Paul’s Greeting to the Ephesians (Acts 19:8–12; Revelation 2:1–7)
1 UDB I, Paul, write this letter to my dear fellow believers whom God has set apart for himself and who are loyal to Christ Jesus—I am writing to the fellow believers who are living in the city of Ephesus. I am Paul, whom God chose and whom God sent to you as an apostle of Christ Jesus. BSB BSB: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 UDB I pray that God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will give you his kindness and peace. BSB BSB: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings (Romans 8:28–34)
3 UDB Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has caused us great joy through every kind of heavenly spiritual blessing that Christ gives to us. BSB BSB: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
5 UDB Because he loves us, God planned long ago to adopt us as his own children because of what Jesus Christ has done. He planned to adopt us because it pleased him to have us as his children, so he did what he wanted to do. BSB BSB: He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 UDB Because of this, we now praise God for his amazing kindness given to us by his Son whom he loves—kindness that we did not deserve. BSB BSB: to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
7 UDB We have been set free because Christ died for us, and he gave his blood as payment for our sins. The blood he shed and the death he died are the way that God gives us forgiveness for all of our sins. All that Christ has done shows to everyone how great is God's undeserved love for us. BSB BSB: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 UDB God shows us his wisdom and understanding by displaying his love for us in many, many ways through Christ’s life and by Christ’s death for us. BSB BSB: that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 UDB God has now explained the secret of his plan. He has helped us to know the great work of Christ that he had planned. He did that because he chose to do it in that way, and he showed us what Christ would do for us. BSB BSB: And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
10 UDB God planned that at the time he appointed he would unite all things in heaven and all things on earth, and Christ would be the one who will rule them. BSB BSB: as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
11 UDB Long ago God chose to unite us to Christ. He planned to do this, and he always does exactly what he wishes to do. BSB BSB: In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
12 UDB God did that so that we who believe in Christ would live to give praise to God's glory. We were the first ones to trust in Christ. BSB BSB: in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
13 UDB After you had heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, it was in Christ that you also have believed and were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. BSB BSB: And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 UDB The Holy Spirit is proof that we will receive all that God has promised. All this is great reason to praise him! BSB BSB: who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
Spiritual Wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6–16)
15 UDB Because God has done so much for you, and because I heard how you trust in the Lord Jesus and love all whom God has chosen for himself, BSB BSB: For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 UDB I have not stopped thanking God for you and praying for you often. BSB BSB: I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17 UDB I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who lives in shining light, may help you think wisely and understand everything about what he reveals to you. BSB BSB: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
18 UDB I pray that God may teach you about what he wants to do for us and why we know he is speaking the truth. I pray that we may know how great are the things he promises to give to us and to everyone whom he will choose to belong to himself. BSB BSB: I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 UDB And I pray that you will know how very powerfully God acts for us who are trusting in Christ. He works powerfully for us, BSB BSB: and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,
20 UDB just like he acted powerfully for Christ when he caused Christ to become alive again after he died and raised him to the place of highest honor in heaven. BSB BSB: which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 UDB In that place, Christ rules as supreme over every powerful spirit on every level of authority and over every name that exists. Jesus is much higher than any other being, not only now but forever. BSB BSB: far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 UDB God has put everything under the rule of Christ and appointed Christ to be the head—the ruler—over everything in the church, BSB BSB: And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
23 UDB which is also called his body. And the church is filled by Christ who fills all things in every way. BSB BSB: which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
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