Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in
Christ Jesus:
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ:
According as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will,
To the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all
wisdom and prudence;
Having made known unto us the mystery of his
will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of
times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
That we should be to the praise of his
glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of
promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise
of his glory.
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not 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 unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his
mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised
him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places,
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:
And hath put all things under his feet, and
gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that
filleth all in all.
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us
sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time
past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that
which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
That at that time ye were without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the
world:
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one,
and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make
in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
And that he might reconcile both unto God in
one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And came and preached peace to you which
were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
For through him we both have access by one
Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the
household of God;
And are built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner
stone;
In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
In whom ye also are builded together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit.
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus
Christ for you Gentiles,
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the
grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
How that by revelation he made known unto me
the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Which in other ages was not made known unto
the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and
prophets by the Spirit;
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and
of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the
gospel:
Whereof I was made a minister, according to
the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working
of his power.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all
saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
And to make all men see what is the
fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
To the intent that now unto the
principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the
church the manifold wisdom of God,
According to the eternal purpose which he
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
In whom we have boldness and access with
confidence by the faith of him.
Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my
tribulations for you, which is your glory.
For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth
is named,
That he would grant you, according to the
riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in
the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of
God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye
are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace
according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on
high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he
also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that
ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all
things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up
into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in
love.
This I say therefore, and testify in the
Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind,
Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in
them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Who being past feeling have given themselves
over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with
greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ;
If so be that ye have heard him, and have
been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after
God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every
man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of
another.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go
down upon your wrath:
Neither give place to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather
let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good,
that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it
may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger,
and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all
malice:
And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear
children;
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved
us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to
God for a sweetsmelling savour.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints;
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor
jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of
thanks.
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words: for
because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children
of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are
ye 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 acceptable unto the
Lord.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those
things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made
manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is
light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee
light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as
fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are
evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God
and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Submitting yourselves one to another in the
fear of God.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of
the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every
thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their
own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but
nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father
and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall
be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in
particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that
she reverence her husband.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for
this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the
first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou
mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to
wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your
masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in
singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as
the 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 whatsoever good thing any man
doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or
free.
And, ye masters, do the same things unto
them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in
heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth, and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints;
And for me, that utterance may be given unto
me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of
the gospel,
For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that
therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
But that ye also may know my affairs, and
how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the
Lord, shall make known to you all things:
Whom I have sent unto you for the same
purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort
your hearts.
Peace be to the brethren, and love with
faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.