in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;

so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the father of glory, might give unto you the spirit of wisdom, and open to you the knowledge of himself,

and lighten the eyes of your minds, that ye might know what thing that hope is, whereunto he hath called you, and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is upon the saints,

and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might

which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places ,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And he has put all things under his feet, and has made him to be head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the full measure of him in whom all things are made complete.

And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,

but God who is rich in mercy, on account of his great love with which he loved us,??5 even when we were dead in sins he made us alive with Christ,??y grace are you saved,

even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;

not on the principle of works, that no one might boast.

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

At that time you were without any connection with Christ; you were aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the sacred compacts made by God's promise, with no hope, and no God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man,'so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

in whom ye also are built together, and made a habitation for God in the spirit.

For this reason I Paul, I whom Jesus has made a prisoner for the sake of you Gentiles ??2 for surely you have heard how the grace of God which was vouchsafed me in your interests has ordered it,

given me to you ward, That by revelation he made known to me the mystery:

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

by reading which you can understand my knowledge of the mystery of Christ,??5 which in other generations was not made known to the children of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, was this grace given, so that I might make clear to the Gentiles the good news of the unending wealth of Christ:

And make all men see what is the ordering of the secret which from the first has been kept in God who made all things;

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

according to a purpose of the ages, which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

might be able to comprehend with all saints, what is that breadth and length, depth and height:

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him who, according to his might that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or even think,

I therefore the prisoner for the Lord, beseech you to live suitably to the offers that have been made to you:

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

wherefore 'tis said, " when he ascended up on high, he made a number of captives, and gave gifts to men."

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

And the very same, made some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Shepherds, some Teachers:

that the saints might have all things necessary to work and minister withal, to the edifying of the body of Christ,

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].

that we might no longer be children, tossed and carried about by every wind of teaching, through the artifice of men, through craftiness used by them for the deliberate planning of deceit;

but speaking truthfully in love, we might grow up in all things, into him who is the head, even the Christ,

Whose thoughts are dark, to whom the life of God is strange because they are without knowledge, and their hearts have been made hard;

If in fact you gave ear to him, and were given teaching in him, even as what is true is made clear in Jesus:

to put away, in regard to your former mode of life, your original evil nature which is doomed to perish as befits its misleading impulses,

And be made new in the spirit of your mind,

Be ye angry, and not committing sin, let not the sun be going down upon your angry mood,

The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might earn something to give to the needy.

Let not any foul word go out of your mouth, but if any good to the building of necessity, that it might give grace to them hearing.

nor ribaldry, nor buffoonery, nor wanton jesting, which are not meet: but rather giving of thanks.

But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says, Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

"For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall continue with his wife, and two shall be made one flesh."

Knowing that whatever good each might do, this he shall receive from the Lord, whether a servant or free.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

For this take up the complete armor of God, that ye might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having effected all things, to stand.

And for me, that the word might be given me, in the opening of my mouth in freedom of speech, to make known the mystery of the good news,

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

And that ye also might know the things concerning me, what I do, Tychicus will make all things known to you, the dearly beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord:

Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

that ye might accept things most excellent, that ye might be pure and such as should hurt no man's conscience, until the day of Christ;

So that my bonds in Christ have been made manifest in the whole palace, and to all others:

and the greater part of the brethren, made confident in the Lord through my imprisonment, now speak of God's Message without fear, more boldly than ever.

But what of that? Only that in some way or other, either with assumed or with real earnestness, Christ is being made known; and at that I rejoice.

and that no man consider his own, but what is mete for others.

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

In order that, in the name of Jesus, every knee might bow - of beings in heaven, and on earth, and underground, -

And, every tongue, might openly confess - that Jesus Christ is, Lord, unto the glory of God the Father.

So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].

But I am fully persuaded in [harmony with the wishes of] the Lord that I, myself, also will go to you soon. [Note: Paul here expresses the hope of being released from imprisonment, in spite of previous hints that he might be put to death. See 1:20; 2:17].

As for Epaphroditus, however, my brother, my fellow-worker, my fellow-soldier, and your messenger to meet my wants, I think it necessary to send you him at once,

for indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that seeing him ye might again rejoice, and that I might be the less sorrowful.

because for the sake of the work he drew near even to death, venturing his life that he might fill up what lacked in your ministration toward me.

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

Yea I think all things but loss for that excellent knowledge's sake of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whom I have counted all thing loss, and do judge them but dung, that I might win Christ,

and might be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law: But that which springeth of the faith which is in Christ. I mean, the righteousness which cometh of God through faith

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

that it may be made like his glorious body, according to the energy of his ability to subdue all things to Himself.

Let your gentleness be made known to all people. The Lord [is] near.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it.

I have might, for all things, in him that empowereth me.

For even [when I was] in Thessalonica, you sent [money] more than once to meet my needs.

I have all things and more than enough: I am made full, having had from Epaphroditus the things which came from you, a perfume of a sweet smell, an offering well pleasing to God.

[who] also made clear to us your love in the Spirit.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;