[This letter is from] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, according to God's will, [and is being sent] to the saints [i.e., God's holy people] at Ephesus [Note: This was a major city in the western province of Asia Minor, and now a part of Turkey. The words "at Ephesus" are omitted in some manuscripts, suggesting it was a circular letter], and the faithful ones in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus [everywhere else ?].

so that we would praise His glorious, unearned favor, which was freely given to us through the One whom God loved [i.e., Christ].

The end [i.e., of being so predetermined] was that we [Jewish Christians], who had previously placed our hope in Christ, should bring about the praise of God's splendor.

This was so that, to future ages [of people on earth and in heaven], God could demonstrate the tremendous abundance of His unearned favor, expressed by His kindness to us in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.

For you have been saved by God's unearned favor, through [your] faith, and that [salvation] was not the result of your own doing; it was the gift from God.

It was not the result of your own [good] deeds [See Titus 3:5], so that no one could boast [about it].

by abolishing in His fleshly body the [entire Jewish] law of commandments contained in decrees. [This was] so that He could create in [unity with] Himself one new person [i.e., the church] out of the two peoples [i.e., Jews and Gentiles], thereby bringing about peace [between them].

[This was also intended] to reestablish harmony between both of these peoples and God in [this] one body, through [Christ's death on] the cross. By doing this He put to death the hostility [between them].

[Note: Paul here digresses from his prayer, begun in 1:15-16, to explain the circumstances of his being a prisoner on behalf of these Gentiles]. [I assume] you have heard about my commission [to minister] to you, which was given to me by God's unearned favor.

[It is] that God's secret plan [i.e., revealed in the Gospel preached to Gentiles. See verse 6] was made known to me by way of a revelation. [See Acts 9:15; 22:21]. I have already written to you [about this] briefly [i.e., probably a reference to 1:9ff].

which was not told to people of previous generations as it has now been revealed to His [i.e., Christ's] holy apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit.

I was made a minister [of the Gospel] according to the gift of God's unearned favor, which was given to me according to the working of His power.

This favor of preaching the unfathomable riches of Christ to the Gentiles was given to me [even though] I am the least significant of all saints [i.e., God's holy people].

[I was given the responsibility] to enlighten all people regarding the working out of God's secret plan, which has been kept hidden for ages in [the heart of] God, who created everything.

This was done so that now God's many-sided wisdom could be made known through the church, to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms [Note: "Heavenly realms" here refers to the world around us, where these angelic beings (good or bad) view the unfolding of God's wonderful plan],

But [God's] unearned favor was given to each one of us, according to the gift allotted [to us] by Christ.