according as he had chosen us in him through love, before the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be saints, and without blame before him, through love.

He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ,

so to order it in the fulness of the ages that all things in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ ??11 in the Christ in whom we have had our heritage allotted us (as was decreed in the design of him who carries out everything according to the counsel of his will),

In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will,

to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

And you, too, by your union with him, after you had heard the Message of the Truth, the Good News of your Salvation--you believed in him and were sealed as his by receiving the holy Spirit, which he had promised.

For this cause I, having had news of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which you make clear to all the saints,

who were dead in trespasses and sins, Wherein ye formerly walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past,

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,

For it is by grace you have been saved, as you had faith; it is not your doing but God's gift,

For we [Christians] are the product of God's workmanship, [re-] created in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus for [the purpose of] doing good deeds. God had previously determined that this should be our practice.

remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.

And when, upon the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one Body.

Which, in other generations, had not been made known unto the sons of men, as it hath, now, been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets, in Spirit; -

And to bring to light - what is the administration of the sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages in God, who did all things create:

Such was the eternal purpose which He had formed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

There is but one body and but one Spirit, as also when you were called you had one and the same hope held out to you.

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?

Who no longer having had feeling delivered themselves to licentiousness, to the work of all uncleanness in overreaching.

And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.

And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.

Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave himself for it;

For no man ever had hate for his flesh; but he gives it food and takes care of it, even as Christ does for the church;

Let it not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ's bondservants who are doing God's will from the heart.