II. You also, being dead in trespasses and sins;— 2in which ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience; 3among whom we also all walked in time past in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others;— 4but God, being rich in mercy, on account of his great love wherewith he loved us, made us, 5even when we were dead in sins, alive with Christ, (by grace ye are saved,) 6and raised us with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus; 7that he might show, in the ages to come, the exceeding richness of his grace, in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not of works, lest any one should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.
11Wherefore remember, that in time past ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hand,— 12that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 13But now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who in time past were afar off, were made near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition; 15having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might make the two one new man in himself, making peace; 16and might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. 17And he came and brought the good news of peace to you who were afar off, and to those who were near. 18Because through him we both have the access in one Spirit to the Father.
19So then ye are no longer strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner-stone; 21in whom all the building, fitly framed together, grows unto a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
III. For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,— 2if indeed ye heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given me toward you, 3that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words; 4whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, 5which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with us of the promise, in Christ Jesus, through the gospel; 7whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which was given to me according to the working of his power. 8To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, was this grace given, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9and to make all see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10that now, to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11according to the eternal purpose which he made[11] in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and access[12] with confidence through faith in him.
13Wherefore I entreat that ye faint not at my afflictions for you, which is your glory. 14For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ[14], 15from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that he would grant to you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit as to the inner man, 17that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; having been rooted and grounded in love, 18that ye may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, 19and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to him be the glory in the church, in Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
IV. I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you, therefore, to walk worthy of the calling with which ye were called, 2with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love; 3endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one immersion, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. 7But to each one of us the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he says:
When he ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,