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The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

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- Chapter 1 -

(Acts 19:8–12; Revelation 2:1–7)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus,(a) the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings

(Romans 8:28–34)
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
4
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
5
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6
to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8
that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9
And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
10
as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
11
In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
12
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
13
And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvationyou were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14
who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

Spiritual Wisdom

(1 Corinthians 2:6–16)
15
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
18
I ask that the eyes of your heart (b) may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
19
and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,
20
which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,
21
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22
And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
23
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 Some manuscripts do not include in Ephesus.
(b)1:18 BYZ and TR the eyes of your understanding
(Acts 19:8–12; Revelation 2:1–7)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ (a) Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings

(Romans 8:28–34)
3
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,
4
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love,
5
having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
6
to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved.
7
In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
8
which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
10
to an administration of 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.
11
We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,
12
to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ.
13
In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvationin whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14
who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

Spiritual Wisdom

(1 Corinthians 2:6–16)
15
For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints,
16
don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,
18
having the eyes of your hearts (b) enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19
and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
20
which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21
far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.
22
He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly,
23
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.
(b)1:18 TR reads “understanding” instead of “hearts”