- Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the
will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
- Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing in Christ.
- For he chose us in him before the creation
of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
- he predestined us to be adopted as his
sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will
--
- to the praise of his glorious grace, which
he has freely given us in the One he loves.
- In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
- that he lavished on us with all wisdom
and understanding.
- And he made known to us the mystery of
his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
- to be put into effect when the times will
have reached their fulfillment --
to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head,
even Christ.
- In him we were also chosen, having been
predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity
with the purpose of his will,
- in order that we, who were the first to
hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
- And you also were included in Christ when
you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed,
you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
- who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of
his glory.
- For this reason, ever since I heard about
your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
- I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.
- I keep asking that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him better.
- I pray also that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called
you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
- and his incomparably great power for us
who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
- which he exerted in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
- far above all rule and authority, power
and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present
age but also in the one to come.
- And God placed all things under his feet
and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
- which is his body, the fullness of him
who fills everything in every way.
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