Ephesians 1
1 I, Paul, am an apostle whom God appointed (to represent/to proclaim the message about) Christ Jesus because that is what God wanted. [I am writing this letter] to you who are the people of God in Ephesus [city. You are people who] (faithfully/continue to) trust in Christ Jesus and who have a close relationship with him.
PAUL, a legate of Jesus the Messiah by the pleasure of God, to them who are at Ephesus, sanctified, and believing in Jesus the Messiah:
2 [I pray that] God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will continue to act kindly toward you and cause you to have [inner] peace.
Peace be with you, and grace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
3 Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of our relationship with Christ, he has blessed us spiritually in every way by giving us blessings that come from heaven.
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, who hath blessed us with all blessings of the Spirit in heaven, by the Messiah:
4 Before God created the world, he chose us to be his people because of our (relationship with/union with) Christ, in order that [God could consider] us to be completely holy [DOU]. Because [God] loves [us],
according as he had previously chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and without blame before him; and, in love, predestinated us for himself;
5 he decided long ago that he would adopt us to be [as though we were] his own children because of what Jesus Christ [has done]. He decided to do that because it pleased him to do that.
and adopted us for sons, in Jesus the Messiah, as was agreeable to his pleasure:
6 He did it in order that we would praise him for acting very kindly toward us in a wonderful way that we did not deserve. He did it because of our relationship with his beloved Son {[one, who is also God, whom he] loves}.
that the glory of his grace might be glorified, which he poured upon us by his Beloved One;
7 When the blood of Christ [flowed when he died] [MTY], [it was as though] he paid a price to free/save us [from the guilt of our sins]. [That] ([provided a way/made it possible]) [for] God to act very kindly toward us to forgive us for having sinned.
by whom we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins by his blood, according to the riches of his grace,
8 He acted very kindly toward us and enabled us to become wise about many [HYP] things and to understand his truth.
which hath abounded in us, in all wisdom and all spiritual understanding.
9 He has enabled us to know the things that he had planned secretly (OR, that he had not revealed to anyone yet). He did that because he wanted to do that, and because he planned to do that by means of the things Christ would do.
And he hath made us know the mystery of his pleasure, which he had before determined in himself to accomplish,
10 God planned that at the time that [he appointed], he would unite all things/beings in heaven and all things/beings on earth (OR, all beings in heaven and all things on earth), and cause Christ to be the one who will rule them [MET].
in the dispensation of the fullness of times; that all things might again be made new in the Messiah, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 Because of our close relationship with Christ, God has also chosen us [(inc)] (OR, us [(exc)] Jews) to receive what he has promised [to give] us. He decided long ago to do that. It was exactly what he planned. He accomplishes everything exactly as he plans and desires,
And in him we are elected, according as he predestined us and willed, who worketh all things according to the counsel of his pleasure;
12 in order that we(exc) Jews, who confidently expected the Messiah to do great things for us before the non-Jews expected such things (OR, we [(inc)] who were already confidently expecting Christ [to do great things for us]) will praise him for his greatness.
that we should be they who first hoped in the Messiah, to the honor of his glory.
13 You [Ephesians] also heard the true message, the good message about how God saves you. [People] put their seal on something to show that [it belongs to them]. Similarly, when you believed [in Christ], God [showed that you also belong to him by sending you] the Holy Spirit as he promised to do [MET].
In whom, ye also have heard the word of truth, which is the gospel of your life, and have believed in him; and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, who was promised,
14 The Holy Spirit is [like] [MET] a (deposit/down payment). That is, he (guarantees/assures us) that [we will receive] all that God has promised to give us, at the time when God will give to those who belong to him [MET] everything that [Christ] freed us to receive. [God also assures you that you belong to him], in order that you would praise him for his greatness.
who is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of them that are alive, and for the praise of his glory.
15 Because of [what God has done for you], and because [people] told me that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus and that you love all those who belong to God,
Therefore, lo I also, since I heard of your faith in our Lord Jesus the Messiah, and of your love towards all the saints,
16 I thank God for you constantly [LIT, HYP]. I (mention/pray for) you constantly, whenever I pray.
cease not to give thanks on your account, and to remember you in my prayers;
17 [I pray] that God, who is the glorious/wonderful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may cause his Spirit to make you wise, and that his Spirit will reveal [God to you] so that you may fully know him.
that the God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the recognition of him;
18 And I pray that God would enable you to understand [MTY] his truth, in order that in your (inner beings/hearts) you may know the things that we believers should confidently expect to receive because he chose us [to be his people]. And I pray that you will know how God will bless his people in a very wonderful way [when we finally receive] all that he has promised to give us.
and that the eyes of your hearts may be enlightened, so that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints;
19 And [I pray that] you will know how very powerfully [God helps] us who continue to trust [in Christ]. He works powerfully for us
and what is the excellence of the majesty of his power in us who believe; according to the efficiency of the strength of his power,
20 just like he acted powerfully for Christ when he caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and put him in the place of highest/greatest honor [MTY] in heaven.
which he put forth in the Messiah, and raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand in heaven,
21 [There], Christ is the supreme ruler over every powerful spirit of every level of authority. His rank is much higher than any powerful spirit can receive, not only now, but forever. (aiōn g165)
high above all principalities, and authorities, and powers, and lordships, and above every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that to come: (aiōn g165)
22 God has caused all beings to be subject to Christ [MTY], and he has also appointed Christ, who rules over all things, to rule [MET] over all believers.
and he hath subjected all things under his feet; and hath given him who is high over all, to be the head of the church;
23 We believers [relate to Christ like the parts of a person’s] body [MET] [relate to its head]. Christ uses all [his power among us] just like he uses his power throughout the whole universe.
which is his body, and the fullness of him who filleth all in all:
