God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisonera of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

 2Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to meb for you,  3that is, the mysteryc made known to me by revelation,d as I have already written briefly.  4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insighte into the mystery of Christ,  5which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.f  6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirsg together with Israel, members together of one body,h and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.i

 7I became a servant of this gospelj by the gift of God’s grace given mek through the working of his power.l  8Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,m this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentilesn the boundless riches of Christ,o  9and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,p which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.  10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of Godq should be made knownr to the rulers and authoritiess in the heavenly realms,t  11according to his eternal purposeu that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.  12In him and through faith in him we may approach Godv with freedom and confidence.w  13I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

 A Prayer for the Ephesians

14For this reason I kneela before the Father,  15from whom every family* in heaven and on earth derives its name.  16I pray that out of his glorious richesb he may strengthen you with powerc through his Spirit in your inner being,d  17so that Christ may dwell in your heartse through faith. And I pray that you, being rootedf and established in love,  18may have power, together with all the Lord’s people,g to grasp how wide and long and high and deeph is the love of Christ,  19and to know this love that surpasses knowledgei—that you may be filledj to the measure of all the fullness of God.k

 20Now to him who is ablel to do immeasurably more than all we askm or imagine, according to his powern that is at work within us,  21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.o

  Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4 As a prisonera for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthyb of the callingc you have received.  2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one anotherd in love.e  3Make every effort to keep the unityf of the Spirit through the bond of peace.g  4There is one bodyh and one Spirit,i just as you were called to one hope when you were calledj;  5one Lord,k one faith, one baptism;  6one God and Father of all,l who is over all and through all and in all.m

 7But to each one of usn graceo has been givenp as Christ apportioned it.  8This is why it* says:

“When he ascended on high,

he took many captivesq

and gave gifts to his people.”*r

 9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions*?  10He who descended is the very one who ascendeds higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)t  11So Christ himself gaveu the apostles,v the prophets,w the evangelists,x the pastors and teachers,y  12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christz may be built upa  13until we all reach unityb in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of Godc and become mature,d attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.e

 14Then we will no longer be infants,f tossed back and forth by the waves,g and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.h  15Instead, speaking the truth in love,i we will in all things grow up into him who is the head,j that is, Christ.  16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, growsk and builds itself upl in love,m as each part does its work.

 Instructions for Christian Living

17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longera live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.b  18They are darkened in their understandingc and separated from the life of Godd because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.e  19Having lost all sensitivity,f they have given themselves overg to sensualityh so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

 20That, however, is not the way of life you learned  21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put offi your old self,j which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;k  23to be made new in the attitude of your minds;l  24and to put onm the new self,n created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.o

 25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfullyp to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.q  26“In your anger do not sin”*:r Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,  27and do not give the devil a foothold.s  28Those who have been stealing must steal no longer, but must work,t doing something useful with their own hands,u that they may have something to share with those in need.v

 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,w but only what is helpful for building others upx according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,y with whom you were sealedz for the day of redemption.a  31Get rid ofb all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.c  32Be kind and compassionate to one another,d forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.e

  5 1Follow God’s example,f therefore, as dearly loved childreng  2and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved ush and gave himself up for usi as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.j

 3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,k or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,l because these are improper for the Lord’s people.  4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talkm or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.n  5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolatero—has any inheritancep in the kingdom of Christ and of God.*q  6Let no one deceive your with empty words, for because of such things God’s wraths comes on those who are disobedient.t  7Therefore do not be partners with them.

 8For you were onceu darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of lightv  9(for the fruitw of the light consists in all goodness,x righteousness and truth)  10and find out what pleases the Lord.y  11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,z but rather expose them.  12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  13But everything exposed by the lighta becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  14This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,b

rise from the dead,c

and Christ will shine on you.”d

 15Be very careful, then, how you livee—not as unwise but as wise,  16making the most of every opportunity,f because the days are evil.g  17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.h  18Do not get drunk on wine,i which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,j  19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit.k Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,  20always giving thanksl to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Instructions for Christian Households

21Submit to one anothera out of reverence for Christ.

 22Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbandsb as you do to the Lord.c  23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,d his body, of which he is the Savior.  24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbandse in everything.

 25Husbands, love your wives,f just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for herg  26to make her holy,h cleansing* her by the washingi with water through the word,  27and to present her to himselfj as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.k  28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wivesl as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  29After all, people have never hated their own bodies, but they feed and care for them, just as Christ does the church—  30for we are members of his body.m  31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”*n  32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.  33However, each one of you also must love his wifeo as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.