Spiritual growth
1 So I, the Master’s captive, urge you to keep pace with the appointment to which you were called. 2 Be humble, gentle, and patient, tolerating each other in love. 3 Make an effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, tied together with peace. 4 Be one body and one spirit, just as you were also called into one hope, 5 one Master, one faith, one immersion, 6 and one God and Father who is over, through, and in all. 7 Yet each of us was given favor in accordance with how Christ has apportioned each gift.
8 What does it mean, “Ascending to the heights, he captured captivity and gave gifts to people”? 9 Well, in order to ascend it means he first descended into the lower parts of the earth. 10 The same one who descended also ascended above the heavens, to complete everything. 11 In fact, he gave the apostles, the prophets, those who bring the good news, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the holy ones to perform this service of building up the body of Christ. 13 The goal is that we should all reach unity of faith and full understanding of the God-Man, to a mature man of the full stature of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be minors, running here and there and being carried away by whatever teaching is blowing in the wind. Such things come from con artists and crafty people who scheme to lead others astray. 15 Speaking the truth in love is how we can make everything grow into Christ, the Head. 16 The entire body grows out of him, connected together and united to the supply at every point of contact. Each part does its work to make the body grow and build itself up in love.
Living as believers
17 So this is what I’m getting at, as a witness for the Master: In no way should you still be following in the footsteps of the other nations. Their thinking is muddled 18 and dark; they are alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, caused by their hard hearts. 19 They are beyond feeling, given over to vice and greed and all sorts of unsavory things.
20 Yet this is not what you learned 21 about Christ, since surely you heard him and were taught by him according to the truth about Jesus. 22 You must put off the old ways, the old self that is corrupted by seductive desires. 23 Be rejuvenated instead in mind and spirit, 24 and put on the new you that is being created by God in righteousness and devotion to the truth. 25 So get rid of falsehood and speak the truth with those around you, since we are members of each other. 26 It’s not a sin to be angry, but don’t let the sun set before you resolve it; 27 don’t give the devil an advantage!
28 The thief must stop stealing and get to work; they must work with their own hands so they can share with the needy. 29 Do not let any foul talk come out of your mouths; only say what is good and needed to build up others and favor those who hear. 30 And do not distress the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, fury, rage, shouting, and slander be far removed from you, along with all malice. 32 Instead, do good to each other and be compassionate, behaving graciously among yourselves just as God through Christ also dealt graciously with all of us.