LETTER OF PAUL

TO THE

EPHESIANS

AUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, even the faithful in Christ Jesus: Joy to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

BLESSED be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly things through Christ: even as he chose us for himself before the foundation of the world, to be in him, that we should be holy and without blemish in his sight; having in love appointed us beforehand for adoption as sons to himself through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intent of his purpose, for the praise of the glory of his loving-favor, which he hath graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved One: by whom we are having the redemption, through his blood, even the remission of our offenses, in accordance with the richness of his loving-favor, which he hath made to overflow unto us, with all wisdom and understanding; having made known to us the mystery of his will in reference to the kind purpose which he purposed in himself to be carried into effect in the fulfilment of the times, in order to bring together again all things for himself under one head. (i. 1-10.)

* See note at the end of the letter.

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b

in a the Christ,— the things that are in the heavens and the things that are upon the earth: even in him, with whom we also have been made to inherit, having been appointed beforehand in accordance with the intent of him who efficiently worketh all things according to the determination of his own will; so that we should be for the praise of his glory — we who had hope in the Christ before you: in whom are ye also, since ye have listened to the message of the truth, the Good-tidings of your salvation; through whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed by the Holy Spirit that was promised; which is a pledge of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

On this account I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, do not cease to give thanks concerning you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and insight in the full knowledge of himself; having the eyes of your heart fully enlightened, so that ye may know what is the hope that belongeth to his call, what the glorious richness of the inheritance from him among the saints, and what the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who have faith, in accordance with the energy of the might of his power which he exerted in the Christ in raising him from the dead, and in placing him on his own right hand in the heavenly regions, far above all rulership and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this age but in the age that is to come; and he put all things under his feet, and made him head over all things for the Church, (since it is his body;) - the fulness of him who filleth all things everywhere with himself.

f

You also did he raise from the dead, who were dead through your trespasses and sins, in which ye formerly walked in accord with the present age of this world under the chief of the authority of the air, the spirit that is now actively working in the sons of disobedience;

rest.

a

among whom all of us also had our way of life in the passions of our bodily nature, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the imagination; and we were in nature children of wrath, even like the But God, who is rich in mercy, on account of his great love which he had for us, even while we were dead by our trespasses, gave us life together with the Christ, (by loving-favor ye have been saved,) and raised us up together with him, and enthroned us together with him in the heavenly regions; (that is, with Christ Jesus;) so that in the ages that are coming he might exhibit the surpassing richness of his loving-favor in kindness toward us through Christ Jesus: for by loving-favor ye have been saved, through faith; (and this not from yourselves, of God is the gift;) not from works, so that no one can boast himself. For we are his workmanship, having been created through Christ Jesus for good works, in which God provided beforehand that we should walk.

b

Wherefore keep in remembrance, that formerly ye, being Gentiles by birth, and called the Uncircumcision by those who are called the Circumcision, (performed by hands in the flesh,) that ye were at that time far from Christ, aliens from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners with respect to the covenants of the promise, not having any hope, and without God, in the world. But now, through Christ Jesus, ye who formerly were far away, have become near through the blood of the Christ. For he himself is our peace, since he hath made the two to be one, and hath broken down the partition-wall of the inclosure, that is, the enmity, having in his body done away with the Law made up of precepts contained in ordinances, that he might make these two into one new man in himself, making peace; and might fully reconcile both to God in one body by means of the cross, having by this slain the enmity. And having come, he declared the Good-tidings of peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; so that through him we both have approach by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, ye are no longer strangers and foreigners, but ye are fellow citizens (ii. 3-19.)

"Or, unspiritual. bOr, dispensations.

Or, in one spirit.

with the saints, and members of the household of God, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the head of the corner; ina whom an entire building, joined closely together, is growing into a sanctuary holy in the Lord; in which ye also are being built together into a dwelling-place for God by the Spirit.

On this account I Paul myself, the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles, if indeed ye have heard in regard to the stewardship of the loving-favor of God that was given to me for you, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation, (as I wrote before in brief, according to which ye can, if ye are discriminating, perceive my insight in the mystery of the Christ,) which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: this, that the Gentiles are joint-heirs, and fellow members of the body, and joint-partakers with us of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Good-tidings, of which I became a ministering-servant, in accordance with the free gift of the loving-favor of God that was bestowed upon me according to the efficient working of his power.

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To me, the one who is less than the least of all the saints, was this privilege given, to declare the Good-tidings to the Gentiles, even the untraceable riches of the Christ; and to bring to light what is the economy of the mystery that hath been hidden from ancient times in God who created all things; so that now through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulerships and the authorities in the heavenly regions, in accordance with his purpose of the ages, which he executed by the Christ, even Jesus our Lord; through whom we have boldness of speech and approach, by means of the confidence that is through faith in him.

d

Wherefore I entreat that ye may not lose courage by my afflictions on your behalf, since this is your glory. On account of this (ii. 20-iii. 14.)