Greetings from Paul

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Spiritual Blessings

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and
without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus
Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured
out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of
his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the
plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he
makes everything work out according to his plan.

God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you
Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as
his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the
inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.