Ephesians 1
1
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus,#1:1 The most ancient manuscripts do not include in Ephesus. who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Spiritual Blessings
3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.#1:6 Greek to us in the beloved. 7He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,#1:11 Or we have become God’s inheritance. for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own#1:13 Or he put his seal on you. by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,#1:15 Some manuscripts read your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and to God’s people everywhere. 16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom#1:17 Or to give you the Spirit of wisdom. and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.#1:18 Or called, and the rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his holy people.
19I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Ephesians 1
1
Greeting
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Redemption in Christ
3#2 Cor. 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as #Rom. 8:28He chose us in Him #1 Pet. 1:2before the foundation of the world, that we should #Luke 1:75be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5#Acts 13:48; (Rom. 8:29)having predestined us to #John 1:12adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, #(1 Cor. 1:21)according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, #(Rom. 3:24)by which He made us accepted in #Matt. 3:17the Beloved.
7#(Heb. 9:12)In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to #(Rom. 3:24, 25)the riches of His grace 8which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9#(Rom. 16:25)having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure #(2 Tim. 1:9)which He purposed in Himself, 10that in the dispensation of #Gal. 4:4the fullness of the times #1 Cor. 3:22He might gather together in one #Eph. 3:15; (Phil. 2:9; Col. 1:16, 20)all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11#Rom. 8:17In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to #Is. 46:10the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12#2 Thess. 2:13that we #James 1:18who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13In Him you also trusted, after you heard #John 1:17the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, #(2 Cor. 1:22)you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14#2 Cor. 5:5who is the guarantee of our inheritance #Rom. 8:23until the redemption of #(Acts 20:28)the purchased possession, #1 Pet. 2:9to the praise of His glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15Therefore I also, #Col. 1:4; Philem. 5after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16#Rom. 1:9do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17that #John 20:17; Rom. 15:6the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, #Is. 11:2; Col. 1:9may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18#Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:6; Heb. 6:4the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is #Eph. 2:12the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, #Col. 2:12according to the working of His mighty power 20which He worked in Christ when #Acts 2:24He raised Him from the dead and #Ps. 110:1seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21#Is. 9:6, 7; Luke 1:32, 33; Phil. 2:9, 10; Rev. 19:12far above all #(Rom. 8:38, 39)principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22And #Ps. 8:6; 110:1; Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:27He put all things under His feet, and gave Him #Heb. 2:7to be head over all things to the church, 23#Rom. 12:5which is His body, #Col. 2:9the fullness of Him #(1 Cor. 12:6)who fills all in all.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.