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New Testament
Ephesus was in the days of Paul the capital of the Roman province of Asia, called the province (άνθυπατικής). It was one of the three great cities of the Eastern Mediterranean, along with Antioch in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt. It was situated less than three miles from the sea, on the river Caystros, which in Roman times was navigable from the seashore to the city.
This city was first visited by Paul, coming from Corinth, towards the end of his second apostolic journey. And he spoke to the Jews there, entering into the synagogue, but he did not remain there long, but after leaving Aquila and Priscilla there, he went up to Jerusalem and from there went down to Antioch (Acts 18:22).
During his third apostolic journey, Paul, coming to Ephesus, extended his stay there for three whole years. "Because of the great successes that his preaching had, he aroused the hostility of Demetrius the silversmith and many craftsmen, whose interests were being affected, because the idolatrous buyers of the silver images of the temple of Artemis of Ephesus, which these manufacturers and traders were trading in, were becoming increasingly fewer. As a result, a great uproar arose, during which the life of the Apostle was in danger (Acts 19:23-40).
Towards the end of his third apostolic journey, Paul hurried to go up to Jerusalem and, not wanting to waste time on the way, when he arrived at Miletus, he called the elders of the Church of Ephesus to come there, to whom he addressed his most important speech in Acts 20:18-36.
The holy Paul wrote this letter in Rome, when he was a prisoner during his first imprisonment and towards the end of it, that is, around 62 or 63 AD. Since this letter does not include any quotations at the end, as Paul was accustomed to do in all his letters, and in some old manuscripts the words "in Ephesus" are not written in the preface, it has been assumed by many moderns that the Apostle wrote it as a kind of circular and sent it to Ephesus, so that through its care it would circulate in more Churches, such as the Churches of Laodicea, Hierapolis, Pergamum, Miletus and other parts of Phrygia.
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
1 ΠΑΥΛΟΣ, 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 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,
3 Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
4 καθὼς καὶ ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
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, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
6 εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, ἐν ᾗ ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ,
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches 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 made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
8 ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει,
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
9 γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
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 Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
11 ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ, τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ·
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
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 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
14 ὅς ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν, εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for 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 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you 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 the 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 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance 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 what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
19 καὶ τί τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ,
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
20 ἣν ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also 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 put all things under His feet, and gave 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 fullness of Him who fills all in all.
23 ἥτις ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι πληρουμένου.
NKJV translation