Beginning
Greetings from Paul
1 From:[a] Paul, an apostle of the Messiah[b] Jesus by God’s will.
To: His holy and faithful people[c] in Ephesus[d] who are in union with the Messiah[e] Jesus.
2 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[f] be yours!
The Many Blessings of Salvation
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah![g] He has blessed us in the Messiah[h] with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, 4 just as he chose us in the Messiah[i] before the creation of the universe[j] to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus the Messiah,[k] according to the pleasure of his will, 6 so that we would praise[l] his glorious grace that he gave us in the Beloved One. 7 In union with him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of God’s[m] grace 8 that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding, 9 when he made known to us the secret of his will. This was according to his plan that he set forth in the Messiah[n] 10 to usher in[o] the fullness of the times and to bring together in the Messiah[p] all things in heaven and on earth.
11 In the Messiah[q] we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do, 12 so that we who had already fixed our hope on the Messiah[r] might live for his praise and glory. 13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah,[s] you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his own possession[t] for his praise and glory.
Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians
15 Therefore, because I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[u] for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I pray[v] that the God of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[w] the most glorious Father, would give you a wise spirit, along with revelation that comes through knowing the Messiah[x] fully. 18 Then, with the eyes of your hearts enlightened, you will know the confidence[y] that is produced by God[z] having called you,[aa] the rich glory that is his inheritance among the saints, 19 and the unlimited greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he brought about in the Messiah[ab] when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm. 21 He is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. 22 God[ac] has put everything under the Messiah’s[ad] feet and has made him the head of everything for the good of[ae] the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills everything in every way.[af]
God Has Brought Us from Death to Life
2 You used to be dead because of your offenses and sins 2 that you once practiced as you lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient.[ag] 3 Indeed, all of us once behaved like[ah] them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we were destined for[ai] wrath, just like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us[aj] 5 even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with[ak] the Messiah[al] (by grace you have been saved), 6 raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in the Messiah[am] Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace that comes to us through his kindness in the Messiah[an] Jesus. 8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God 9 and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting.[ao] 10 For we are God’s[ap] masterpiece,[aq] created in the Messiah[ar] Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.[as]
All Believers are One in the Messiah
11 So then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth[at] were called “the uncircumcised” by those who called themselves “the circumcised.” They underwent physical circumcision done by human hands. 12 At that time you were without the Messiah,[au] excluded from citizenship in Israel,[av] and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God. 13 But now, in union with the Messiah[aw] Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.[ax]
14 For it is he who is our peace. Through his mortality[ay] he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them.[az] 15 He rendered the Law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, thus creating in himself one new humanity from the two, thereby making peace, 16 and reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he eliminated the hostility. 17 He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near. 18 For through him, both of us[ba] have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 That is why you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah[bb] Jesus himself being the cornerstone.[bc] 21 In union with him the whole building is joined together and rises into a holy sanctuary for the Lord. 22 You, too, are being built in him, along with the others, into a place for God’s Spirit to dwell.
Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles
3 For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah[bd] Jesus for the sake of you gentiles. 2 Surely you have heard about the responsibility of administering God’s grace that was given to me on your behalf, 3 and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past. 4 By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about the Messiah,[be] 5 which in previous generations was not made known to human beings[bf] as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s[bg] holy apostles and prophets. This is that secret:[bh] 6 The gentiles are heirs-in-common, members-in-common of the body, and common participants in what was promised[bi] by the Messiah[bj] Jesus through the gospel.
7 I have become a servant of this gospel[bk] according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given so that I might proclaim to the gentiles the immeasurable wealth of the Messiah[bl] 9 and help everyone see how this secret that has been at work was hidden for ages by God, who created all things. 10 He did this[bm] so that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm 11 in keeping with the eternal purpose that God[bn] carried out through the Messiah[bo] Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through his faithfulness.[bp] 13 So then, I ask you not to become discouraged because of my troubles on your behalf, which work toward your glory.
To Know the Messiah’s Love
14 This is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[bq] 15 from whom every family[br] in heaven and on earth receives its name. 16 I pray[bs] that he would give you, according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit, 17 and that the Messiah[bt] would make his home in your hearts through faith. Then, having been rooted and grounded in love, 18 you will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep— 19 that is, you will know the love of the Messiah[bu]— which transcends knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among[bv] us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in the Messiah[bw] Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.