Ephesians

Ephesians

Greeting

From Paul,

a sent one of the Anointed One, Jesus, by the will of God—

to the set-apart ones in Ephesus,

those who are faithful in the Anointed One, Jesus:

Grace and peace to you

from God our Father

and the Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

Every Spiritual Blessing in the Heavens

Blessed be the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Anointed One,

who has blessed us in the spiritual realms

with every spiritual blessing in the Anointed One.

For He chose us in Him

before the foundation of the world,

to be set apart and without blemish in His presence,

in love.

He destined us for adoption to Himself

through Jesus the Anointed One,

in accordance with His pleasure and will—

to the praise of His glorious grace,

which He has freely given us in the One He loves.

Redemption and Forgiveness

In Him we have redemption through His blood,

the forgiveness of failures,

according to the riches of His grace,

which He lavished on us

with all wisdom and understanding.

He made known to us the mystery of His will,

according to His good pleasure,

which He purposed in the Anointed One—

to bring all things together

in the Anointed One,

things in the heavens and things on earth—

at the fullness of time.

Marked with the Breath

In Him we were also chosen,

having been destined

according to the plan of Him

who works out everything

according to the purpose of His will—

so that we,

who were the first to put our hope in the Anointed One,

might live for the praise of His glory.

And you also were included in the Anointed One

when you heard the message of truth,

the good news of your rescue.

Having trusted,

you were sealed with the promised Set-Apart Breath—

a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—

to the praise of His glory.

A Prayer for Revelation

For this reason,

ever since I heard about your trust in the Master Jesus

and your love for all the set-apart ones,

I have not stopped giving thanks for you,

remembering you in my prayers.

I keep asking that the God of our Master, Jesus the Anointed One,

the glorious Father,

may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,

so that you may know Him more deeply.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be opened,

so that you may know:

the hope to which He has called you,

the riches of His glorious inheritance in His set-apart people,

and His incomparably great power for us who trust.

That power is the same

as the mighty strength He exerted

when He raised the Anointed One from the dead

and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms—

far above all rule and authority,

power and dominion,

and every name that is named,

not only in this age but also in the one to come.

The Anointed One, Head Over All

And God placed all things under His feet

and appointed Him to be head over everything

for the benefit of the gathering,

which is His body,

the fullness of Him

who fills everything in every way.

———

Made Alive in the Anointed One

You were dead in your failures and sins,

in which you once walked

according to the ways of this world

and the ruler of the realm of the air—

the spirit now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time,

gratifying the cravings of our flesh

and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest,

we were by nature children of wrath.

But God, who is rich in mercy,

because of His great love with which He loved us—

even when we were dead in our failures—

made us alive with the Anointed One.

It is by grace you have been rescued.

And God raised us up with Him

and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms

in the Anointed One, Jesus,

in order that in the coming ages

He might show the surpassing riches of His grace,

expressed in His kindness to us

in the Anointed One, Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been rescued through trust—

and this is not from yourselves,

it is the gift of God—

not by works,

so that no one can boast.

For we are His craftsmanship,

created in the Anointed One, Jesus,

for good works,

which God prepared beforehand

for us to walk in.

From Outsiders to Family

So then,

remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth—

called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcised”

(which is done in the body by human hands)—

remember that at that time

you were separate from the Anointed One,

excluded from citizenship in Israel,

and foreigners to the covenants of promise,

without hope and without God in the world.

But now, in the Anointed One, Jesus,

you who once were far away

have been brought near by the blood of the Anointed One.

He Himself Is Our Peace

For He Himself is our peace,

who has made the two one

and has destroyed the barrier,

the dividing wall of hostility,

by setting aside in His flesh the law

with its commands and regulations.

His purpose was to create in Himself

one new humanity out of the two,

thus making peace,

and to reconcile both to God

in one body through the stake—

by which He put hostility to death.

He came and preached peace

to you who were far away

and peace to those who were near.

For through Him

we both have access to the Father

by one Breath.

Citizens of God’s Household

So then,

you are no longer strangers and outsiders,

but fellow citizens with God’s people

and members of His household,

built on the foundation of the sent ones and prophets,

with the Anointed One, Jesus Himself,

as the cornerstone.

In Him the whole structure is joined together

and rises to become a set-apart temple in the Master.

And in Him

you too are being built together

to become a dwelling place for God by His Breath.

———

Paul’s Mission to Reveal the Mystery

For this reason I, Paul,

a prisoner of the Anointed One, Jesus, for the sake of you Gentiles—

Surely you have heard

of the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation,

as I have already written briefly.

In reading this, then,

you will be able to understand

my insight into the mystery of the Anointed One,

which was not made known to people in other generations

as it has now been revealed

by the Breath to His set-apart sent ones and prophets.

This mystery is that

the Gentiles are fellow heirs,

members of the same body,

and sharers together in the promise

in the Anointed One, Jesus,

through the good news.

A Servant of Grace for the Nations

I became a servant of this good news

by the gift of God’s grace given to me

through the working of His power.

Though I am the least of all the set-apart ones,

this grace was given to me:

to proclaim to the Gentiles

the boundless riches of the Anointed One,

and to make plain to everyone

the administration of this mystery,

which for ages past was hidden in God,

who created all things.

His purpose was that now,

through the gathering,

the multifaceted wisdom of God

should be made known

to the rulers and authorities

in the heavenly realms,

according to His eternal purpose

that He accomplished in the Anointed One, Jesus our Master.

In Him and through trust in Him,

we may approach God

with freedom and confidence.

So I ask you not to be discouraged

because of what I am suffering for you—

it is for your glory.

Prayer for Strength and Fullness

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of His glorious riches

He may strengthen you with power

through His Breath in your inner being,

so that the Anointed One may dwell in your hearts through trust.

And I pray that you,

being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all the set-apart ones,

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep

is the love of the Anointed One,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure

of all the fullness of God.

Glory to God Who Is Able

Now to Him

who is able to do exceedingly abundantly

beyond all we ask or imagine,

according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be glory in the gathering

and in the Anointed One, Jesus,

throughout all generations,

forever and ever.

Amen.

———

Live Worthy of Your Calling

As a prisoner for the Master,

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle;

be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort

to keep the unity of the Breath

through the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Breath,

just as you were called to one hope

when you were called—

one Master, one trust, one immersion;

one God and Father of all,

who is over all and through all and in all.

Grace Given to Each

But to each one of us

grace has been given

as the Anointed One apportioned it.

This is why it says:

“When He ascended on high,

He took captives and gave gifts to people.”

(What does “He ascended” mean

except that He also descended

to the lower regions of the earth?)

He who descended is the very One who ascended

higher than all the heavens,

in order to fill all things.

Gifts for Building the Body

And He gave

the sent ones, the prophets, the proclaimers of good news,

the shepherds and teachers—

to equip the set-apart people for works of service,

so that the body of the Anointed One may be built up

until we all reach unity in the trust and in the knowledge

of the Son of God,

becoming mature,

attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of the Anointed One.

Then we will no longer be infants,

tossed back and forth by the waves,

blown here and there by every wind of teaching

and by the cunning and craftiness of people

in their deceitful schemes.

Instead, speaking the truth in love,

we will grow to become in every respect

the mature body of Him who is the head—the Anointed One.

From Him the whole body,

joined and held together by every supporting ligament,

grows and builds itself up in love,

as each part does its work.

Put Off the Old, Put On the New

So I tell you this,

and insist on it in the Master:

that you must no longer walk

as the nations do,

in the futility of their thinking.

They are darkened in their understanding

and separated from the life of God

because of the ignorance that is in them

due to the hardness of their hearts.

Having lost all sensitivity,

they have given themselves over to unclean behavior,

so as to indulge in every kind of impurity,

with a continual craving for more.

That, however,

is not the way you learned the Anointed One—

if indeed you heard of Him

and were taught in Him,

as truth is in Jesus.

You were taught,

with regard to your former way of life,

to put off your old self,

which is corrupted by deceitful desires;

to be made new

in the spirit of your minds;

and to put on the new self,

created to be like God

in true rightness and set-apartness.

Instructions for the New Life

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood

and speak truthfully to your neighbor,

for we are all members of one body.

In your anger, do not sin.

Do not let the sun go down

while you are still angry,

and do not give the Accuser a foothold.

Anyone who has been stealing

must steal no longer,

but must work, doing something useful with their hands,

so they may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome word come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up

according to their need,

that it may give grace to those who hear.

And do not grieve the Set-Apart Breath of God,

with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger,

brawling and slander,

along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other,

just as in the Anointed One, God forgave you.

———

Imitate God and Walk in Love

Be imitators of God,

as dearly loved children,

and walk in the way of love,

just as the Anointed One loved us

and gave Himself up for us

as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Set-Apart Living

But among you there must not be even a hint

of sexual immorality,

or of any impurity,

or of greed—

because these are not fitting for set-apart people.

Nor should there be obscenity,

foolish talk, or coarse joking,

which are out of place—

but rather, thanksgiving.

For of this you can be sure:

No immoral, impure, or greedy person—

such a person is an idolater—

has any inheritance in the reign of the Anointed One and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words,

for because of such things

the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.

Therefore do not partner with them.

Walk as Children of Light

For once you were darkness,

but now you are light in the Master.

Walk as children of light—

for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,

rightness, and truth—

and find out what pleases the Master.

Have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness,

but rather expose them.

It is shameful even to mention

what the disobedient do in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—

and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

That is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and the Anointed One will shine on you.”

Walk Wisely

Be very careful, then, how you walk—

not as unwise but as wise,

redeeming the time,

because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish,

but understand what the Master’s will is.

Do not get drunk on wine,

which leads to reckless behavior.

Instead, be filled with the Breath,

speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,

singing and making music in your hearts to the Master,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

Submit to one another

out of reverence for the Anointed One.

Marriage as a Picture of the Anointed One and the Gathering

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands

as you do to the Master.

For the husband is the head of the wife

as the Anointed One is the head of the gathering,

His body, of which He is the rescuer.

Now as the gathering submits to the Anointed One,

so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives,

just as the Anointed One loved the gathering

and gave Himself up for her

to make her set apart,

cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

and to present her to Himself

as a radiant gathering,

without spot or wrinkle or any such blemish,

but set apart and blameless.

In the same way,

husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself.

After all, no one ever hated their own body,

but they nourish and care for it,

just as the Anointed One does the gathering—

for we are members of His body.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh.”

This is a profound mystery—

but I am speaking about the Anointed One and the gathering.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself,

and the wife must respect her husband.

———

Honor and Obedience in the Household

Children, obey your parents in the Master,

for this is right.

“Honor your father and mother”—

which is the first commandment with a promise—

“so that it may go well with you

and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,

but bring them up in the discipline

and instruction of the Master.

Serve from the Heart

Servants, obey your earthly masters

with respect and sincerity of heart,

just as you would obey the Anointed One.

Do not serve only when being watched,

as people-pleasers,

but as servants of the Anointed One,

doing the will of God from the heart.

Serve wholeheartedly,

as if you were serving the Master, not people,

because you know that the Master will reward each one

for whatever good they do—whether they are slave or free.

And masters, treat your servants the same way.

Do not threaten them,

since you know that He who is both their Master and yours

is in the heavens,

and there is no favoritism with Him.

Be Strong in the Master

Finally, be strong in the Master

and in the strength of His power.

Put on the full armor of God,

so that you can stand against

the schemes of the Adversary.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against rulers, against authorities,

against the powers of this dark world,

and against the spiritual forces of evil

in the heavenly realms.

The Armor of God

Therefore, put on the full armor of God,

so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground,

and after you have done everything—to stand.

Stand firm then, with:

the belt of truth fastened around your waist,

the breastplate of rightness in place,

and your feet fitted with the readiness

that comes from the good news of peace.

In addition to all this,

take up the shield of trust,

with which you can extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of rescue

and the sword of the Breath,

which is the word of God.

And pray in the Breath on all occasions

with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert

and always keep on praying

for all the set-apart ones.

Final Requests and Blessing

Pray also for me,

that whenever I speak,

words may be given me

so that I will fearlessly make known

the mystery of the good news,

for which I am an ambassador in chains.

Pray that I may proclaim it boldly,

as I should.

Final Greetings

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Master,

will tell you everything,

so that you also may know how I am

and what I am doing.

I am sending him to you for this very purpose—

that you may know how we are,

and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace to the brothers and sisters,

and love with trust

from God the Father and the Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

Grace be with all those

who love our Master, Jesus the Anointed One,

with an undying love.

Amen.