{{ Introduction to Ephesians 62-64 AD

            By the time, Paul wrote to the Ephesian congregation, they seem to have few problems, which were so common to the other congregations of the Lord in his letters, or they had already learned the truth from them. Paul is still in prison and sent others in his place to help and encourage them. The first two chapters are about God's favor, his original plan for our salvation, and all we have to do is obey it. Ephesians contains the verse most misquoted by Christians in the Bible completely out of context, 2:8. God made a process for us to be saved from our sins and showed us many examples in Acts. Once saved from your past sins, Christians have the letters (Romans-Revelation) to guide them. So many miss this fact. The letters cover how to stay in God’s grace and receive further forgiveness of sin as the ‘new creation.’ In chapter 3, he describes God’s plan, a mystery hidden until this age when the Gentile and the Jew would be together in one body, the congregation of believers. The absolute best description of what the body of Christ is supposed to be and do is found in Chapter 4:1-6, 11-16. We pray that ‘we all might achieve: into the unity of the faith, of the full knowledge of the Son of God.’ In Chapter 5, Paul uses an example of a husband and wife to describe Jesus’ love for the congregation. In Chapter 6, Paul tells us the devil is the real enemy, and only the knowledge of the word of God can defeat him and his schemes.}}

             ^1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to the holy-ones who are in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus: ^1:2 grace to you^° and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

             ^1:3 Gracious^* is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ^1:4 just-as he chose us in him before the conception of the world, for us to be holy and unblemished in his sight in love^*. ^1:5 God beforehand determined us toward the sonship through Jesus Christ to himself, according-to the delight of his will, ^1:6 to the praise of the glory of his favor {‘favor’ and ‘grace’ are from the same Greek word in the MLV}, in which he favored us in the beloved, ^1:7 in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of the trespasses of us according-to the riches of his grace. ^1:8 It is this grace which abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. ^1:9 And God made known to us the mystery of his will, according-to his delight which he purposed in him, ^1:10 to a stewardship of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in the Christ, the things upon the heavens and the things upon the earth. ^1:11 It was in him, in whom also we were made an inheritance, which was determined beforehand according-to the purpose of the one who is working all things according-to the plan of his will. ^1:12 This was so ^*that^* we should be to the praise of his glory, even us, the ones who have hoped before in the Christ, ^1:13 in whom you^° also heard the word of the truth, the good-news of your^° salvation, in whom, after also believed, you^° were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ^1:14 who is a down-payment of our inheritance, to the redemption of the ownership of God to the praise of his glory.

             ^1:15 Because of this, I, also heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is in you^° and the love^* which you^° have toward all the holy-ones, ^1:16 am not ceasing giving-thanks on your^° behalf, making^* a remembrance of you^° in my prayers, ^1:17 in-order-that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you^° a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him. ^1:18 The eyes of your^° heart have been enlightened, ^*that^* you^° may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance among the holy-ones, ^1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe, according-to the working of the dominion of his strength, ^1:20 which he worked in the Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him by his right hand in the heavenly places, ^1:21 up above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is being named, not only in this age, but also in the future age. ^1:22 And he subjected all things under his feet and gave him to be head above all things to the congregation^* of believers, ^1:23 which is his body, the fullness of the one filling all in all.