17 Now this I say and d testify in the Lord , e that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do , f in the futility of their minds . 18 They g are darkened in their understanding , h alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them , due to i their hardness of heart . 19 They j have become callous and k have given themselves up to sensuality , greedy to practice every kind of impurity . 20 But that is not the way you l learned Christ ! — 21 assuming that m you have heard about him and n were taught in him , as the truth is in Jesus , 22 to o put off p your old self , which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through q deceitful desires , 23 and r to be renewed in the spirit of your minds , 24 and to put on s the new self , t created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness . 25 Therefore , having put away falsehood , let each one of you u speak the truth with his neighbor , for v we are members one of another . 26 w Be angry and do not sin ; do not let the sun go down on your anger , 27 and x give no opportunity to the devil . 28 Let the thief no longer steal , but rather y let him labor , z doing honest work with his own hands , so a that he may have something to share with anyone in need . 29 b Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths , but only such as is good for building up , as fits the occasion , that it may give c grace to those who hear . 30 And d do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God , e by whom you were sealed for the day of f redemption . 31 g Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you , along with all malice . 32 h Be kind to one another , tenderhearted , i forgiving one another , as God in Christ forgave you .

Walk in Love 5 j Therefore be imitators of God , as beloved children . 2 And k walk in love , l as Christ loved us and m gave himself up for us , a n fragrant o offering and sacrifice to God . 3 But p sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness q must not even be named among you , as is proper among saints . 4 Let there be r no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking , s which are out of place , but instead t let there be thanksgiving . 5 For you may be sure of this , that u everyone who is sexually immoral or impure , or who is covetous ( v that is , an idolater ) , has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God . 6 w Let no one x deceive you with empty words , for because of these things y the wrath of God comes upon z the sons of disobedience . 7 Therefore a do not become partners with them ; 8 for b at one time you were c darkness , but now you are light in the Lord . d Walk as children of light 9 ( for e the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true ) , 10 and f try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord . 11 g Take no part in the h unfruitful i works of darkness , but instead j expose them . 12 For k it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret . 13 But when l anything is exposed by the light , it becomes visible , 14 for anything that becomes visible is light . Therefore it says , m “ Awake , O sleeper , and n arise from the dead , and o Christ will shine on you . ” 15 p Look carefully then how you walk , not as unwise but as wise , 16 p making the best use of the time , because q the days are evil . 17 Therefore do not be foolish , but understand what r the will of the Lord is . 18 And s do not get drunk with wine , for that is t debauchery , but u be filled with the Spirit , 19 addressing one another in v psalms and hymns and spiritual songs , singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart , 20 w giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father x in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ , 21 y submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ . Wives and Husbands 22 z Wives , a submit to your own husbands , b as to the Lord . 23 For c the husband is the head of the wife even as d Christ is the head of the church , his body , and is e himself its Savior . 24 Now as the church submits to Christ , so also wives should submit f in everything to their husbands . 25 g Husbands , love your wives , as Christ loved the church and h gave himself up for her , 26 that he might sanctify her , having cleansed her by i the washing of water j with the word , 27 so k that he might present the church to himself in splendor , l without spot or wrinkle or any such thing , that she might be holy and without blemish . 28 In the same way m husbands should love their wives as their own bodies . He who loves his wife loves himself . 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh , but nourishes and cherishes it , just as Christ does the church , 30 because n we are members of his body . 31 o “ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife , and p the two shall become one flesh . ” 32 This mystery is profound , and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church . 33 However , q let each one of you love his wife as himself , and let the wife see that she r respects her husband .