EphesiansChapter 1

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¹This letter is from Paul. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus because God wanted me to be. I am writing to God's people in Ephesus, who are faithful in Christ Jesus. ²May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. ⁴God chose us in Christ before he made the world. He chose us to be holy and without fault in his eyes. In love ⁵he decided ahead of time to adopt us as his children through Jesus Christ. He did this because it pleased him and was what he wanted. ⁶He did it so we would praise his wonderful grace. He has freely given us this grace in the One he loves. ⁷In Christ we have redemption through his blood. Our sins are forgiven. This comes from the riches of God's grace. ⁸He poured out this grace on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹He has shown us the secret of his plan. He did this because it pleased him. He planned it all in Christ ¹⁰to be carried out when the time is fully right. His plan is to bring everything in heaven and on earth together under Christ. ¹¹In Christ we were also chosen to belong to God. God decided this ahead of time, by his plan. He works out everything the way he wants. ¹²He did this so that we would bring praise to his glory. We were the first to hope in Christ. ¹³You also heard the true message, the good news that saves you. You believed in Christ. Then God put his seal on you in Christ. That seal is the Holy Spirit he had promised. ¹⁴The Spirit is like a down payment on what we will inherit. This lasts until the redemption of those who belong to God. All this brings praise to his glory. ¹⁵That is why, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people, ¹⁶I have not stopped thanking God for you. I keep remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom. I ask him to show you things so that you will know him better. ¹⁸I pray that the eyes of your heart will be opened to see. Then you will know the hope he called you to. You will know the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people. ¹⁹You will know how very great his power is for us who believe. That power is the same as his mighty strength at work. ²⁰He used this strength in Christ when he raised him from the dead. God seated him at his right hand in the heavenly world. ²¹Christ is far above every ruler and authority, every power and lord. He is above every name that can be named. This is true in this age and in the age to come. ²²God put everything under Christ's feet. He made Christ head over everything for the good of the church. ²³The church is Christ's body. It is full of him, the One who fills everything everywhere.