THE

EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.

This Epistle was written by Paul the Apostle about the year of our Lord 61, during his first imprisonment at Rome. The Apostle had preached at Ephesus in the year of our

Lord 53.

It was sent from Rome by Tychicus.

It contains six chapters.

CHAP. I.

1 PAUL, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the holy brethren and faithful believers in Christ Jesus, which are at Ephesus,

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in those things which, through Christ, fit us for heaven;

4 According as he has chosen us, [Gentiles as well as Jews], all whom he will; chosen before the founda

tion of the world, that we should be holy and without blame in his sight, through his love towards us:

5 Having fore-ordained [appointed] us unto the adoption of his children by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise, the everlasting praise of the glory of his grace, by which he hath made us to be accepted, *in the sacrifice and by the merits of his beloved Son,

7 In whom we have redemption, not by works, but through his blood; the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches [the splendour] of his free unmerited grace;

8 Which he hath bestowed upon us in all abundance, wisdom, and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will [the gospel] according to his good pleasure, which he hath in his wisdom planned;

10 That in the fulness of time he might gather together in one dispensation, [in one plan, one method of providence in Jesus Christ,] all things, both things in heaven and things in earth, angels and men, things visible and invisible, [Col. i. 16,] thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, all in Jesus Christ.

11 In whom we [the believing converted Jews,] have obtained an inheritance, being predestined [foreordained] according to the purpose of the living God, who worketh all things by his wisdom.

12 That we, who first trusted in Christ, should be proofs of the praise of his glory.

13 In whom ye Gentiles also trusted, after that ye had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your

salvation: in whom also, after that ye had believed, ye were sealed [confirmed, endued] with the Holy Ghost.

14 Which gift of the Holy Spirit, is the earnest [the pledge] of our inheritance [of heaven]; till the time shall come when the pledge shall be redeemed by the full purchase of the possession, to the praise of the glory of God.

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit to understand his wisdom and his revealed will:

18 That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, ye may know what is the hope of your calling in Jesus Christ; and what the riches and glory of that inheritance prepared for the saints [holy faithful Christians].

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power [in present help and future glory], to us who believe according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought [worked, shewed forth] in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heaven,

21 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:

22 And hath, as foretold, Ps. cx. 1, put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head of all things for the benefit of the church,

23 Which church is one with him, his body, the fulness of the grace and glory of him who filleth all in all.

CHAP. II.

1 AND you who were dead in trespasses and sins: 2 In which ye walked in time past, according to the course [practice] of this world, and of the prince of the power of the air, that evil spirit that now worketh in [excites to wickedness] the children of disobedience [the heathen world].

3 Among whom all we [converted Gentiles] had our conversation [lived] in times past, in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [brought us to a sense of our iniquities, given us a new birth, new life, new hopes, raised us from the dead] together with Christ, (by his free grace ye are saved ;)

6 And hath raised us up together, [given us all, Jew and Gentile, an equal inheritance,] that we may all sit down together in heavenly places, through Christ Jesus.

7 That at the last day, he might shew the exceeding riches [fulness] of his grace in his kindness towards us, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus,

8 For by his grace [free unmerited goodness] are ye saved, by faith in Christ; and that not of yourselves, not by your own works, that ye should claim any thing: it is the gift, the free gift of God:

9 Not of works, [of any thing we can do] lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship; when we were dead in trespasses and sins, he gave us a new being through Jesus Christ, that by the help of his Holy Spirit, we should serve him in those good works which he had before ordained we should walk in [perform].

11 Wherefore remember, that ye were in time past Gentiles, walking after the deeds of the flesh; called by the Jews [who had the law of Moses, and were circumcised] unclean, uncircumcised, heathens, sinners;

12 That ye were at that time without Christ, not belonging to God's people, strangers to the promises of the law of Moses and of the gospel, having no hope, without God in the world.

13 But now, through the sacrifice of Christ, ye Gentiles, formerly far from salvation, are made nigh to it by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, the author and means of our happiness, who hath made both Jew and Gentile one in him; and hath broken down the middle wall of partition, throwing into one the courts of the Jews and Gentiles in the temple, making them to serve God through Christ, by one faith, one baptism, one hope unto salvation.

15 Having by his body [his sacrifice on the cross,] done away the enmity [difference, division] between