Ephesians 4:1-14

1Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,

2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

3making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

4There is one body and one Spirit  — just as you were called to one hope at your calling —

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

8For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.

9But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

10The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.

11And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

14Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.