EPH 4:1-16

Unity in the Body

1I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called —

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

3being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

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

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

8Therefore it says: "When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men."

9Now this "he ascended" — what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10He who descended is himself also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

11And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as shepherds and teachers,

12for the equipping of the holy ones for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ,

13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

14so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in the scheming of deceit,

15but speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head — Christ —

16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together through every supporting joint, according to the working in measure of each individual part, produces the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

In the world it was spoken into

In the Greco-Roman world, unity within a community was often framed in terms of civic harmony (homonoia) or household order, where hierarchies and roles were clearly defined. The Ephesian audience, living in a cosmopolitan city with diverse religious and philosophical influences, would have understood the call to 'walk worthily' as a challenge to embody a distinct communal identity. The emphasis on humility would have stood in contrast to the honor-shame culture, where humility was often seen as weakness. The mention of 'one body' evokes the Stoic idea of cosmic unity but redefines it around the shared identity of the ekklēsia, marked by 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism.' The reference to spiritual gifts reflects the Pauline practice of equipping the community for mutual edification, countering the individualism of Greco-Roman patronage systems. The warning against being 'tossed by waves' and 'cunning deceit' would resonate with a culture familiar with philosophical sophistry and religious charlatans.

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How other translations render this

EPH 4:1

KJV: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
BSB: As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
Koinōnos: I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called —

EPH 4:2

KJV: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
BSB: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Koinōnos: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

EPH 4:3

KJV: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
BSB: and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Koinōnos: being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

EPH 4:4

KJV: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
BSB: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
Koinōnos: There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

EPH 4:6

KJV: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
BSB: one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Koinōnos: one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

EPH 4:7

KJV: But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
BSB: Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Koinōnos: But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

EPH 4:8

KJV: Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
BSB: This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
Koinōnos: Therefore it says: "When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.

EPH 4:9

KJV: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
BSB: What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
Koinōnos: Now this "he ascended" — what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

EPH 4:10

KJV: He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
BSB: He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
Koinōnos: He who descended is himself also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

EPH 4:11

KJV: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
BSB: And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Koinōnos: And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as shepherds and teachers,

EPH 4:12

KJV: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
BSB: to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
Koinōnos: for the equipping of the holy ones for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ,

EPH 4:13

KJV: 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:
BSB: until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
Koinōnos: until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

EPH 4:14

KJV: 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;
BSB: Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
Koinōnos: so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in the scheming of deceit,

EPH 4:15

KJV: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
BSB: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
Koinōnos: but speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head — Christ —

EPH 4:16

KJV: 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.
BSB: From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
Koinōnos: from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together through every supporting joint, according to the working in measure of each individual part, produces the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

EPH 4:1

Exhort:The word translated 'exhort' here carries a sense of both urging someone to action and comforting them, often in the same breath. It's a strong appeal that also offers encouragement and support.

EPH 4:2

humility:The term used here for 'humility' in the first century could sometimes refer to a negative quality like abjectness or meanness of spirit, but in this context, it is clearly used in a positive sense of lowliness of mind.

EPH 4:14

infants:The word translated 'infants' refers to very young children, implying a state of immaturity, vulnerability, and lack of developed understanding, not just age.
cunning:The word translated 'cunning' originally referred to the trickery and deception involved in dice-playing, highlighting the manipulative and deceitful nature of the actions described.