Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
1Paul, an
apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus
(the Messiah, the Anointed), by the will of God [that is, by His purpose and
choice],
To the [a]saints
(God’s people) [b][c]who are
at Ephesus and are faithful and loyal and steadfast
in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to
you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
3[d]Blessed and worthy
of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ,
4just as [in His love] He
chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the
foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set
apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love
5He predestined and lovingly
planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus
Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good
pleasure of His will—
6to the praise of His
glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in
the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].
7In Him we have redemption
[that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the
penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and complete
pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace
8which He lavished on us.
In all wisdom and understanding [with practical insight]
9He made known to us the
mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in
Christ,
10with regard to the
fulfillment of the times [that is, the end of history, the climax of the
ages]--to bring all things together in Christ, [both] things in the heavens and
things on the earth.
11In Him also we have [e]received an inheritance [a
destiny--we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen,
appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in
agreement with the counsel and design of His will,
12so that we who were the
first to hope in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him as our Lord and
Savior] would exist to the praise of His glory.
13In Him, you also, when you
heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result]
believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the
One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God].
14The Spirit is the [f]guarantee [the first installment,
the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s
own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His
glory.
15For this
reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for
all [g]God’s people,
16I do not cease to give
thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers;
17[I always pray] that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of
wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate
insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son].
18And [I pray] that the eyes
of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened
[flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish
the [h]hope [the divine guarantee, the
confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious
inheritance in the [i]saints
(God’s people),
19and [so that you will
begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing
greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in
accordance with the working of His mighty strength
20which He [j]produced in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,
21far above all rule and
authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above]
every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in
this age and world but also in the one to come.
22And He [k]put all things [in every realm]
in subjection under Christ’s feet, and [l]appointed
Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,
23which is His body, the
fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all
[believers].
