Eph Ephesians, chapter Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 1
Apostolic Greeting
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus* by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus,* and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ascription of Praise to God
Blessed be the God and Father* of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love, having predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved, in whom we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,* according to the riches of His grace,* which He caused to overflow to us in all wisdom and understanding, making known to us the mystery* of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth* in Him as a plan for the fullness of the times,* to sum up* all things in Christ—the things in the heavens and the things on the earth—in Him, I emphasize,* in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of His will, in order that we might be to the praise of His glory, we who have first hoped in Christ. In whom you also, having heard the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—and having believed in Him, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee* of our inheritance for the redemption of God’s own* possession, to the praise of His glory.
Pauline Prayer for the Gift of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
For this reason, I also, having heard of your* faith in the Lord Jesus and your* love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, in order that you may know what is the hope of His calling,* what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing magnitude of His power toward us who believe, in accordance with the working of His mighty strength* which He worked in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 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, and He subjected all things under His feet, and gave Him to be* head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.*
Notes
1 Some ancient manuscripts transpose Christ Jesus to Jesus Christ
1 Some ancient manuscripts omit in Ephesus
3 One ancient Greek manuscript omits and Father
7 Greek the . In this context, the Greek definite article functions pronominally, thus translating to our
7 Two ancient Greek manuscripts replace grace with kindness , possibly as a scribal harmonization with Rom. 2:4
9 Or secret
9 Or purposed
10 Or for the administration of the fullness of the times
10 Or to gather up in one/to unite
10 The clause I emphasize , though not found in the original text, is used in the translation to clarify the text for better understanding
14 Or down payment/deposit/first installment
14 The referent God’s own is not found in the Greek text but is added here for the sake of clarification. The Greek text reads the redemption of the possession/acquired possession
15 Greek the . In this context, the definite article functions pronominally, thus translating to your. This is used twice in this verse
18 Or the hope to which He has called you
19 Greek the working of the might of His strength
21 Or lordship
22 The infinitive phrase to be is contextually supplied to the text for the purpose of clarification
23 Or who fills all things in every way