Ephesians 1-2

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Greeting

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

To the faithful saints^(C) in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.^[a](D)

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

God’s Rich Blessings

³ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.^{(E) 4} For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.^[b](F) 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^(G) that He favored us with in the Beloved.^(H)

⁷ We have redemption in Him^(I) through His blood, the forgiveness^(J) 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,^(K) according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him^{(L) 10} for the administration^[d] of the days of fulfillment^[e]—to bring everything together in the Messiah,^(M) both things in heaven and things on earth^(N) in Him.^(O)

¹¹ We have also received an inheritance^[f] in Him, predestined^(P) according to the purpose 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^(Q) in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.^(R)

¹³ When you heard the message of truth,^(S) the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.^{(T) 14} He is the down payment^(U) 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^[i](V) of wisdom and revelation^(W) in the knowledge of Him. ¹⁸ I pray that the perception of your mind^[j] may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope^(X) of His calling,^(Y) what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power^(Z) 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^(AA) in the heavens^(AB)— ²¹ far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given,^[k](AC) not only in this age but also in the one to come.^{(AD) 22} And He put everything under His feet^(AE)[l] and appointed Him as head^(AF) over everything for the church, ²³ which is His body,^(AG) the fullness^(AH) of the One who fills all things^(AI) in every way.

From Death to Life

2 And you were dead^(AJ) in your trespasses and sins ² in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,^(AK) according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,^[m](AL) the spirit^(AM) now working in the disobedient.^{[n] 3} We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly^(AN) desires, carrying out the inclinations^(AO) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath^(AP) as the others were also. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy,^(AQ) because of His great love^(AR) that He had for us,^{[o] 5} made us alive^(AS) with the Messiah even though we were dead^(AT) in trespasses. You are saved by grace! ⁶ Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,^{(AU) 7} so that in the coming ages^(AV) He might display the immeasurable riches^(AW) of His grace through His kindness^(AX) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For you are saved by grace^(AY) 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^(AZ) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time^(BA) 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,”^(BB) which is done in the flesh by human hands.^{(BC) 12} At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,^(BD) without hope^(BE) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood^(BF) of the Messiah. ¹⁴ For He is our peace, who made both groups one^(BG) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, ¹⁵ He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create^(BH) in Himself one^(BI) new man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶ He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body^(BJ) through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.^{[p] 17} When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news^(BK) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(BL) 18} For through Him we both have access^(BM) by one Spirit to the Father.^{(BN) 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,^(BO) with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ The whole building, being put together^(BP) by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.^{(BQ) 22} You also are being built together^(BR) for God’s dwelling^(BS) in the Spirit.