Christians Should Live In Unity
1 So I, the prisoner for the Lord's sake, appeal to you to live lives worthy of the summons you have received;
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
1 Therefore I, (A)the prisoner of the Lord, (B)implore you to (C)walk in a manner worthy of the (D)calling with which you have been (E)called,
1 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord,(A) urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Gifted Leaders Bring The Church To Maturity
8 So it says, "When he went up on high, he led a host of captives, And gave gifts to mankind."
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
8 Therefore (a)it says,“(P)When He ascended on high,He (Q)led captive a host of captives,And He gave gifts to men.”
8 For it says:When He ascended(Q) on high,He took prisoners into captivity;(c)He gave gifts to people.(R)(d)
8 That is why God says, "When he went up to the highest place, he led captives into captivity and gave gifts to people."
9 What does "he went up" mean, except that he had first gone down to the under parts of the earth?
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
9 (Now this expression, “He (R)ascended,” what (b)does it mean except that He also (c)had descended into (S)the lower parts of the earth?
9 But what does “He ascended” mean except that He(e) descended to the lower parts of the earth?(f)(S)
9 Now what does this "he went up" mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth?
10 It is he who went down who has also gone up above all the heavens, to fill the universe.
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended (T)far above all the heavens, so that He might (U)fill all things.)
10 The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens,(T) that He might fill(g) all things.(U)
10 The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that all things would be fulfilled.
11 And he has given us some men as apostles, some as prophets, some as missionaries, some as pastors and teachers,
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
11 And He (V)gave (W)some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as (X)evangelists, and some as pastors and (Y)teachers,
11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
11 And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,
12 in order to fit his people for the work of service, for building the body of Christ,
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
12 (Z)for the equipping of the (d)saints for the work of service, to the building up of (AA)the body of Christ;
12 to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah
13 until we all attain unity in faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and reach mature manhood, and that full measure of development found in Christ.
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
13 until we all attain to (AB)the unity of the faith, and of the (e)(AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a (AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature (f)which belongs to the (AE)fullness of Christ.
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son,(W) growing into a mature man with a stature(X) measured by Christ’s fullness.
13 until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God's Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah.
14 We must not be babies any longer, blown about and swung around by every wind of doctrine through the trickery of men with their ingenuity in inventing error.
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
14 (g)As a result, we are (AF)no longer to be children, (AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by (AH)craftiness (h)in (AI)deceitful scheming;
14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching,(Y) by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray.
15 We must lovingly hold to the truth and grow up into perfect union with him who is the head??hrist himself.
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
15 but (i)speaking the truth (AJ)in love, (j)we are to (AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the (AL)head, even Christ,
15 Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah,
16 For it is under his control that the whole system, adjusted and united by each ligament of its equipment, develops in proportion to the functioning of each particular part, and so builds itself up through love.
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
16 from whom (AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together (k)by what every joint supplies, according to the (l)proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself (AN)in love.
16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together(AA) by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth(AB) of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.
16 in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.
Appeal For New Behavior
17 So what I mean and insist upon in the Lord's name is this: You must no longer live like the heathen, with their frivolity of mind and darkened understanding.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
17 (AO)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, (AP)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the (AQ)futility of their mind,
17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.
17 Therefore, I tell you and insist on in the Lord not to live any longer like the gentiles live, thinking worthless thoughts.
18 They are estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that exists among them and their obstinacy of heart,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
18 being (AR)darkened in their understanding, (m)(AS)excluded from the life of God because of the (AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the (AU)hardness of their heart;
18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.
19 for they have become callous, and abandoned themselves to sensuality, greedily practicing every kind of vice.
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
19 and they, having (AV)become callous, (AW)have given themselves over to (AX)sensuality (n)for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity(AC) with a desire for more and more.(h)
19 Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint.
21 at least if you have really become acquainted with him and been instructed in him, and in union with him have been taught the truth as it is found in Jesus.
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
21 Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus.
22 You must lay aside with your former habits your old self which is going to ruin through its deceptive passions.
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you (BB)lay aside the (BC)old (p)self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (BD)lusts of deceit,
22 You took off(i)(AE) your former way of life,(AF) the old self(j)(AG) that is corrupted by deceitful desires;
22 Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires,
24 and put on the new self which has been created in likeness to God, with all the uprightness and holiness that belong to the truth.
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
24 and (BF)put on the (BG)new (q)self, which (r)(BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
24 you put on(l)(AI) the new self, the one created(AJ) according to God’s likeness(AK) in righteousness and purity of the truth.
24 and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God's image in righteousness and true holiness.
Old Behavior, New Behavior, And Motivation
25 So you must lay aside falsehood and each tell his neighbor the truth, for we are parts of one another.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
25 Therefore, (BI)laying aside falsehood, (BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are (BK)members of one another.
25 Since you put away(AL) lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor,(AM)(m) because we are members of one another.
25 Therefore, stripping off falsehood, "let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor," for we belong to one another.
28 The man who stole must not steal any more; he must work with his hands at honest toil instead, so as to have something to share with those who are in need.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather (BN)he must labor, (BO)performing with his own hands what is good, (BP)so that he will have something to share with (t)one who has need.
28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share(AO) with anyone in need.
28 The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might earn something to give to the needy.
29 No bad word must ever pass your lips, but only words that are good and suited to improve the occasion, so that they will be a blessing to those who hear them.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
29 Let no (u)(BQ)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for (BR)edification (v)according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
29 No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need,(o) so that it gives grace to those who hear.
29 Let no filthy talk be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up people and meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you.
30 You must not offend God's holy Spirit, with which you have been marked for the Day of Redemption.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
30 (BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, (w)by whom you were (BT)sealed for the day of redemption.
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.
31 You must give up all bitterness, rage, anger, and loud, abusive talk, and all spite.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
31 (BU)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be (BV)put away from you, along with all (BW)malice.
31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and slander be put away from you, along with all hatred.
32 You must be kind to one another, you must be tender-hearted, and forgive one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
32 (BX)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, (BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven (x)you.
32 And be kind(AR) and compassionate(AS) to one another, forgiving(AT) one another, just as God also forgave you(q) in Christ.
32 And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you in the Messiah.