1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will. To God's holy and faithful people who are united with Christ in the city of Ephesus. 2Good will and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!

3Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer. 4Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence. 5Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this 6so that the kindness he had given us in his dear Son would be praised and given glory. 7Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness. 8He poured out his kindness by giving us every kind of wisdom and insight 9when he revealed the mystery of his plan to us. He had decided to do this through Christ. 10He planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth. 11God also decided ahead of time to choose us through Christ according to his plan, which makes everything work the way he intends. 12He planned all of this so that we who had already focused our hope on Christ would praise him and give him glory. 13You heard and believed the message of truth, the Good News that he has saved you. In him you were sealed with the Holy Spirit whom he promised. 14This Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive our inheritance. We have this guarantee until we are set free to belong to him. God receives praise and glory for this.

15I, too, have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. For this reason 16I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. 18Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God's people will inherit. 19You will also know the unlimited greatness of his power as it works with might and strength for us, the believers. 20He worked with that same power in Christ when he brought him back to life and gave him the highest position in heaven. 21He is far above all rulers, authorities, powers, lords, and all other names that can be named, not only in this present world but also in the world to come. 22God has put everything under the control of Christ. He has made Christ the head of everything for the good of the church. 23The church is Christ's body and completes him as he fills everything in every way.