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Ephesians
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God,
to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ
Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
in Christ;
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely
bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his
grace,
which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure which he purposed in him
to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all
things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on
the earth, in him;
in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been
foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all
things after the counsel of his will;
to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who
had before hoped in Christ:
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good
News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s
own possession, to the praise of his glory.
For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord
Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all
the saints,
don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of him;
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who
believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
which he worked 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 rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that
which is to come.
He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to
be head over all things for the assembly,
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
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1:18 TR reads
“understanding” instead of “hearts”
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Ephesians 2 |
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You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and
sins,
in which you once walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who
now works in the children of disobedience;
among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh,
doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he
loved us,
even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, that no one would boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who
are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called
“circumcision,” (in the flesh, made by hands);
that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from
the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near
in the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the
middle wall of partition,
having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of
commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in
himself one new man of the two, making peace;
and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the
cross, having killed the hostility thereby.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those
who were near.
For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the
Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,
being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;
in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy
temple in the Lord;
in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in
the Spirit.
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Ephesians 3 |
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For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on
behalf of you Gentiles,
if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that
grace of God which was given me toward you;
how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I
wrote before in few words,
by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in
the mystery of Christ;
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 in the Spirit;
that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the
body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus
through the Good News,
of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that
grace of God which was given me according to the working of his
power.
To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to
preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make all men see what is the administration
of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who
created all things through Jesus Christ;
to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom
of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers
in the heavenly places,
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ
Jesus our Lord;
in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our
faith in him.
Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for
you, which are your glory.
For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,
that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in
the inward man;
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is
the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you
may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all
generations forever and ever. Amen.
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3:9 TR reads
“fellowship” instead of “administration”
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Ephesians 4 |
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I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily
of the calling with which you were called,
with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one
another in love;
being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called
in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and
in us all.
But to each one of us was the grace given according to the
measure of the gift of Christ.
Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity
captive, and gave gifts to men.”*
Now this, “He ascended,” what is it but that he also first
descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the
heavens, that he might fill all things.
He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the
building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of
men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into
him, who is the head, Christ;
from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through
that which every joint supplies, according to the working in
measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the
building up of itself in love.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no
longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the
futility of their mind,
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life
of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the
hardening of their hearts;
who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work
all uncleanness with greediness.
But you did not learn Christ that way;
if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth
is in Jesus:
that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the
old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been
created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his
neighbor. For we are members of one another.
“Be angry, and don’t sin.”*
Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
neither give place to the devil.
Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor,
working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have
something to give to him who has need.
Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is
good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace
to those who hear.
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for
the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put
away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other,
just as God also in Christ forgave you.
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4:8 Psalm 68:18
4:11 or,
pastors
4:26 Psalm 4:4
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Ephesians 5 |
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Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.
Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
fragrance.
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let
it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;
nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not
appropriate; but rather giving of thanks.
Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any
inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these
things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
Therefore don’t be partakers with them.
For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk
as children of light,
for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness
and truth,
proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather even reprove them.
For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame
even to speak of.
But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the
light, for everything that reveals is light.
Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the
dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as
wise;
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the
Lord is.
Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be
filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs;
singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father;
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the
head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.
But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also
be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
assembly, and gave himself up for it;
that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of
water with the word,
that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not
having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish.
Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own
bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes
it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;
because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
“For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will
be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.”*
This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the
assembly.
Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as
himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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5:31 Genesis
2:24
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Ephesians 6 |
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Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment
with a promise:
“that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the
earth.”*
You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture
them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are
your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your
heart, as to Christ;
not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men
pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from
the heart;
with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;
knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive
the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.
You masters, do the same things to them, and give up
threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours
is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his
might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against
the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s
rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around
your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good
News of peace;
above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God;
with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the
Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and
requests for all the saints:
on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my
mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak
boldly, as I ought to speak.
But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus,
the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make
known to you all things;
whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know
our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with
incorruptible love. Amen.
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6:3 Deuteronomy
5:16
6:17 from Greek
rhema, which means spoken word
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