Ephesians.
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Ephesians
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Ephesians 1.
1 Paul, by God’s will an apostle of Christ Jesus,
to those who are holy and trusting Christ Jesus in Ephesus:
2 Grace to you. Peace from God our Father, and master Christ Jesus—
3 blessed God, and Father of our master Christ Jesus!
God’s the one who blesses us,
in every supernatural blessing in the high heavens—in Christ!
4 Namely how God chose us in Christ to be holy—
spotless before his presence—before the world’s foundation!
In love, 5 though Christ Jesus, God predestined us for adoption to himself—
according to the goodwill of his will,
6 in glorious praise of God’s grace, which he poured out on us in love.
7 Because of God we have redemption, through Christ’s blood—
forgiveness of our carelessness!— 8 through his gracious riches which abound in us—
every wisdom and intent, 9 making known the mysteries of God’s will,
through his goodwill which looks out for us
10 in God’s arrangement of the whole of history—wrapping up everything in Christ,
putting stuff in heaven and stuff on earth in him.
11 Because of God, we who were predestined by his plan, by his will’s design,
fell into 12 becoming the first believers in Christ—praise his glory!—
13 Because of God, you who heard the truthful message,
the saving gospel in which you believed, were stamped with the promised Holy Spirit—
14 who’s the deposit on our inheritance,
the release of our trust fund—praise his glory!
15 For this reason I too, hearing the about your trust in Master Jesus
and the acts of love towards all the saints,
16 I don’t stop giving thanks for you,
working my memories of you into my prayers
17 so the God of our Master, Christ Jesus, the Father of glory,
might give you the spiritual wisdom and revelation to understand him—
18 flooding your hearts’ eyes with light, so you’d understand.
It’s the hope of your calling. It’s the saints’ glorious inherited riches.
19 It’s the over-and-above greatness of God’s power for us believers,
through the energy of his powerful strength.
20 God exerts this strength in Christ, having raised him from the dead,
and sat him at his right hand in the highest heavens—
21 greater in rank than all leaders, authorities, powers, governments,
and every name that’s named, not only in this age, but afterwards as well.
22 Everything was submitted under Christ’s feet,
and he was made head over the whole church, 23 which is his body—
the full form of he who fills everything in everything.
Ephesians 2.
1 You—those dead in your missteps and sins 2 you previously walked in,
following this age of the world, following the leader of the air forces,
the spirit now at work in the “sons of apathy.”
3 We all used to walk backwards like that, in our bodily desires,
doing the will of our body and minds.
We were natural, emotional children, same as everyone else.
4 God, being rich in mercy, loves us out of his great love.
5 Us, being dead in our missteps.
He makes us all alive in Christ: You’re saved by his grace.
6 He raises us and seats us together in the highest heavens, in Christ Jesus—
7 so he can show the overabundant riches of his grace in the coming ages,
in kindness to those of us who are in Christ Jesus.
8 You’re all saved by his grace, through your faith.
This, God’s gift, isn’t from you, 9 isn’t from works; none can boast of it.
10 We’re his poetry, creations in Christ Jesus,
for doing the good works which God pre-prepared. We should walk in them!
11 Therefore remember: Previously you, gentiles in the flesh,
called “foreskins” by those called circumcised (which was done in the flesh by hand);
12 you, at that time, were Christless. Alienated from Israeli citizenship.
Foreigners to covenants of promise. Having no hope. Godless in the world.
13 Now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away, became near through Christ’s blood,
14 for Christ is our peace, making both sides one.
Destroying the barrier fence, our fleshly racism. 15 Clearing the field of doctrinal commands.
Thus he can build the two, in him, into one new person, making peace.
16 He can reunite both sides to God, in one body—through the cross, killing our racism on it.
17 Coming back, he proclaimed the good news of peace to you all, both far and near:
18 In Christ both sides of us have access to one Spirit, to the Father.
19 So then you’re no longer foreigners and strangers.
Instead you’re fellow citizens of saints. Family members of God.
20 Constructions on the foundation of the apostles and prophets—
Christ Jesus being the foundation wall himself.
21 In Christ the whole building fits together, growing into a holy temple, by the Master.
22 In Christ you’re also built together into a dwelling-place for God, by the Spirit.
Ephesians 3.
1 Here’s the reason I, Paul, became Christ Jesus’s bondservant for you gentiles—
2 unless you already heard God’s system of grace he gave me for you.
3 He made the mystery known to me through special revelation—as I previously, briefly wrote you.
4 Its readers can see my meaning about “Christ’s mystery.”
5 It wasn’t made known to previous generations of the sons of men.
He now revealed the mystery to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
6 The gentiles are to be co-inheritors, co-body-parts, co-sharers
in the promise of Christ Jesus, through the gospel.
7 I became a minister of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace,
which he gave me through the working of his power.
8 This grace was given to me, the very lowest of all saints,
to evangelize the gentiles with Christ’s untraceable riches,
9 to enlighten everyone on this mysterious system,
hidden from the ages by God, the Creator of all.
10 Thus he could now make the multicolored wisdom of God known
to princes and heavenly powers, through the church—
11 by eternally displaying what he’s done in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 In Christ, through our faith in him, we have boldness and confident freedom.
13 So I request you don’t despair over my suffering for you—which is in your honor.
14 It’s why I bend my knees to the Father,
15 for whom every “fatherland” in heaven and on earth is named.
16 So he could give you power from his glorious riches,
make you strong in his Spirit in the person within,
17 and settle Christ in your hearts, planted and established through faith in love.
18 So you could be capable of grasping—with all the saints—
what’s its nearness and farness, depth and height.
19 You could also know the knowledge-overwhelming love of Christ,
so you could be filled with all God’s fullness.
20 To the one more capable than anyone
to do superabundantly whatever we ask or imagine, by the power operating in us:
21 Glory to him in the church, and in Christ Jesus,
in all generations of the age and ages. Amen.
Ephesians 4.
7 Each one of us was given grace, according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8 Hence the scripture says, “Going up into the high place,
he took prisoners to prison. He gave gifts to people.” Ps 68.18
9 That he went up—what’s this, if not that he also came down to the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who came down is also he who went up—far above every heaven, so he could fill everything.
11 Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
12 They’re for the purpose of setting up holy people for good works;
for building up Christ’s body till we’ve all arrived at a unified faith and knowledge of God’s Son;
for producing a mature, measured-up, complete Christian.
14 We’ll no longer be spiritual infants, wave-tossed and pushed around
by every gust of clever teaching, by crafty people with ulterior motives.
15 May we grow up through holding to truth, through love,
and through everything which comes from our head, Christ.
16 Through him, the whole body comes together, fits together, and grows the body—
every joint in the supply, however each part works.
He makes it establish itself in love.
25 So now that you’ve rid yourselves of fakery,
speak truth to your neighbors, each of you:
We’re parts of the body of Christ with one another.
26 Risk people getting you angry.
Don’t sin, nor let the sun set on your outrage.
27 Don’t give the devil territory.
28 Thieves: Don’t steal.
Work instead: Keep your hands busy doing good, so you’ll have something to give the needy.
29 Don’t let stale clichés come out of your mouths.
Say something actually good and encouraging to the needy,
so they can appreciate what they hear.
30 Don’t annoy God’s Holy Spirit—
you were sealed to him the day you were redeemed.
31 Get rid of everything bitter, moody, angry, shouty, slanderous—anything evil.
32 Become kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving yourselves like God, through Christ, forgave you.
Ephesians 5.
1 Become imitators of God, like beloved children should.
2 Walk in love, like Christ loved us, and gave himself up for us
as an offering, a fragrant-smelling sacrifice, to God.
3 Promiscuity, any uncleanness, greed:
As appropriate for saints, never even name it among you.
4 Indecency, stupid talk, dirty jokes: Not appropriate. Thanksgiving instead.
5 You’ve already realized this:
Every promiscuous or unclean or greedy person is an idolater,
with no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
6 None of you should be fooled by their empty words:
God’s fury will fall on the disobedient kids, 7 so don’t get involved with them.
8 Once you were darkness; in the Lord, now light.
Walk like children of light. 9 Light’s fruit is in every good, right, true thing.
10 Figure out what the Lord finds pleasing,
11 and have nothing to do with fruitless works of darkness.
Instead, expose 12 the secrets done among them, shameful as they are to talk about.
13 They’ll all be exposed when the light shines, 14 for the light makes everything visible.
Hence it’s said, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead. Christ will enlighten you."
15 So carefully watch how you walk: Not like fools, but like the wise.
21 When you’re submitting to one another out of respect for Christ,
22 the women do so to their own men like they do for the Master,
23 because man is woman’s head like Christ is the church’s head; he’s the savior of the body.
24 But like the church submits to Christ, likewise the women do to the men in everything.
25 And men: Love your women like Christ also, who loves the church and gives himself up for it.
26 So he, who’s clean, can sanctify it with baptism in water and the word,
27 and can personally stand by an honored church.
One which shouldn’t have a stain, wrinkle, or any such thing, but so it’s holy and blameless.
28 Thus men are obligated to love their own women: Like their own bodies.
He who loves his own woman, loves himself.
Ephesians 6.
5 Slaves: Be responsible to the masters over your body,
with fear and trembling, with your undivided heart, as if to Christ.
6 Not only while they’re watching, like people-pleasers, but like Christ’s slaves:
7 Do God’s will, from your soul, with enthusiasm, slaving like it’s for the Master, not people.
8 Remember: Each of you, when you do good works,
the Master rewards it, whether you’re slaves or free.
9 Masters: Do the same for them. Keep threats to a minimum.
Remember: Both they and you have a heavenly Master. There’s no favoritism in him.
10 Lastly: Get powerful in the Lord, in the authority his strength gives you. 11 Wear all God’s gear.
Then you’ll be able to stand fast against the devil’s tactics,
12 because we aren’t in a battle against blood and muscle:
We’re against types of authority, power, things which govern this world’s dark places,
supernatural evil in the high heavens.
13 For this reason put on all God’s gear, so you’ll have a fighting chance on the evil day:
You’ll be entirely ready to stand fast.
14 Stand: Belt your waist with truth. Wear a vest of rightness.
15 Lace your shoes in preparation for the good news of peace.
16 Carry the shield of trust in God at all times,
which you’ll use to put out every flaming arrow of evil.
17 Accept the helmet of your salvation and the machete of the Spirit,
which is God’s spoken word, 18 praying every second in and to the Spirit,
consistently watching out for every request of every saint as well.