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

For this reason I also, from the time when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and your love to all the saints,

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

together with him He raised us from the dead, and together with Christ Jesus seated us in the heavenly realm,

were once upon a time without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the Promise, without hope and without God in the world.

and should make all men see the new dispensation of that secret purpose, hidden from eternity in the God who founded the universe,

from whom every fatherhood in heaven and earth is named,

From him the whole body (knit together and compacted by all its joints) makes continual growth of the body so as to build itself up in love, through the energy of his bounteous provision, according to the need of each several part.

having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.

From your lips let no evil words come forth, but such as occasion warrants, such as are good for upbuilding and give a blessing to the hearers.

Banish from among you all bitterness and passion and anger and clamor and slander, as well as all malice;

For this reason it is said, "Awake, thou sleeper! Arise from the dead; And Christ shall shine upon thee!"

slaving with good-will from your heart, as for the Lord and not for men;

because you know that whatever good any man does, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be slave or free man.

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