Ephesians 1–3

1Paul, an apostle^a of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^b

To God’s holy people^c in Ephesus,^ad the faithful^e in Christ Jesus:

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^f

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^g who has blessed us in the heavenly realms^h with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose usⁱ in him before the creation of the world^j to be holy and blameless^k in his sight. In love^{l 5}he^b predestined^m us for adoption to sonship^cn through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure^o and will—⁶to the praise of his glorious grace,^p which he has freely given us in the One he loves.^{q 7}In him we have redemption^r through his blood,^s the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches^t of God’s grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹he^d made known to us the mystery^u of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed^v in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment^w—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.^x

¹¹In him we were also chosen,^e having been predestined^y according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose^z of his will, ¹²in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.^{a 13}And you also were included in Christ^b when you heard the message of truth,^c the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,^d the promised Holy Spirit,^{e 14}who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance^f until the redemption^g of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.^h

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesusⁱ and your love for all God’s people,^{j 16}I have not stopped giving thanks for you,^k remembering you in my prayers.^{l 17}I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,^m may give you the Spirit^f of wisdomⁿ and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened^o in order that you may know the hope to which he has called^p you, the riches^q of his glorious inheritance^r in his holy people,^{s 19}and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power^t is the same as the mighty strength^{u 20}he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead^v and seated him at his right hand^w in the heavenly realms,^{x 21}far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,^y and every name^z that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.^{a 22}And God placed all things under his feet^b and appointed him to be head^c over everything for the church, ²³which is his body,^d the fullness of him^e who fills everything in every way.^f

Made Alive in Christ

2As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{g 2}in which you used to live^h when you followed the ways of this worldⁱ and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^j the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{k 3}All of us also lived among them at one time,^l gratifying the cravings of our flesh^am and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us,ⁿ God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^o—it is by grace you have been saved.^{p 6}And God raised us up with Christ^q and seated us with him^r in the heavenly realms^s in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^t expressed in his kindness^u to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace^v you have been saved,^w through faith^x—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—⁹not by works,^y so that no one can boast.^{z 10}For we are God’s handiwork,^a created^b in Christ Jesus to do good works,^c which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹Therefore, remember that formerly^d you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^e—¹²remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^f to the covenants of the promise,^g without hope^h and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who onceⁱ were far away have been brought near^j by the blood of Christ.^k

¹⁴For he himself is our peace,^l who has made the two groups one^m and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by setting aside in his fleshⁿ the law with its commands and regulations.^o His purpose was to create in himself one^p new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^q by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace^r to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{s 18}For through him we both have access^t to the Father^u by one Spirit.^v

¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^w but fellow citizens^x with God’s people and also members of his household,^{y 20}built^z on the foundation^a of the apostles and prophets,^b with Christ Jesus himself^c as the chief cornerstone.^{d 21}In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^e in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^f

God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

3For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner^g of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

²Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me^h for you, ³that is, the mysteryⁱ made known to me by revelation,^j as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight^k into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.^{l 6}This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs^m together with Israel, members together of one body,ⁿ and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.^o

⁷I became a servant of this gospel^p by the gift of God’s grace given me^q through the working of his power.^{r 8}Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,^s this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles^t the boundless riches of Christ,^{u 9}and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,^v which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God^w should be made known^x to the rulers and authorities^y in the heavenly realms,^{z 11}according to his eternal purpose^a that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God^b with freedom and confidence.^{c 13}I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴For this reason I kneel^d before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family^a in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches^e he may strengthen you with power^f through his Spirit in your inner being,^{g 17}so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^h through faith. And I pray that you, being rootedⁱ and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^j to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^k is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^l—that you may be filled^m to the measure of all the fullness of God.ⁿ

²⁰Now to him who is able^o to do immeasurably more than all we ask^p or imagine, according to his power^q that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^r