1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus. ·I am an apostle because that is what God wanted [^L…by the will of God].

To ·God’s holy people [^Tthe saints] living in Ephesus^[a] [^Ca prominent city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; Acts 19], ·believers in [or who are faithful to] Christ Jesus:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ ·Praise be to [or Blessed is] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly ·world [realms; places]. ⁴ ·That is [or Just as; or For; Because], in Christ, he chose us before the ·world was made [^Lfoundation of the world] so that we would be his holy people—people ·without blame [or unblemished; ^Cas are sacrificial animals] before him. ⁵ Because of his love [^Cthis phrase may go with the previous sentence], God ·had already decided to make us his own children [^Lpredestined us for adoption] through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him, ⁶ and it brings praise to God because of his ·wonderful [glorious] grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in ·Christ, the One he loves [^Lthe Beloved]. ⁷ In ·Christ [^Lhim] we ·are set free [have been redeemed/purchased] by ·the blood of his death [^Lhis blood; ^Cblood signifies his sacrificial death], and so we have forgiveness of sins. ·How rich is [or This redemption reveals the wealth of; ^L…according to the riches of] God’s grace, ⁸ which he has ·given to us so fully and freely [lavished on us]. With ·full [all] wisdom and understanding [^Cthis phrase may go with the previous sentence], ⁹ God let us know ·his secret purpose [or the mystery of his will; ^Ca “mystery” in Scripture is something God had not previously disclosed]. This was what ·God wanted [pleased him], and he ·planned to do it [or set it forth; publicly revealed it] through Christ. ¹⁰ His goal was to carry out his plan, ·when the right time came [or at the time of fulfillment; ^Lin the fullness of the times], that all things in heaven and on earth would be ·joined together [unified; or summed up; or renewed] in Christ as the head.

¹¹ In Christ we ·were chosen to be God’s people [have received/were given our part of an inheritance], ·because from the very beginning God had decided this [^Lhaving been predestined] in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who ·makes everything agree [or accomplishes everything in accord] with what he decides and wants. ¹² We are the first people who hoped in ·Christ [the Messiah], and we were chosen so that we would bring praise to God’s glory. ¹³ So it is with you. When you heard the ·true teaching [message/word of truth]—the ·Good News about [Gospel of] your salvation—you believed in Christ. ·And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you [^L…having been sealed with] the Holy Spirit that he had promised. ¹⁴ That Holy Spirit is the ·guarantee [down payment; deposit] ·that we will receive what God promised for his people [^Lof our inheritance] until ·God gives full freedom to those who are his [or we acquire possession of it; ^Lthe redemption of the possession; v. 7]—to bring praise to God’s glory.

Paul’s Prayer

¹⁵ That is why ·since [or because] I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all ·God’s people [^Tthe saints], ¹⁶ I ·have not stopped [never cease] giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, ¹⁷ asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you ·a spirit of wisdom [or spiritual wisdom; or the Spirit of wisdom] and revelation so that you will know him better. ¹⁸ I pray also that ·you will have greater understanding in your heart [^Lthe eyes of your heart may be enlightened] so you will ·know [comprehend] the hope to which he has called us and that you will know ·how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised [the riches of his glorious inheritance for; or the glorious wealth of an inheritance that God possesses in] ·his holy people [^Tthe saints]. ¹⁹ And you will know that God’s power is ·very [exceedingly; overwhelmingly] great for us who believe. That power ·is the same as [or was demonstrated in] the great strength ²⁰ God ·used [exerted] to raise Christ from the dead and ·put [^Lseat] him at his right ·side [^Lhand; Ps. 110:1; Acts 2:34] in the heavenly ·world [realm; places]. ²¹ God has put Christ ·over [far above] all rulers, authorities, powers, and ·kings [lords; dominion], and every other ·title given [^Lname that is named] not only in this ·world [age] but also in the ·next [coming one]. ²² God ·put [subjected] everything under his ·power [^Lfeet; Ps. 8:6] and ·made him the head over everything for the church [or gave him to the church as head over all things], which is his body. ²³ ·The church is filled with Christ [or The church completes Christ; ^L…the fullness of the one], who fills ·everything in every way [or all things everywhere; ^Lall in all].