¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers^(A) and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father^(B) and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(A) into our hearts,^(B) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[a] Father.”^{(C) 7} So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.^(D)

⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended^(C) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^(D)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(A) through faith,

¹¹ Both the one who makes people holy^(A) and those who are made holy^(B) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^{[a](C) 12} He says,

¹³ And again,

And again he says,

²⁸ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”^(A)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(A) In his great mercy^(B) he has given us new birth^(C) into a living hope^(D) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^(E)

² Dear friends,^(A) now we are children of God,^(B) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](C) we shall be like him,^(D) for we shall see him as he is.^(E)

¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,^(A) may give you the Spirit^[a] of wisdom^(B) and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened^(C) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called^(D) you, the riches^(E) of his glorious inheritance^(F) in his holy people,^{(G) 19} and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power^(H) is the same as the mighty strength^{(I) 20} he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead^(J) and seated him at his right hand^(K) in the heavenly realms,^{(L) 21} far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,^(M) and every name^(N) that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.^{(O) 22} And God placed all things under his feet^(P) and appointed him to be head^(Q) over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body,^(R) the fullness of him^(S) who fills everything in every way.^(T)