World English Bible · Under Rome
Ephesians 4
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I therefore, the prisoner in , beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with , bearing with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of in the bond of peace. There is and one , even as you also were called in one of your calling, one , one , one , one and of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. But to each one of us, the was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led , and gave gifts to people." Now this, "He ascended", what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all , that he might fill all things. He gave some to be ; and some, ; and some, evangelists; and some, and teachers; for the perfecting of , to the work of , to the building up of the , until we all attain to the unity of the and of the knowledge of the Son of , to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in , that you no longer walk as the rest of the also walk, in the of their , being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their . They, having become callous, gave themselves up to , to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you didn't learn Christ that way, if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in : that you , as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in of , and put on the new man, who in the of has been created in and of truth. Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and don't ." Don't let the sun go down on your , and don't give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your , but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give to those who hear. Don't grieve of , in whom you were sealed for the day of . Let all bitterness, , , outcry, and slander be from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, as also in Christ forgave you.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.