1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favour in the Beloved. 7 In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he made to abound towards us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him 10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him. 11 We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, 12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. 13 In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. 15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is amongst you and the love which you have towards all the saints, 16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 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, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians · World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Ephesians 1 World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
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)