Ephesians
The book of Ephesians describes the spiritual blessings believers have in Christ, including redemption through his blood and being sealed with the Holy Spirit. It explains that salvation is a gift of God, not earned through works, and that believers are now considered God's handiwork, created for good works. The book highlights the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles through Christ, who has broken down the wall of separation and made peace between the two groups. It emphasizes the importance of living a life worthy of one's calling, with humility, meekness, and patience, and striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit. The book also provides guidance on how to live a life pleasing to God, including imitating Christ's love, avoiding vices, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. It provides instructions on relationships, including marriage, parenting, and servitude, and exhorts believers to put on the armor of God to withstand spiritual battles.
1Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus2Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ4just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and immaculate in his sight, in charity5He has predestined us to adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the purpose of his will6for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has gifted us in his beloved Son7In him, we have redemption through his blood: the remission of sins in accord with the riches of his grace8which is superabundant in us, with all wisdom and prudence9So does he make known to us the mystery of his will, which he has set forth in Christ, in a manner well-pleasing to him,10in the dispensation of the fullness of time, so as to renew in Christ everything that exists through him in heaven and on earth11In him, we too are called to our portion, having been predestined in accord with the plan of the One who accomplishes all things by the counsel of his will12So may we be, to the praise of his glory, we who have hoped beforehand in Christ13In him, you also, after you heard and believed the Word of truth, which is the Gospel of your salvation, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the Promise14He is the pledge of our inheritance, unto the acquisition of redemption, to the praise of his glory15Because of this, and hearing of your faith that is in the Lord Jesus, and of your love toward all the saints16I have not ceased giving thanks for you, calling you to mind in my prayers17so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give a spirit of wisdom and of revelation to you, in knowledge of him18May the eyes of your heart be illuminated, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and the wealth of the glory of his inheritance with the saints19and the preeminent magnitude of his virtue toward us, toward we who believe in accord with the work of his powerful virtue20which he wrought in Christ, raising him from the dead and establishing him at his right hand in the heavens21above every principality and power and virtue and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age, but even in the future age22And he has subjected all things under his feet, and he has made him the head over the entire Church23which is his body and which is the fullness of him who accomplishes everything in everyone
1And you were once dead in your sins and offenses2in which you walked in times past, according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the power of this sky, the spirit who now works in the sons of distrust3And we too were all conversant in these things, in times past, by the desires of our flesh, acting according to the will of the flesh and according to our own thoughts. And so we were, by nature, sons of wrath, even like the others4Yet still, God, who is rich in mercy, for the sake of his exceedingly great charity with which he loved us5even when we were dead in our sins, has enlivened us together in Christ, by whose grace you have been saved6And he has raised us up together, and he has caused us to sit down together in the heavens, in Christ Jesus7so that he may display, in the ages soon to arrive, the abundant wealth of his grace, by his goodness toward us in Christ Jesus8For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves, for it is a gift of God9And this is not of works, so that no one may glory10For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has prepared and in which we should walk11Because of this, be mindful that, in times past, you were Gentiles in the flesh, and that you were called uncircumcised by those who are called circumcised in the flesh, something done by man12and that you were, in that time, without Christ, being foreign to the way of life of Israel, being visitors to the testament, having no hope of the promise, and being without God in this world13But now, in Christ Jesus, you, who were in times past far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ14For he is our peace. He made the two into one, by dissolving the intermediate wall of separation, of opposition, by his flesh15emptying the law of commandments by decree, so that he might join these two, in himself, into one new man, making peac16and reconciling both to God, in one body, through the cross, destroying this opposition in himself17And upon arriving, he evangelized peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near18For by him, we both have access, in the one Spirit, to the Father19Now, therefore, you are no longer visitors and new arrivals. Instead, you are citizens among the saints in the household of God20having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the preeminent cornerstone21In him, all that has been built is framed together, rising up into a holy temple in the Lord22In him, you also have been built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit
1By reason of this grace, I, Paul, am a prisoner of Jesus Christ, for the sake of you Gentiles2Now certainly, you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which has been given to me among you3that, by means of revelation, the mystery was made known to me, just as I have written above in a few words4Yet, by reading this closely, you might be able to understand my prudence in the mystery of Christ5In other generations, this was unknown to the sons of men, even as it has now been revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit6so that the Gentiles would be co-heirs, and of the same body, and partners together, by his promise in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel7Of this Gospel, I have been made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which has been given to me by means of the operation of his virtue8Although I am the least of all the saints, I have been given this grace: to evangelize among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ9and to enlighten everyone concerning the dispensation of the mystery, hidden before the ages in God who created all things10so that the manifold wisdom of God may become well-known to the principalities and powers in the heavens, through the Church11according to that timeless purpose, which he has formed in Christ Jesus our Lord12In him we trust, and so we approach with confidence, through his faith13Because of this, I ask you not to be weakened by my tribulations on your behalf; for this is your glory14By reason of this grace, I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ15from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth takes its name16And I ask him to grant to you to be strengthened in virtue by his Spirit, in accord with the wealth of his glory, in the inner man17so that Christ may live in your hearts through a faith rooted in, and founded on, charity18So may you be able to embrace, with all the saints, what is the width and length and height and dept19of the charity of Christ, and even be able to know that which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God20Now to him who is able to do all things, more abundantly than we could ever ask or understand, by means of the virtue which is at work in us21to him be glory, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, throughout every generation, forever and ever. Amen
1And so, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called2with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity3Be anxious to preserve the unity of the Spirit within the bonds of peace4One body and one Spirit: to this you have been called by the one hope of your calling5one Lord, one faith, one baptism6one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all7Yet to each one of us there has been given grace according to the measure allotted by Christ8Because of this, he says: "Ascending on high, he took captivity itself captive; he gave gifts to men.9Now that he has ascended, what is left except for him also to descend, first to the lower parts of the earth10He who descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens, so that he might fulfill everything11And the same one granted that some would be Apostles, and some Prophets, yet truly others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers12for the sake of the perfection of the saints, by the work of the ministry, in the edification of the body of Christ13until we all meet in the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as a perfect man, in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ14So may we then no longer be little children, disturbed and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, and by the craftiness which deceives unto error15Instead, acting according to truth in charity, we should increase in everything, in him who is the head, Christ himself16For in him, the whole body is joined closely together, by every underlying joint, through the function allotted to each part, bringing improvement to the body, toward its edification in charity17And so, I say this, and I testify in the Lord: that from now on you should walk, not as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind18having their intellect obscured, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is within them, because of the blindness of their hearts19Such as these, despairing, have given themselves over to sexual immorality, carrying out every impurity with rapacity20But this is not what you have learned in Christ21For certainly, you have listened to him, and you have been instructed in him, according to the truth that is in Jesus22to set aside your earlier behavior, the former man, who was corrupted, by means of desire, unto error23and so be renewed in the spirit of your mind24and so put on the new man, who, in accord with God, is created in justice and in the holiness of truth25Because of this, setting aside lying, speak the truth, each one with his neighbor. For we are all part of one another26"Be angry, but do not be willing to sin." Do not let the sun set over your anger27Provide no place for the devil28Whoever was stealing, let him now not steal, but rather let him labor, working with his hands, doing what is good, so that he may have something to distribute to those who suffer need29Let no evil words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good, toward the edification of faith, so as to bestow grace upon those who listen30And do not be willing to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed, unto the day of redemption31Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and outcry and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice32And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ
1Therefore, as most beloved sons, be imitators of God2And walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and delivered himself for us, as an oblation and a sacrifice to God, with a fragrance of sweetness3But let not any kind of fornication, or impurity, or rapacity so much as be named among you, just as is worthy of the saints4nor any indecent, or foolish, or abusive talk, for this is without purpose; but instead, give thanks5For know and understand this: no one who is a fornicator, or lustful, or rapacious (for these are a kind of service to idols) holds an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God6Let no one seduce you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God was sent upon the sons of unbelief7Therefore, do not choose to become participants with them8For you were darkness, in times past, but now you are light, in the Lord. So then, walk as sons of the light9For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth10affirming what is well-pleasing to God11And so, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead, refute them12For the things that are done by them in secret are shameful, even to mention13But all things that are disputed are made manifest by the light. For all that is made manifest is light14Because of this, it is said: "You who are sleeping: awaken, and rise up from the dead, and so shall the Christ enlighten you.15And so, brothers, see to it that you walk cautiously, not like the foolish16but like the wise: atoning for this age, because this is an evil time17For this reason, do not choose to be imprudent. Instead, understand what is the will of God18And do not choose to be inebriated by wine, for this is self-indulgence. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit19speaking among yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, singing and reciting psalms to the Lord in your hearts20giving thanks always for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God the Father21Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ22Wives should be submissive to their husbands, as to the Lord23For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church. He is the Savior of his body24Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also should wives be subject to their husbands in all things25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and handed himself over for her26so that he might sanctify her, washing her clean by water and the Word of life27so that he might offer her to himself as a glorious Church, not having any spot or wrinkle or any such thing, so that she would be holy and immaculate28So, too, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself29For no man has ever hated his own flesh, but instead he nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ also does to the Church30For we are a part of his body, of his flesh and of his bones31"For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.32This is a great Sacrament. And I am speaking in Christ and in the Church33Yet truly, each and every one of you should love his wife as himself. And a wife should fear her husband
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just2Honor your father and your mother. This is the first commandment with a promise3so that it may be well with you, and so that you may have a long life upon the earth4And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but educate them with the discipline and correction of the Lord5Servants, be obedient to your lords according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ6Do not serve only when seen, as if to please men, but act as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart7Serve with good will, as to the Lord, and not to men8For you know that whatever good each one will do, the same will he receive from the Lord, whether he is servant or free9And you, lords, act similarly toward them, setting aside threats, knowing that the Lord of both you and them is in heaven. For with him there is no favoritism toward anyone10Concerning the rest, brothers, be strengthened in the Lord, by the power of his virtue11Be clothed in the armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the treachery of the devil12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the directors of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places13Because of this, take up the armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand the evil day and remain perfect in all things14Therefore, stand firm, having been girded about your waist with truth, and having been clothed with the breastplate of justice15and having feet which have been shod by the preparation of the Gospel of peace16In all things, take up the shield of faith, with which you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one17And take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God)18Through every kind of prayer and supplication, pray at all times in spirit, and so be vigilant with every kind of earnest supplication, for all the saints19and also for me, so that words may be given to me, as I open my mouth with faith to make known the mystery of the Gospel20in such a manner that I may dare to speak exactly as I ought to speak. For I act as an ambassador in chains for the Gospel21Now, so that you also may know the things that concern me and what I am doing, Tychicus, a most beloved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord, will make known everything to you22I have sent him to you for this very reason, so that you may know the things that concern us, and so that he may console your hearts23Peace to the brothers, and charity with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ24May grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ, unto incorruption. Amen
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