Greeting
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the holy ones living in Ephesus and trusting in Christ Jesus: 2 Favor and peace to you all from God our Father and Master Jesus Christ.
Gratitude for salvation
3 May the God and Father of our Master Jesus Christ be blessed, for through Christ he gave us every spiritual blessing in the heavens. 4 Because of his love, he chose us for himself before the foundation of the world to be holy and flawless in his view. 5 It delighted him to lock us into the place of his own sons and daughters through Jesus Christ.
6 Praise his honor and favor! He showed his favor to us in the Loved One, 7 who dismissed all the charges against us by means of his blood. He paid for us to be acquitted of all charges with the overwhelming favor 8 he lavished on us in his wise plan. 9 It delighted him to make his secret will known to us, 10 his plan to dispense the progression of the ages to the goal of bringing everything in heaven and earth to Christ. 11 Not only that, but God in his wisdom also destined us, 12 who were expected first with Christ, to honor him. 13 Likewise for you who heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation. You believed and were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the down payment that guarantees our inheritance. Praise and honor to him!
15 So ever since I heard of your faith in the Master Jesus and your love for all the holy ones, 16 I haven’t stopped thanking God because of you! You are in my prayers, 17 especially that the God of our Master Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you all the spirit of wisdom and reveal knowledge of him. 18 He has illuminated your minds so you can grasp the hope of your calling, the riches of his honor, your inheritance among the holy ones, 19 and the overflowing great power he pours into us who believe. This is the same power 20 he used to raise Christ from the dead and seat him at his right hand in heaven, 21 over every rule and authority and power and mastery, and every name there is, not only in this age but also in the next. 22 God put all of them beneath his feet, and he alone is the one given by God as the head of the Congregation, 23 which is his body, bringing everything to completion.23
- 23 Note Paul’s comparisons: under/over, feet/head, body/completion. In Jesus, every entity is in its proper place, in this particular context of the subjection of all forms of rule and authority.