Ephesians 2–3

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