1
I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. I am sending this letter to you, God's holy people in Ephesus. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are faithful.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Those blessings come from the heavenly world. They belong to us because we belong to Christ. 4 God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us. 5 So he decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it. 6 All those things bring praise to his glorious grace. God freely gave us his grace because of the One he loves. 7 We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God's grace is so rich. 8 He poured his grace on us. By giving us great wisdom and understanding, 9 he showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ. 10 It will all come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose. 12 We were the first to put our hope in Christ. We were chosen to bring praise to his glory. 13 You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he stamped you with an official mark. That official mark is the Holy Spirit that he promised. 14 The Spirit marks us as God's own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.
1:1–14 Paul greeted the believers and talked about the spiritual blessings they had received. The believers were part of God's plan for the world. The blessings helped them understand God's plan. Paul described God's plan in verse 10. God's plan is to bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. This means that Jesus will have complete authority over everyone and everything. He already rules in heaven. One day he will rule completely in heaven and on earth. When that happens, the world God created will no longer be separated from God. All of God's people will be set free from the power of sin and death. This is what God had planned before he even made the world. Believers already belong to Jesus. They believe that he is the Lord Jesus Christ. They have been adopted into God's family. They have the Holy Spirit living inside them and among them. God has done all of this for them because he loves them.
15 I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I have also heard about your love for all God's people. That is why 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better. 18 I pray that you may understand more clearly. Then you will know the hope God has chosen you to receive. You will know that what God will give his holy people is rich and glorious. 19 And you will know God's great power. It can't be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength 20 God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead. God seated him at his right hand in his heavenly kingdom. 21 There Christ sits far above all who rule and have authority. He also sits far above all powers and kings. He is above every name that is appealed to in this world and in the world to come. 22 God placed all things under Christ's rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church. 23 The church is Christ's body and is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way.
1:15–23 Paul had heard about the faith and love of these believers. He wanted them to know that he prayed for them. He prayed that they would know God and God's power. He prayed that they would understand the plan God had for the future. God's plan is for Jesus to rule completely over heaven and earth. Paul boldly said that Jesus has more power and authority than anyone or anything. This includes all human rulers. It also includes all spiritual beings. Jesus is already the ruler of the church.