Living_Oracles(i)
1 I, then, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling, by which you are called,
2 with all humility and meekness; with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love;
3 earnestly endeavoring to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit; as also you have been called with one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one immersion;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and with all, and in you all.
7 But to every one of us is given favor, according to the measure of the gift of Christ;
8 (Wherefore he says, Having ascended on high, he captivated captivity, and gave gifts to men.
9 Now, this-Having ascended, what is it, unless, indeed, he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth!
10 He who descended, is the same who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, indeed, Apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 for the adapting of these saints to the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ:
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God; to a perfect man; to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
14 that we may be no longer children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sight of men, and by cunning craftiness for an artifice of seduction:
15 but speaking the truth in love, we may all grow into him, who is the Head, even Christ;
16 from whom, the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by the service of every joint, according to the energy, in the proportion of each particular part, effects the increase of the body, for the edification of itself in love.
17 This, therefore, I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind;
18 having their understandings darkened; being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have abandoned themselves to lasciviousness, to commit all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ;
21 if, indeed, you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus;
22 that, with respect to your former conduct, you put away the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 that you be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
24 and that you put on the new man; which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore, putting away lying, speak the truth every one to his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
26 Do not sin, through anger; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,
27 neither give an opportunity to the devil.
28 Let him that stole, steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands that which is good, that he may have to impart to him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt discourse come out of your mouth; but if any speech be good for the use of edification, speak it, that it may impart a benefit to the hearers.
30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed till the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and clamor, and detraction, be taken away from among you, with all malice.
32 But be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you.