Study Desk

Paul,^(a) an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will:^(b) To the faithful saints^(c) in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.^[a](d)

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

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.^(e)

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]

He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,

to the praise of His glorious grace^(g) that He favored us with in the Beloved.^(h)

We have redemption in Him⁽ⁱ⁾ through His blood, the forgiveness^(j) of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

He made known to us the mystery of His will,^(k) according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him^(l)

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)

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,

so that we who had already put our hope^(q) in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.^(r)

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)

He is the down payment^(u) of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession,^[g] to the praise of His glory.

This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

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.

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,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power^(z) to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.

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)—

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)

And He put everything under His feet ^(ae)[l] and appointed Him as head^(af) over everything for the church,

which is His body,^(ag) the fullness^(ah) of the One who fills all things^(ai) in every way.

And you were dead^(a) in your trespasses and sins

in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,^(b) according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,^[a](c) the spirit^(d) now working in the disobedient.^[b]

We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly^(e) desires, carrying out the inclinations^(f) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath^(g) as the others were also.

But God, who is rich in mercy,^(h) because of His great love⁽ⁱ⁾ that He had for us,^[c]

made us alive^(j) with the Messiah even though we were dead^(k) in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,^(l)

so that in the coming ages^(m) He might display the immeasurable riches⁽ⁿ⁾ of His grace through His kindness^(o) to us in Christ Jesus.

For you are saved by grace^(p) through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift—

not from works, so that no one can boast.

For we are His creation, created^(q) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time^(r) so that we should walk in them.

So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called "the uncircumcised" by those called "the circumcised,"^(s) which is done in the flesh by human hands.^(t)

At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,^(u) without hope^(v) and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood^(w) of the Messiah.

For He is our peace, who made both groups one^(x) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh,

He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create^(y) in Himself one^(z) new man from the two, resulting in peace.

He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body^(aa) through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.^[d]

When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news^(ab) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^(ac)

For through Him we both have access^(ad) by one Spirit to the Father.^(ae)

So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household,

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,^(af) with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

The whole building, being put together^(ag) by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.^(ah)

You also are being built together^(ai) for God's dwelling^(aj) in the Spirit.

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner^(a) of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

you have heard, haven't you, about the administration of God's grace that He gave to me for you?

The mystery was made known to me by revelation,^(b) as I have briefly written above.

By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah.^(c)

This was not made known to people^[a] in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets^(d) by the Spirit:

The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise^(e) in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of His power.^(f)

This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches^(g) of the Messiah,

and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created^(h) all things.

This is so God's multi-faceted wisdom⁽ⁱ⁾ may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.^(j)

This is according to His eternal purpose^(k) accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord.

In Him we have boldness and confident access^(l) through faith in Him.^[b]

So then I ask you not to be discouraged^(m) over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.⁽ⁿ⁾

For this reason I kneel^(o) before the Father^[c]

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches^(p) of His glory,^(q) to be strengthened with power^(r) in the inner man^(s) through His Spirit,

and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love,

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love,^(t)

and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able^(u) to do above and beyond all that we ask or think^(v) according to the power^(w) that works in us—

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.^(x)