Ephesians 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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Ephesians 1

Greeting

1Paul, #See 2 Cor. 1:1an apostle of Christ Jesus #See 1 Cor. 1:1by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and #Col. 1:2are faithful#1:1 Some manuscripts saints who are also faithful (omitting in Ephesus) in Christ Jesus:

2 # See Rom. 1:7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 # 2 Cor. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3 Blessed be #See Rom. 15:6the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing #ver. 20; ch. 2:6; 3:10; 6:12in the heavenly places, 4#[ch. 2:10; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2] even as he #James 2:5; [Deut. 7:6; 26:18] chose us in him #[2 Tim. 1:9]; See Matt. 13:35before the foundation of the world, that we should be #ch. 5:27; Col. 1:22; 1 Thess. 4:7holy and blameless before him. In love 5#ver. 11; Rom. 8:29, 30he predestined us#1:5 Or before him in love, 5having predestined us for #See Rom. 8:15adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, #ver. 9; [Luke 2:14; Heb. 2:4]; See Luke 12:32according to the purpose of his will, 6#ver. 12, 14to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in #[John 3:35; 10:17; Col. 1:13]; See Matt. 3:17the Beloved. 7#Col. 1:14In him we have #Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 1:30; [ch. 4:30] redemption #See Acts 20:28through his blood, #See Acts 2:38the forgiveness of our trespasses, #[ch. 3:8, 16; Col. 1:27]; See Rom. 2:4according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9#See Rom. 16:25making known#1:9 Or he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, #[See ver. 5 above] according to his purpose, which he #[ver. 11; Rom. 8:28; 9:11]set forth in Christ#1:9 Greek him 10as a plan for #See Mark 1:15the fullness of time, #Col. 1:16, 20; [ch. 3:15; Phil. 2:9, 10]to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.

11In him we have obtained #Deut. 4:20; 32:9; See ver. 14an inheritance, #ver. 5having been predestined #ch. 3:11; [Rev. 4:11]; See Rom. 8:28according to the purpose of him who works all things according to #[Acts 20:27]the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be #ver. 6, 14; [Phil. 1:11]to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard #2 Cor. 6:7; Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:15; [Acts 13:26; 15:7] the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, #ch. 4:30were sealed with the #See Acts 1:4promised Holy Spirit, 14who is #2 Cor. 1:22the guarantee#1:14 Or down payment of our #Acts 20:32; [ver. 18] inheritance until #Titus 2:14; See ver. 7we acquire #See 1 Pet. 2:9possession of it,#1:14 Or until God redeems his possession #ver. 6, 12to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15For this reason, #Col. 1:4; Philem. 5; See Rom. 1:8because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love#1:15 Some manuscripts omit your love toward all the saints, 16I #Col. 1:9do not cease to give thanks for you, #Rom. 1:9; 2 Tim. 1:3remembering you in my prayers, 17that #See Rom. 15:6the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, #[Col. 1:9]may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18#[Heb. 6:4; 10:32; Rev. 3:17, 18]; See Acts 26:18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is #ch. 4:4; [ch. 2:12] the hope to which he has called you, what are #ch. 3:8, 16; Col. 1:27; See ver. 7the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, #ch. 3:7; Phil. 3:21; Col. 1:29; 2:12according to the working of #ch. 6:10; [Dan. 4:30]his great might 20that he worked in Christ #See Acts 2:24when he raised him from the dead and #See Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; 1 Pet. 3:22seated him at his right hand #See ver. 3in the heavenly places, 21#ch. 4:10; Col. 2:10; See John 3:31far above #1 Cor. 15:24all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above #ch. 3:15; Phil. 2:9; [Heb. 1:4] every name that is named, not only in #[Matt. 12:32]this age but also in the one to come. 22And #Cited from Ps. 8:6; See 1 Cor. 15:27he put all things under his feet and gave him as #ch. 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18; 2:19; [1 Cor. 11:3; Col. 2:10]head over all things to the church, 23#ch. 4:12, 16; 5:30; Col. 1:18, 24; [ch. 5:23; 1 Cor. 12:27] which is his body, #ch. 3:19; See John 1:16the fullness of him #ch. 4:10who fills #[Jer. 23:24; Col. 3:11]all in all.

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