Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which hath blessed us with all manner of spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ,

to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].

by which he hath freely accepted us through the beloved, By whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins,

which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding [with practical insight]

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

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

It is by him, that we have a share in the inheritance, which was before allotted to us, in consequence of his design, who executes the whole plan, as he himself had contriv'd it:

that we should be unto the praise of his glory, which before believed in Christ.

by whom you also have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: and having believed in him, ye were mark'd with the seal of the holy spirit, which was promised:

which is a pledge of our inheritance for the redemption of the acquired possession, for appreciation of his glory.

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,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which come through a growing knowledge of Him,

And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),

and how exceedingly great that power is, which he has employ'd upon us who believe, a power corresponding to that energy of his mighty strength;

which he energised in the Christ, when he raised him from among the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenlies,

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come.

God has put all things under His feet, and has appointed Him universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body,

Which, indeed, is his body, the fulness of him who, the all things in all, is for himself filling up.

And you being dead in trespasses and sins,??2 in which you formerly walked according to the life of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit which now operates in the children of disobedience,

In which at one time ye walked, according to the age of the world, according to the prince of the authority of the air, of the spirit that now energiseth in the sons of disobedience,

of which number we all have formerly been, leading our dissolute lives in gratifying the desires of our sensual imaginations: and were indeed obnoxious to the divine displeasure, as other. Gentiles were:

But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us,

even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).

His, in fact we are - his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon a footing of good works, which God prepared beforehand, that, therein, we might walk.

Remember therefore that once ye, the Gentiles in flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision (in flesh, made by hands),

At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

But now in Christ Jesus, ye which a while ago were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, which hath made of both one, and hath broken down the wall in the midst, that was a stop between us,

by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace.

Thus he reconciled us both in one body to God by his cross, on which he slew our enmity.

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Which was built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner,

on which the whole structure rises with symmetry into a temple, consecrated by the Lord:

in which you also are built up together for a spiritual habitation of God.

For this cause, I Paul the servant of Jesus Christ am in bonds for your sakes, which are heathen -

If at least ye have heard of the administration of the favour of God which hath been given unto me for you,

that by immediate revelation He made known to me the mystery, (as I wrote before in brief, by which,

Respecting which ye can, by reading, perceive my discernment in the sacred secret of the Christ, -

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; -

Which is that the Gentiles have a part in the heritage, and in the same body, and in the same hope in Christ through the good news,

Of which I was made a minister, according to the free-gift of the favour of God which was given unto me, according to the energy of his power:

To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God’s people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand],

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:

According to a plan of the ages which he made in the anointed Jesus our Lord, -

by whom we are bold to draw nigh in that trust, which we have by faith on him.

Wherefore I request, that there be no fainting in my tribulations in your behalf, the which is your glory; -

For this reason [grasping the greatness of this plan by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ] I bow my knees [in reverence] before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ],

which is father over all that is called father in heaven and in earth, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,

ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge,

and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

Now, unto him who is able to do, above all things, exceeding abundantly above the things which we ask or conceive, - according to the power which doth energise itself within us, -

So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],

one God and father of all, which is above all, through all, and in you all.

but to every one of us a different charge is given, according to the distribution which Christ has made;

For which reason, the scripture says: When he ascended on high, he led captive a multitude of captives, and gave gifts to men.

But what is that which ascended, except that which descended into the lower parts of the earth?

until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

in order that we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching which is in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love.

This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,

which are overspread with darkness, and averse to a religious life, thro' their innate ignorance and obduracy:

Which, being past repentance, have given themselves unto wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness even with greediness.

For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you;

that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires,

And put on the new man, to which God has given life, in righteousness and a true and holy way of living.

For which reason, putting away lying, speak, every one, truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye are sealed for a day of redemption.

And shamelessness and foolish talking, or jesting, - which things are beneath you, - but, rather, giving of thanks;

For be well assured that no one guilty of fornication or impurity or covetousness which is idolatry, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

(Because the fruit of the light is in all righteousness and in everything which is good and true),

Accept that which is pleasing to the Lord,

And have no company with the works of the dark, which give no fruit, but make their true quality clear;

For, of the secret things which are brought to pass by them, it is, shameful, even to speak!

But all things, when their true quality is seen, are made clear by the light: because everything which is made clear is light.

So, it says, "You who are asleep, wake up and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you [i.e., illuminate you]." [Note: The foregoing words may have been an early saying, used at someone's immersion, which included the ideas of "rising up" (See Col. 2:12) and "illumination" (See Heb. 6:4)].

And be not getting drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be getting filled in Spirit; -

because a husband is the head of his wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, which he saves.

so that He could dedicate her [to Himself], after cleansing her by means of the washing of water [i.e., immersion], accompanied by the word. [Note: "The word" here refers either to a person's profession of faith (See Rom. 10:9) or to the Gospel message (See Rom. 10:17), both of which are associated with immersion].

of which we are the several parts constituting his body.

Honour thy father and thy mother, - which indeed is the first commandment with promise,

which is the first command with a promise, 'That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live a long time upon the land.'

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.

Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

For our struggle is not [actually] against human beings, but against rulers and authorities and leaders of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [Note: "Heavenly realms" here refers to the struggle against Satanic powers which permeates life around us].

Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And, the helmet of salvation, welcome ye, and the sword of the spirit, which is what God hath spoken,

which is the word of God, Praying alway by the Spirit with all prayer and supplication, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

and for me, that utterance may be given me to open my mouth boldly, and to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador,

In behalf of which I am conducting an embassy in chains, that, therein, I may use freedom of utterance as it is needful for me to speak.

In order, however, that, ye also, may know the things which relate to me - what I am accomplishing, - all things, shall Tychicus make known unto you, he the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord,

Grace be with all them which love our Lord Jesus Christ in pureness. Amen. {Sent from Rome unto the Ephesians by Tychicus.}