Ephesians · Bible in Basic English
Ephesians 1 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the purpose of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and those who have faith in Christ Jesus:
1 Παῦλος, ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ, τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ καὶ πιστοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ·
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us every blessing of the Spirit in the heavens in Christ:
3 Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ,
4 Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:
4 καθὼς [καὶ] ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ
5 As we were designed before by him for the position of sons to himself, through Jesus Christ, in the good pleasure of his purpose,
5 προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν, κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely gave to us in the Loved One:
6 εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, ἐν ᾗ ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ,
7 In whom we have salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, through the wealth of his grace,
7 ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπτωμάτων, κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ,
8 Which he gave us in full measure in all wisdom and care;
8 ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει,
9 Having made clear to us the secret of his purpose, in agreement with the design which he had in mind, to put into his hands
9 γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ
10 The ordering of the times when they are complete, so that all things might come to a head in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on the earth; in him, I say,
10 εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐν αὐτῷ,
11 In whom we have a heritage, being marked out from the first in his purpose who does all things in agreement with his designs;
11 ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ,
12 So that his glory might have praise through us who first had hope in Christ:
12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ, τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ·
13 In whom you, having been given the true word, the good news of your salvation, and through your faith in him, were given the sign of the Holy Spirit of hope,
13 ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ Πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ Ἁγίῳ,
14 Which is the first-fruit of our heritage, till God gets back that which is his, to the praise of his glory.
14 ὅς ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν, εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.
15 For this cause I, having had news of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which you make clear to all the saints,
15 Διὰ τοῦτο κἀγώ, ἀκούσας τὴν καθ᾽ ὑμᾶς πίστιν ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους,
16 Give praise without end for you, keeping you in mind in my prayers;
16 οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου,
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
17 ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ πατὴρ τῆς δόξης, δῴη ὑμῖν πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως ἐν ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ,
18 And that having the eyes of your heart full of light, you may have knowledge of what is the hope of his purpose, what is the wealth of the glory of his heritage in the saints,
18 πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν, εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς τίς ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις,
19 And how unlimited is his power to us who have faith, as is seen in the working of the strength of his power,
19 καὶ τί τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ,
20 By which he made Christ come back from the dead, and gave him a place at his right hand in heaven,
20 ἣν ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
21 Far over all rule and authority and power and every name which is named, not only in the present order, but in that which is to come:
21 ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι·
22 And he has put all things under his feet, and has made him to be head over all things to the church,
22 καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸν ἔδωκε κεφαλὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ,
23 Which is his body, the full measure of him in whom all things are made complete.
23 ἥτις ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι πληρουμένου.
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1–2; Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:1
- 2 Romans 1:7; Galatians 1:3; Titus 1:4; 2 Corinthians 1:2
- 3 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6; Genesis 22:18; Revelation 5:9–14
- 4 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 8:28–30; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 25:34; 1 Peter 2:9
- 5 Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:11; Galatians 4:5–6; John 1:12; 1 John 3:1
- 6 Romans 3:22–26; Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 1:12; Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 1:7–8
- 7 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 3:24; Colossians 1:14; 1 John 1:7–9; 1 Peter 1:18–19
- 8 Revelation 5:12; Ephesians 3:10; Romans 5:15; Colossians 2:3; Psalm 104:24
- 9 Colossians 1:26–28; Romans 16:25–27; Ephesians 3:3–9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:11
- 10 Colossians 1:20; Philippians 2:9–10; Galatians 4:4; Daniel 2:44; Mark 1:15
- 11 Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 1:4; Isaiah 46:10–11; Ephesians 1:14; Ephesians 1:5
- 12 Ephesians 1:6; Jeremiah 17:5–7; Ephesians 1:13–14; Isaiah 42:1–4; Ephesians 3:21
- 13 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 3:14
- 14 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 4:30; Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15–17
- 15 Philemon 5; Colossians 1:3–4; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 6:10; 1 John 4:21
- 16 Romans 1:8–9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Colossians 1:3; 1 Samuel 12:23
- 17 Isaiah 11:2; James 3:17–18; Colossians 1:9–10; Proverbs 2:5; 2 Peter 1:3
- 18 Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Luke 24:45; 1 John 3:1–3; Ephesians 1:7
- 19 Philippians 2:13; Colossians 2:12; Ephesians 3:20; Colossians 1:29; 2 Corinthians 4:7
- 20 Hebrews 10:12; Mark 16:19; Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 28:18
- 21 Philippians 2:9–11; Colossians 2:10; Colossians 1:15–16; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 1:4
- 22 Colossians 1:18; Colossians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:25–27; Psalm 8:6–8; Hebrews 2:8
- 23 Colossians 1:18–19; John 1:16; Colossians 2:9–10; Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 3:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… that Paul said, "And He Himself is all things;" and again, "All things are to Him, and of Him are all things;" and further, "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead;" and yet again, "All things are gathered together by God in Christ." Thus do they interpret these and any like passages to be found in Scripture.
And Thou, O Lord, hadst already magnified Thy Holy One, raising Him from the dead, and setting Him at Thy right hand, whence from on high He should send His promise, the Paraclete, "the Spirit of Truth." And He had already sent Him, but I knew it not; He had sent Him, because He was now magnified, rising again from …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
And charging the Ephesians, he thus speaks, According to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand; and the rest.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
And an indication of this is found in the fact that wherever the Natures are distinguished in our thoughts from one another, the Names are also distinguished; as you hear in Paul's words, "The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory." The God of Christ, but the Father of glory.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered increaseth with the increase of God." And that Christ is the head of the Church we have learned in another passage, when the apostle says "gave him to be the head over all things to the Church," and "of his fulness have all we received." And the Lord Himself says "He shall …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)