Paul's Letter To the Ephesians

Ephesians 1

Paul's Greeting

1 Paul, by God's will an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's holy people who are in Ephesus, and to those who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Gracious favor and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's Eternal Purpose in Salvation

3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ:
4 Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without fault before him in love:5 Having preplanned for us to become his Sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of his glorious favor, which he graciously bestowed upon us in the Beloved;
7 In him we have forgiveness sins, through the ransom which was fully paid with his blood, according to the richness of his gracious favor;
8 Which he caused to superabound towards us in all wisdom and understanding,
9 Having made known to us the secret plan of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed within himself:
10 That in the administration of the fullness of times, he might bring everything together in Christ, both the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. 
11 In whom we also have obtained an inheritance, which was prepared according to the purpose of him who works everything out according to the counsel of his own will:
12 That we who first put our confidence in Christ should be to the praise of his glory.
13 In whom you also placed your confidence, after you heard the word of truth, the Good News of your salvation: in whom, when you believed, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 Who is the down payment on our inheritance, until the full redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.

 Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom and Knowledge

15 Because of this, I also, after hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all of his holy people,
16 Do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you and making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the expectation of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in his holy people,
19 And what is the surpassing magnitude of his power in us who believe, according to the active working of his mighty power,
20 Which he demonstrated in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all chief rulers, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name, not only in this age, but also in the one to come:
22 And he has placed everything under his feet, and he has given him to be the head over everything and everyone in the congregation,
23 Which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 2

Alive in Christ by God's gracious favor through Faith

1 And you were dead in offenses and sins,
2 In which you once walked according to this age, according this world's system, according to the authority of the prince of the air (the devil), the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disbelief:
3 All of us  at one time also lived among them, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh, doing whatever our flesh desired and whatever we thought, and were by nature the children of anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God, being rich in compassion, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5  even though we were dead in offences, he brought us back to life together with Christ. (Because by his gracious favor you are saved!)
6 And he raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his gracious favor in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 Because by his gracious favor you are saved through faith; and even this is not of yourselves: it's God's gift to you.
9 Not because of our deeds, lest anyone should boast.
10 Because we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The Jews and those of All Nations are One Body in Christ

11 Therefore, remember that in the flesh you were once of the nations, who are called the uncircumcision by those who are called the circumcision (in the flesh, made by hands);
12 At that time you were separated from Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and aliens from the covenants of the promise, without any expectation and without God in the world.:
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the barrier that separated us:
15 The Law with its commandments contained in decrees, having nullified the hostility in them in his flesh; so that in himself he might make both into one new person, thereby making peace. [Note: If you are in Christ: you are no longer a 'Jew' or a 'Gentile', but a 'Christian'. Because we are one people, and have only One Law, the Law of Christ. Because by His death on the Cross, Christ nullified (literally, rendered completely idle i.e. made inactive) the Law given to the Twelve Tribes of Israel.]

16 And that he might fully reconcile both to God, in one body, through the cross, having put to death the hostility in it:
17 And having come, he announced the Good News of peace to you who were far off and to those who were near,
18 Because through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
19 So now you are no longer aliens and foreigners but fellow citizens with his holy people and members of God’s household:
20 Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 In whom the whole building having been joined together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 In whom you also in the Spirit are being built up together into a dwelling place for God.

Ephesians 3

The Mystery of All Nations Being Included in Christ

1 Because of God's gracious favor, I Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus; for the sake of you, who are of the nations:
2 If indeed you have heard of the administration of God's gracious favor which was given to me for you;
3 How that by revelation he made known to me his secret plan (just as I wrote briefly before this),
4 So that when you read this, you may be able to comprehend my understanding in the secret plan of Christ.
5 Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets, in the Spirit:
6 That the nations are fellow heirs, and members of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News:
7 Of which I became a servant, according to the gift of God's gracious favor given to me, according to the enabling energy of his power.
8 To me, who am less than the least of all his holy people, this gracious favor was given, to proclaim the Good News among the nations—the unsearchable riches of Christ!
9 And to enlighten everyone as to what the administration of this secret plan is, which was hidden from the ages by God who created all things through Jesus Christ,
10 So that now God's multifaceted wisdom might become known (through his congregation) to the chief rulers and the powers in the heavenly places,
11 According to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 In whom we have boldness and direct access to God, with confidence, through our faith in him.
13 Therefore I ask you not to become discouraged by my pressing situations on your behalf, which are for your glory.

Paul’s Prayer for Their Growth

14 Because of this gracious favor I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 For whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Christians.
16 I pray that he would grant to you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power, through his Spirit, in your inner person;
17 So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; so that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all of his holy people what is the width, and length, and depth, and height of his love;
19 Both to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and to be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above everything that we could ask or think (according to his power which works in us),
21 To him be the glory in the congregation, in Christ Jesus, throughout all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen! (Indeed!)

 Ephesians 4 

Walk in Unity
1 I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge to you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 With all humility and gentleness, with long patience, putting up with one another in love;
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you are called to one expectation of hope when you were called;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of everyone, who is above everyone, and living through everyone, and in everyone of you.

Use Spiritual Gifts for the Body

7 And this gracious favor is given to every one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
8 Therefore he said, “He went up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”
9 (Now this, “He went up," what does it mean? It means that he also first went down into the lower parts of the earth.
10 He who went down is also he who went up far above all the heavens, so that he might fill everything).
11 And he indeed gave some as apostles; and some as prophets; and some as evangelists; and some as shepherds and teachers;
12 To completely equip his holy people for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ:
13 Until we all reach the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God's Son, to a mature man, to the measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ;
14 That we may no longer be simple minded infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the cunning craftiness of people in their deceitful schemes.
15 But rather being genuine in our love, may grow up to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
16 From whom the whole body building itself up in love, is closely joined together and held together by that love which every ligament supplies, according to the proportionate work of each individual part, causes the body to grow.

Walk as a New Person in Christ

17 Therefore I say this, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk like the rest of the nations walk, in the emptiness of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the callousness of their heart:
19 Who having thrown away their conscience, have given themselves over to unrestrained sexual desire, committing all kinds uncleanness in their perverted desires. [Literally, licentiousness.]
20 But that is not the way of life you learned from Christ;
21 If you have indeed obediently listened to him, and have been taught by him, even as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That concerning your former behavior, you are to put away the old person, which has been corrupted according to its deceitful desires,
23 And to be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And you are to put on the new person, who was created in the likeness of God, in righteousness, holiness, and truth.
25 Therefore putting away falsehood, “Let everyone speak the truth to their neighbor,” because we are members of one another.
26 Don't sin when you become angry. Don’t still be angry when the sun sets;
27 Don't give the devil an opportunity. [Literally, a place.]
28 The one who used to steal, must no longer steal, but rather let them work hard, doing that which is good with their hands, in order that they may have something to share with someone who has a need.
29 Don't let any corrupt word come out of your mouth, rather only that which is good for building up others, as the need may require; that it may give gracious favor to those who are listening.
30 And don't make God's Holy Spirit sad, by whom you were sealed for the day of full redemption:
31 Remove all bitterness, and rage, and anger, and yelling, and evil speaking, along with everything else that is bad from your life;
32 Rather be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Ephesians 5 

Walk in love as Christ Loved Us

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, just as Christ also loved us, and gave himself for us, as an offering and a sacrifice with a sweet smelling fragrance to God.
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or greed, let it not even be named among you, as something fitting for holy ones;
4 Neither obscenity, nor foolish talking, nor obscene jokes, which are not fitting: but rather giving thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that everyone who is sexually promiscuous, or impure, or greedy (is an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Don't let anyone deceive you with empty words; for because of these things God's anger is coming upon the sons of disbelief.
7 Therefore don't be partners with them.

Walk as Children of Light

8 For you were once children of darkness, but now you are Children of Light in the Lord: walk like Children of Light:
9 Because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;
10 Determining what is fully agreeable with the Lord.
11 But have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, instead prove them to be wrong.
12 Because it's disgraceful to even speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all of these things being revealed by the light are shown to be wrong: because everything is revealed by Light.
14 Therefore he says, “You who are sleeping, wake up! And rise from among the dead, and Christ will give you light!"
15 See then that you walk carefully, not as unwise people, but as wise,
16 Buying back the time, because the days are evil.

Be Filled with the Spirit

17 Therefore don't be foolish, instead understand the Lord's will.
18 And don't get intoxicated with wine, which isn't safe; instead be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Always giving God the Father thanks for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Wives and Husbands

21 Put yourselves beneath one another in the fear of God:
22 Wives, put yourselves beneath your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 Because the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the congregation: and he's the savior of the body.
24 Therefore as the congregation is beneath Christ, so let wives be toward their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the congregation, and gave himself for her;
26 That he might make her holy, having cleansed her with the washing of water by the Word:
27 So that he might present her to himself as a glorious congregation, having no stain, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but rather that she might be holy and unblemished.
28 So too husbands are to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord also does the congregation:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 “For this reason a man is to leave his father and mother and be GLUED to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
32 This is a great mystery: but I am speaking concerning Christ and concerning the congregation.
33 Nevertheless, each and everyone of you, must love his wife as himself; and the wife must see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 6 

Children and Parents

1 Children, listen obediently to your parents in the Lord: because this is right.
2 “Honor your father and mother;” because this is the first commandment with a promise;
3 “That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”
4 Also fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; rather, raise them in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Servants and Masters @

5 Servants, listen obediently to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;
6 Not only working hard while being watched, like people pleasers; but as Christ's servants, doing God's will from the heart;
7 Work with enthusiasm, as if you were working for the Lord, and not for people:
8 Knowing that whatever good each person does, this they will receive from the Lord, whether slave or free.
9 And masters, do the same towards them; give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.