Ephesians 1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul,¹ an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus],² the faithful³ in Christ Jesus. 1:2 Grace and peace to you⁴ from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

1:3 Blessed⁵ is⁶ the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed⁷ us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 1:4 For⁸ he chose us in Christ⁹ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished¹⁰ in his sight¹¹ in love.¹² 1:5 He did this by predestining¹³ us to adoption as his¹⁴ sons¹⁵ through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure¹⁶ of his will – 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace¹⁷ that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son.¹⁸ 1:7 In him¹⁹ we have redemption through his blood,²⁰ the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 1:8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 1:9 He did this when he revealed²¹ to us the secret²² of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth²³ in Christ,²⁴ 1:10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up²⁵ all things in Christ – the things in heaven²⁶ and the things on earth.²⁷ 1:11 In Christ²⁸ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession,²⁹ since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will 1:12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope³⁰ on Christ,³¹ would be to the praise of his glory. 1:13 And when³² you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ³³ – you were marked with the seal³⁴ of the promised Holy Spirit,³⁵ 1:14 who is the down payment³⁶ of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession,³⁷ to the praise of his glory.

Prayer for Wisdom and Revelation

1:15 For this reason,³⁸ because I³⁹ have heard⁴⁰ of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love⁴¹ for all the saints, 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you⁴² in my prayers. 1:17 I pray that⁴³ the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,⁴⁴ may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation⁴⁵ in your growing knowledge of him,⁴⁶ 1:18 – since the eyes of your⁴⁷ heart have been enlightened⁴⁸ – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling,⁴⁹ what is the wealth of his glorious⁵⁰ inheritance in the saints, 1:19 and what is the incomparable⁵¹ greatness of his power toward⁵² us who believe, as displayed in⁵³ the exercise of his immense strength.⁵⁴ 1:20 This power⁵⁵ he exercised⁵⁶ in Christ when he raised him⁵⁷ from the dead and seated him⁵⁸ at his right hand in the heavenly realms⁵⁹ 1:21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 1:22 And God⁶⁰ put⁶¹ all things under Christ’s⁶² feet,⁶³ and he gave him to the church as head over all things.⁶⁴ 1:23 Now the church is⁶⁵ his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.⁶⁶

Next Chapter