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[a]Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ, just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will— to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:3 In Greek this passage (vv 3-14), also referred to as a doxology, is one sentence.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,[a](A) just as he chose us in Christ[b] before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.(B) He destined us[c] for adoption as his children[d] through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,(C) to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

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Footnotes

  1. 1.3 Gk heavenlies
  2. 1.4 Gk in him
  3. 1.5 Or before him; he destined us in love
  4. 1.5 Or sonship

The God of Glory

3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

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Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms(B) with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us(C) in him before the creation of the world(D) to be holy and blameless(E) in his sight. In love(F) he[a] predestined(G) us for adoption to sonship[b](H) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure(I) and will— to the praise of his glorious grace,(J) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. He
  2. Ephesians 1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.