Ephesians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
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.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[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.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
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.
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love,
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],
5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
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.
6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved.
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}.
7 In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
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.
8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
He acted very kindly toward us and enabled us to become wise about many [HYP] things and to understand his truth.
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
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.
10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him.
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].
11 We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,
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,
12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ.
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.
13 In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
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].
14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
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.
15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints,
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,
16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
I thank God for you constantly [LIT, HYP]. I (mention/pray for) you constantly, whenever I pray.
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,
[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.
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
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.
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
And [I pray that] you will know how very powerfully [God helps] us who continue to trust [in Christ]. He works powerfully for us
20 which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
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.
21 far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. (aiōn g165)
[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)
22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly,
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.
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
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.
