Ephesians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to the holy ones who are in Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
To Christ’s People at Ephesus who are faithful to him, from Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
3 Blessed [is] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ,
Blessed is the God and Father of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has blessed us on high with every spiritual blessing, in Christ.
4 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, for our being holy and unblemished before Him, in love,
For he chose us in our union with Christ before the creation of the universe, that we might be holy and blameless in his sight, living in the spirit of love.
5 having foreordained us to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
From the first he destined us, in his good-will towards us, to be adopted as Sons through Jesus Christ,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He made us accepted in the beloved,
and so to enhance that glorious manifestation of his loving-kindness which he gave us in The Beloved;
7 in whom we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of the trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,
for in him, and through the shedding of his blood, we have found redemption in the pardon of our offences.
8 in which He abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
All this accords with the loving-kindness which God lavished upon us, accompanied by countless gifts of wisdom and discernment,
9 having made known to us the secret of His will, according to His good pleasure, that He purposed in Himself,
when he made known to us his hidden purpose. And it also accords with the good-will which God purposed to exhibit in Christ,
10 in regard to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to bring into one the whole in the Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth—in Him;
in view of that Divine Order which was to mark the completion of the ages, when he should make everything, both in Heaven and on earth, centre in him.
11 in whom also we obtained an inheritance, being foreordained according to the purpose of Him who is working all things according to the counsel of His will,
In him, I say, for by our union with him we became God’s Heritage, having from the first been destined for this in the intention of him who, in all that happens, is carrying out his own fixed purpose;
12 for our being to the praise of His glory, [even] those who first hoped in the Christ,
that we should enhance his glory — we who have been the first to rest our hopes on the Christ.
13 in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth—the good news of your salvation—in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise,
And you, too, by your union with him, after you had heard the Message of the Truth, the Good News of your Salvation — you believed in him and were sealed as his by receiving the holy Spirit, which he had promised.
14 which is a deposit of our inheritance, to the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.
And the Spirit is a pledge of our future heritage, fore-shadowing the full redemption of God’s own People — to enhance his Glory.
15 Because of this I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love to all the holy ones,
And therefore I, ever since I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and of your confidence in all Christ’s People,
16 do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
have never omitted to thank God on your behalf, whenever I make mention of you in my prayers.
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the recognition of Him,
My prayer is that the God of Jesus Christ our Lord, the all-glorious Father, may inspire you with wisdom and true insight through a fuller knowledge of himself;
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, for your knowing what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the holy ones,
that your minds may be so enlightened that you may realise the hope given by God’s Call, the wealth of the glory of his heritage among Christ’s People,
19 and what the exceeding greatness of His power to us who are believing, according to the working of the power of His might,
and the transcendent greatness of the power which he is able to exercise in dealing with us who believe in him.
20 which He worked in the Christ, having raised Him out of the dead, and sat [Him] at His right hand in the heavenly [places],
The same mighty power was exerted upon the Christ, when he raised the Christ from the dead and ‘caused him to sit at his right hand’ on high, exalting him above all Angels and Archangels of every rank,
21 far above all principality, and authority, and might, and lordship, and every name named, not only in this age, but also in the coming one; (aiōn g165)
and above every name that can be named, whether in the present age, or in the age to come. (aiōn g165)
22 and He put all things under His feet, and gave Him—head over all things to the Assembly,
And God placed ‘all things under Christ’s feet,’ and gave him to the Church as its supreme Head;
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who is filling all in all.
for the Church is Christ’s Body, and is filled by him who fills all things everywhere with his presence.
