1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful* in Christ Jesus:2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love5he predestined us* for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight9making known* to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,14who is the guarantee* of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,* to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love* toward all the saints,16I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might20that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.22And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
New International Reader’s Version
1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. I am sending this letter to you, God’s holy people in Ephesus. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are faithful.2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Praise God for his spiritual blessings in Christ
3Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Those blessings come from the heavenly world. They belong to us because we belong to Christ.4God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us.5So he decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it.6All those things bring praise to his glorious grace. God freely gave us his grace because of the One he loves.7We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich.8He poured his grace on us. By giving us great wisdom and understanding,9he showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ.10It will all come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.11We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose.12We were the first to put our hope in Christ. We were chosen to bring praise to his glory.13You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he stamped you with an official mark. That official mark is the Holy Spirit that he promised.14The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.
Paul prays and gives thanks
15I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I have also heard about your love for all God’s people. That is why16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers.17I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better.18I pray that you may understand more clearly. Then you will know the hope God has chosen you to receive. You will know that what God will give his holy people is rich and glorious.19And you will know God’s great power. It can’t be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength20God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead. God seated him at his right hand in his heavenly kingdom.21There Christ sits far above all who rule and have authority. He also sits far above all powers and kings. He is above every name that is appealed to in this world and in the world to come.22God placed all things under Christ’s rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church.23The church is Christ’s body and is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way.
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