PAUL, by the will of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints who are faithful in Jesus Christ:

grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly sphere!

destining us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ. Such was the purpose of his will,

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),

to make us redound to the praise of his glory by being the first to put our hope in Christ.

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the knowledge of himself,

which he exerted in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly sphere,

he made us live together with Christ (it is by grace you have been saved);

together with Christ he raised and seated us within the heavenly sphere in Christ Jesus,

to display throughout ages to come his surpassing wealth of grace and goodness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God has made us what we are, creating us in Christ Jesus for the good deeds which are prepared beforehand by God as our sphere of action.

Remember, then, that once upon a time you Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'the Uncircumcision' by that so-called 'Circumcision' which is itself the product of human hands in the flesh ??12 remember you were in those days outside Christ, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the Promise, devoid of hope and God within the world.

Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

you are a building that rests on the apostles and prophets as its foundation, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone;

you can understand my insight into that secret of Christ

namely, that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are co-heirs, companions, and co-partners in the Promise.

less than the least of all saints as I am, this grace was vouchsafed me, that I should bring the Gentiles the gospel of the fathomless wealth of Christ

in terms of the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

May Christ dwell in your hearts as you have faith!

by knowing the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge! May you be filled with the entire fulness of God!

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever: Amen.

But each one of us is granted his own grace, as determined by the full measure of Christ's gift.

for the equipment of the saints, for the business of the ministry, for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ,

till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ ??14 instead of remaining immature, blown from our course and swayed by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are dexterous in devising error;

we are to hold by the truth, and by our love to grow up wholly into Him. For He, Christ, is the head, and under him,

That is not how you have understood the meaning of Christ

(for it is Christ whom you have been taught, it is in Christ that you have been instructed ??the real Christ who is in Jesus);

be kind to each other, be tender-hearted, be generous to each other as God has been generous to you in Christ.

and lead lives of love, just as Christ loved you and gave himself up for you to be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Be sure of this, that no one guilty of sexual vice or impurity or lust (that is, an idolater) possesses any inheritance in the realm of Christ and God.

Thus it is said, 'Wake up, O sleeper, and rise from the dead; so Christ will shine upon you.'

and render thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ at all times and for all things.

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also (though he is the saviour of the Body) is the head of the church;

as the church is subject to Christ, so wives are to be subject to their husbands in every respect.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

For no one ever hates his flesh; no, he nourishes and cherishes it (just as Christ does the church

This is a profound symbol, I mean as regards Christ and the church.

Servants, be obedient to those who are your masters here below with reverence and trembling, with singleness of heart as to Christ himself;

instead of merely working when their eye is on you, like those who court human favour, do God's will from the heart like servants of Christ,

Peace and love with faith be to the brothers from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.