The Blessings of Redemption
1 Paul, 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 thesaints (God’s people)who are at Ephesus and are faithfulandloyalandsteadfast in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessedandworthy 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,
4 just 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
5 He predestinedandlovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intentionandgood pleasure of His will–
6 to the praise of His glorious graceandfavor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].
7 In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgivenessandcomplete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace
8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding [with practical insight]
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ,
10 with 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.
11 In Him also we havereceived 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 counselanddesign of His will,
12 so 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.
13 In 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 ownedandprotected [by God].
14 The Spirit is theguarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption ofGod’s own[purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,
16 I 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].
18 And [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 knowandcherish thehope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in thesaints (God’s people),
19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurableandunlimitedandsurpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength
20 which Heproduced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenlyplaces,
21 far 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 ageandworld but also in the one to come.
22 And Heput all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, andappointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fillsandcompletes all things in all [believers].