into many sentences in two or three paragraphs. Even so, it takes considerable effort to understand the rich cluster of ideas and images contained in it. Paul begins by blessing (that is, praising) God for having bestowed on Christians every possible divine blessing (that is, every divine gift and favor; 1:3). The rest of the prayer explains what those blessings are (1:4–10) and how they have come both to Jews and †Gentiles who have believed in Jesus (1:11–14). It is possible to count four, six,