This is why I myself, since I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and in all His people,

far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come.

in which you once lived in accordance with the spirit of this present world, and the mighty prince of the air, who is always at work in the disobedient, among whom all of us, we Jews as well as you heathen,

This is why I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the heathen --

By reading this you will be able to understand my insight into the secret about the Christ --

yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ,

and to make clear how is to be carried out the trusteeship of this secret which has for ages been hidden away in God, the Creator of all things,

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

Concerning this the Scripture says: "He led a host of captives, when He went up on high, and granted gifts to men."

So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds,

But this is not the way you have learned what Christ means,

This is the way married men ought to love their wives, as they do their own bodies. The married man who loves his wife is really loving himself,

This is a great secret; I mean this about Christ and the church.

Children, obey your parents, for this is right.

"You must honor your father and mother" -- this is the first commandment, with a promise to make it good

For our contest is not with human foes alone, but with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world; that is, with the spirit-forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly contest.