Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints that are {Some very ancient authorities omit at Ephesus.}at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be {Or, God and the Father See Romans 15:6 margin}the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ:
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before {Or, him: having in love foreordained us}him in love:
having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, {Or, wherewith he endued us}which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
{Or, wherewith he abounded}which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
unto a dispensation of the fulness of the {Greek: seasons.}times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things {Greek: upon.}in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say,
in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;
to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who {Or, have}had before hoped in Christ:
in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the {Or, good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of your salvation,— in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.
For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is {Or, in}among you, and {Many ancient authorities omit the love.}the love which ye show toward all the saints,
cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this {Greek: age.}world, but also in that which is to come:
and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church,
which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Querverweise zu Epheser 1,11 Eph 1,11
which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.
declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;
{Or, wherewith he abounded}which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect;And their inheritance shall be for ever.
calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man of {Another reading is, his.}my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.
With {Hebrew: him.}God is wisdom and might;He hath counsel and understanding.
And now I commend you to {Some ancient authorities read the Lord.}God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified.
Counsel is mine, and {Or, effectual working}sound knowledge:I am understanding; I have might.
to open their eyes, {Or, to turn them}that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
that say, Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in {Or, effectual working}wisdom.
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.
Who hath {Or, meted out}directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
giving thanks unto the Father, who made {Some ancient authorities read you.}us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.
For who hath stood in the council of Jehovah, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked {Another reading is, his.}my word, and heard it?
that, being justified by his grace, we might be made {Or, heirs, according to hope, of eternal life}heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and {Or, there shall be}he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of {Or, men without the law See Romans 2:12.}lawless men did crucify and slay:
not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, {Greek: mediated.}interposed with an oath;