TO THE EPHESIANS.

PAUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to CH. I. the saints who are [in Ephesus] and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be unto you and peace, from God our 2 Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 3 Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; even as he chose us in him 4 before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him, having predestinated us in love 5 unto adoption through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the 6 glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved, in whom we have the redemption through his 7 blood, the remission of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all 8 wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the 9 mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for the dispensation of the fulness 10 of the times, to gather together for himself all things in Christ, the things which are in the heavens and the things which are on the earth, even in him, in whom also 11 we were made his inheritance, having been predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the 12 praise of his glory, who have before hoped in Christ; in whom ye also having heard the word of truth, the gospel 13 of your salvation, in whom having also believed, ye were sealed with the Spirit of promise, the holy, who is an earnest of our inheritance for the redemption of the 14 possession, unto the praise of his glory.

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For this cause I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love which exists towards all the 16 saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention 17 of you on my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus

Christ, the Father of glory, would give unto you a spirit of 18 wisdom and revelation in full knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his 19 inheritance among the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe according to 20 the working of the might of his strength, which he has wrought in the Christ, by having raised him from the dead 21 and set him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above every rule, and authority, and power, and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but 22 also in that which is to come; and subjected all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the 23 church, which is his body, the fulness of him that fills all in all.

CH. II.

You also, who were dead by your trespasses and sins; 2 wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience; 3 among whom we all also had our way of life once in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath 4 even as the rest-but God, being rich in mercy, because 5 of his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead by the trespasses, quickened us together with 6 Christ, (by grace ye have been saved,) and raised us up together with him, and seated us together with him in the 7 heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that he might shew forth in the ages which are to come the exceeding riches of his 8 grace in goodness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace ye have been saved through faith, and this not of your9 selves, of God is the gift; not of works, lest any one 10 should glory; for we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.

Wherefore remember, that ye once, being Gentiles 11. in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that ye were at that time apart from Christ, alienated 12 from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who were 13 once far off were brought nigh by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who made both one, and 14 broke down the middle wall of the partition, viz. the 15 enmity, having done away in his flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that he might create the two in himself into one new man, making peace, and might 16 reconcile them both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And he came and 17 preached peace to you that were afar off, and peace to them that were nigh, because through him we both have 18 the access in one spirit unto the Father. So then ye are 19 no more strangers and sojourners, but are fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God; built up on 20 the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the 21 building fitly framed together grows into an holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are being built together for 22 an habitation of God in the spirit.

CH.

FOR this cause I Paul the prisoner of Christ on behalf III. of you Gentiles-if indeed ye heard of the dispensation of 2 the grace of God which was given me toward you; that by 3 revelation the mystery was made known unto me, even as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye 4 can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ which in other generations was not made known unto 5 the sons of men, as it has now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in spirit, that the Gentiles are 6 fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel; whereof 7 I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God which was given unto me according to the working

8 of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was given this grace, to preach to the Gentiles the 9 unsearchable riches of Christ, and to enlighten as to what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from the ages has 10 been hid in God who created all things, to the intent that now unto the powers and the authorities in the heavenly places may be made known through the church the mani11 fold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which 12 he made in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have the openness and access in confidence through the faith of him.

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Wherefore I ask you not to faint at my afflictions on 14 your behalf, which are your glory. For this cause I bow 15 my knees unto the Father, from whom every family in 16 heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you,

according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened 17 with power through his Spirit as to the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, ye having been 18 rooted and grounded in love; that ye may be fully able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and 19 length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which exceeds knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.

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Now unto him that is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly beyond what we ask or think according 21 to the power that works in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations of eternal ages. Amen.

CH. IV. I EXHORT you therefore, I the prisoner in the Lord, to 2 walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing 3 one another in love, anxious to keep the unity of the 4 Spirit by the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit, even as ye were also called in one hope of your calling; 5, 6 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of 7 all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. But unto each one of us was given the grace according to the 8 measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore it is said, When

men.

he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, gave gifts unto Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also 9 descended into the lower parts of the earth? He that 10 descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave 11 some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers; unto the perfecting of 12 the saints for the work of ministration, for the building up of the body of Christ; till we shall all have attained to the 13 unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; that we be no more babes, tossed 14 to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, by craftiness to the wile of error; but being truthful in love, may grow up into him in all 15 things, who is the head, Christ; from whom all the body 16. fitly framed together and compacted by means of every joint of the supply, according to the effectual working of each single part in its measure, makes the growth of the body unto the building up of itself in love.

This, therefore, I say and witness in the Lord, that ye 17 walk no more even as also the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alien- 18 ated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; who 19 being past feeling delivered themselves up to lasciviousness, in order to the working of every uncleanness in greediness. But ye did not so learn Christ; if indeed it was him that 20, 21 ye heard, and in him that ye were taught, even as truth is in Jesus; that ye put off as concerns the former conduct the 22 old man which is corrupted according to the lusts of deceit, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on 23, 24 the new man, which was created after God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Wherefore having put off falsehood, speak truth each 25 one with his neighbour, because we are members of one another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go 26 down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil.