Ephesians 1-3 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Ephesians 1

Greeting

 ¹ Paul, ^(A) an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will: ^(B)

    To the saints ^(C) and believers ^(D) in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. ^{(E) [a]}

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

   

God's Rich Blessings

 ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, ^(F) in Christ; ⁴ for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. ^{(G) [b]} In love ^{[c] 5} He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, ⁶ to the praise of His glorious grace ^(H) that He favored us with in the Beloved. ^(I)

    ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, ^(J) the forgiveness ^(K) of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, ^(L) according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him ^{(M) 10} for the administration ^[d] of the days of fulfillment ^[e] —to bring everything together in the Messiah, ^(N) both things in heaven and things on earth ^(O) in Him. ^(P)

    ¹¹ In Him we were also made His inheritance, ^[f] predestined according to the purpose ^(Q) of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, ¹² so that we who had already put our hope ^(R) in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory. ^(S)

    ¹³ In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, ^(T) the gospel of your salvation—in Him when you believed—were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. ^{(U) 14} He is the down payment ^(V) of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, ^[g] to the praise of His glory.

   

Prayer for Spiritual Insight

 ¹⁵ This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ [I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, ^[h] would give you a spirit ^(W) of wisdom and revelation ^(X) in the knowledge of Him. ¹⁸ [I pray] that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope ^(Y) of His calling, ^(Z) what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power ^(AA) to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.

   

God's Power in Christ

 ²⁰ He demonstrated [this power] in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand ^(AB) in the heavens ^(AC) — ²¹ far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, ^{(AD) [i]} not only in this age but also in the one to come. ^{(AE) 22} And He put everything under His feet ^{(AF) (AG)} and appointed Him as head ^(AH) over everything for the church, ²³ which is His body, ^(AI) the fullness ^(AJ) of the One who fills all things ^(AK) in every way.

Ephesians 2

From Death to Life

 ¹ And you were dead ^(AL) in your trespasses and sins ² in which you previously walked according to this worldly ^(AM) age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain, ^{(AN) [j]} the spirit ^(AO) now working in the disobedient. ^{[k] 3} We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly ^(AP) desires, carrying out the inclinations ^(AQ) of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, ^(AR) as the others were also. ⁴ But God, who is abundant in mercy, ^(AS) because of His great love ^(AT) that He had for us, ^{[l] 5} made us alive ^(AU) with the Messiah even though we were dead ^(AV) in trespasses. By grace you are saved! ⁶ He also raised us up with Him ^(AW) and seated us with Him in the heavens, ^(AX) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages ^(AY) He might display the immeasurable riches ^(AZ) of His grace in [His] kindness ^(BA) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are His creation—created ^(BB) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time ^(BC) so that we should walk in them.

   

Unity in Christ

 ¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called "the uncircumcised" by those called "the circumcised," ^(BD) done by hand in the flesh. ^{(BE) 12} At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, ^(BF) with no hope ^(BG) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood ^(BH) of the Messiah. ¹⁴ For He is our peace, who made both groups one ^(BI) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, ¹⁵ He did away with the law of the commandments in regulations, so that He might create ^(BJ) in Himself one ^(BK) new man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶ [He did this so] that He might reconcile both to God in one body ^(BL) through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. ^{[m] 17} When [Christ] came, He proclaimed the good news ^(BM) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ^{(BN) 18} For through Him we both have access ^(BO) by one Spirit to the Father. ^{(BP) 19} So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ^(BQ) with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ The whole building is being fitted together ^(BR) in Him and is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, ^{(BS) 22} in whom you also are being built together ^(BT) for God's dwelling ^(BU) in the Spirit.

Ephesians 3

Paul's Ministry to the Gentiles

 ¹ For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner ^(BV) of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— ² you have heard, haven't you, about the administration of God's grace that He gave to me for you? ³ The mystery was made known to me by revelation, ^(BW) as I have briefly written above. ⁴ By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah. ^{(BX) 5} This was not made known to people ^[n] in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets ^(BY) by the Spirit: ⁶ the Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise ^(BZ) in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ⁷ I was made a servant of this [gospel] by the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of His power. ^(CA)

    ⁸ This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints!—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches ^(CB) of the Messiah, ⁹ and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created ^(CC) all things. ¹⁰ This is so that God's multi-faceted wisdom ^(CD) may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. ^{(CE) 11} This is according to the purpose ^(CF) of the ages, which He made in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness, access, ^(CG) and confidence through faith in Him. ^{[o] 13} So then I ask you not to be discouraged ^(CH) over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. ^(CI)

   

Prayer for Spiritual Power

 ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees ^(CJ) before the Father ^{[p] 15} from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. ¹⁶ [I pray] that He may grant you, according to the riches ^(CK) of His glory, ^(CL) to be strengthened with power ^(CM) through His Spirit in the inner man, ^{(CN) 17} and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. [I pray that] you, being rooted and firmly established in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and width, height and depth, ^{(CO) 19} and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

    ²⁰ Now to Him who is able ^(CP) to do above and beyond all that we ask or think ^(CQ) —according to the power ^(CR) that works in you— ²¹ to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ^(CS)