This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens—

far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah.

This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power.

This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah,

This is so God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.

This is according to His eternal purpose accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord.

For this reason I kneel before the Father

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.

He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh.

This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right.

knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

I am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to encourage your hearts.