Paul's letter to the congregation in Ephesus

Paul, a shalach of Yeshuwah haMashiyach by the will of 'Elohiym,

To the qadoshiym in Ephesus, the ne'emaniym in Yeshuwah haMashiyach:

Grace and shalom are yours from 'Elohiym, our Father, and the Lord, Yeshuwah haMashiyach.

Praise be to the 'Elohiym and Father of our Lord Yeshuwah haMashiyach, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing of Shamayim in the Messiah. For He chose us in Him before the conception of the world to be qadoshiym and tamiym before Him, in checed. He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Yeshuwah haMashiyach, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of the Kabowd of His checed, which He has given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of chat'owt, in accordance with the riches of His checed that He lavished on us in all chakmah and discernment. And He made known to us the mystery of His will concerning His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in Shamayim and on ha'arets together under one Head, even the Messiah.

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the purpose of He who works out everything in conformity with the will of His Counselor, in order that we, who were the first to trust in the Messiah, would exist for the praise of His Kabowd. And you also were included in the Messiah when you heard the Word of 'Emeth, the good news of your redemption. Having believed in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach haQodesh, who is a guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the possession – to the praise of His Kabowd.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your 'emuwnah in the Lord Yeshuwah and your love for all the qadoshiym, I have not stopped giving thanks on behalf of you, mentioning you in my prayers, asking that the 'Elohiym of our Lord, Yeshuwah haMashiyach, the Father of Kabowd, may give you a nephesh of chakmah and chazown in the da`ath of Him, and also that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened for you to know the hope to which He has called you, and what are the riches of the Kabowd, of His inheritance in the qadoshiym. And, what is His incomparably great power toward us, who believe, according to the working of the power of His `Oz, which He achieved in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead. And He seated Him at His right in Shamayim, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And 'Elohiym subjected all things under His feet and appointed Him to be Ro'sh over everything to do with the Qahal, which is His body, the fullness of the One filling everything in every way.

 

As for you, being dead in chatta'ah and chat'owt, in which you used to live, following the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the natural, the spirit who is now at work in the unbelievers. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, 'Elohiym, being rich in checed, made us alive with the Messiah – even when we were dead in chatta'ah – it is by grace you are being saved! And He raised us up and seated us with Him in Shamayim in Yeshuwah haMashiyach, in order that in the coming ages He could show the incomparable riches of His grace, through His checed to us in Yeshuwah haMashiyach. For it is by grace you are saved, through 'emuwnah – and this not of yourselves, the sacrifice is of 'Elohiym. Not by works – so no one can boast! For we are of 'Elohiym by His doing, created in Yeshuwah haMashiyach to do good works, which 'Elohiym prepared in advance that we would live by them.

Therefore, remember that (formerly you who are gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcised," done in the body by the hands of men) at that time you were separate from the Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Yisra'el and the “aliens” of the covenants of the promise, without hope and without 'Elohiym – in the world. But now in Yeshuwah haMashiyach you who once were far away came near by the blood of the Messiah.

For He is our Shalowm, who has made the two one, and has destroyed the middle barrier of the Paroket, the enmity, in His flesh – having dissolved the instruction with the mitsvowt and chuqqowt. His purpose was to create in Himself one new Man out of the two, achieving shalom, and to reconcile both in this one body to 'Elohiym through the cross, putting to death the enmity in Himself. He came and preached shalom to you who were far away and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Ruach.

Consequently, you are no longer “foreigners” and “aliens,” but fellow citizens with the qadoshiym and members of the household of 'Elohiym, built on the foundation of the shlachiym and nabiy'im, with Yeshuwah haMashiyach Himself as the Cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and grows into a Bayith of qadoshiym in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together into Bayith ha'Elohiym, in haRuach.

For this reason I, Paul, am the bound one of Yeshuwah haMashiyach for the sake of you gentiles. Surely you have heard about the administration of the grace of 'Elohiym that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by chazown, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of the Messiah, which was not made known to the descendants of 'Adam in other generations as it has now been revealed to the qadoshiym, His shlachiym and nabiy'im in haRuach. This mystery is that according to the Gospel the gentiles are co-heirs and co-participants in His promise, through Yeshuwah haMashiyach.

I became a minister of this Gospel by the gift of the grace of 'Elohiym given me according to the working of His power. To me, the least of all the qadoshiym, this grace was given to preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Messiah, and to bring to light all the fellowship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in 'Elohiym, who created all things, that now, through the Qahal, the abundantly diverse chakmah of 'Elohiym could be made known to the 'Achad and to the delegation in Shamayim, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Yeshuwah haMashiyach, our Lord. In Him we have confidence and access in trusting, because of His 'emuwnah. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged by my persecution because of you, which is to your glory.

Because of grace, I kneel before the Father of our Lord, Yeshuwah haMashiyach, out of whom the whole family in Shamayim and on ha'arets is being named, that He will give to you, in accordance with the fullness of His Kabowd, dynamic ability to remain steadfast through His Ruach within the inner man, that the Messiah will dwell in your hearts through 'emuwnah, having been rooted in checed and established, that you will be strengthened, together with all the qadoshiym, to grasp the width and length and height and depth of it. And to know the surpassing da`ath of the love of the Messiah – that you may be satiated with all the fullness of 'Elohiym.

Now He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we even ask or imagine, according to the miraculous power that is at work within us, He is Kabowd in the Qahal in Yeshuwah haMashiyach, to all generations, now and in the future! 

Amen.

As a prisoner in YHWH, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received, with all humiliation of mind and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in checed, being eager to keep the yachad of haRuach through the uniting principle of shalom. There is one Body and one Ruach – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one 'emuwnah, one baptism; one 'Elohiym and Father of all, the One who is above all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of the Messiah. Therefore, He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men." 

(What does "He ascended" mean except that He also descended to the lower parts of the world? He who descended is the very One who ascended far above all Shamayim, in order to fulfill all things.) 

It was He who gave some to be shlachiym, some to be nabiy'im, some to be evangelists, and some to be shepherds and teachers, to prepare the people of 'Elohiym for works of service, so that the body of the Messiah will be built up until we all reach yachad through 'emuwnah and through da`ath of the Son of 'Elohiym, becoming mature and attaining to the whole measure of what was fulfilled through the Messiah.

Then we will no longer be infants, being blown and carried off by every wind of teaching and by the cunning of men, in craftiness of the deceitfulness of error. But speaking the truth in checed, we will in all things grow into Him who is the Ro'sh, the Messiah. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every bond of provision, the growth of the Body bearing fruit, builds itself up in checed.

So I tell you this, and testify to it in YHWH, that you must no longer live as the gentiles do, in the depravity of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from 'El Chay because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having thrown off all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to lust so as to indulge in everything tame', all with an insatiable desire for wealth.

You, however, did not come to know the Messiah that way if, indeed, you hear Him and are taught by Him, since the truth is found in Yeshuwah. You were taught to put off your old self – with regard to your former way of life – which was corrupted by deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your intellect; and to put on the new self through 'Elohiym, created in Tsaddiyq, Qadowsh of ha'Emeth.

Therefore, putting off the lie, speaking truth to his neighbor, we are all co-members of one body. "Be angry, but do not commit chata'." Do not let the sun go down while you are angry, not giving an accuser a foothold. He who has been deceiving let him deceive no longer, but let him work hard, turning his hand to doing good, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any corrupt thinking come out of your mouth, but if anything, only good to build up those needing it, that it may give checed to those who listen. And do not grieve the Ruach haQodesh of 'Elohiym, with whom you were sealed for the day of salvation. Put away all bitterness, rage and violent passion, disturbance and blaspheming, along with every form of depravity. Be useful and compassionate to one another, forgiving yourselves, just as in the Messiah 'Elohiym forgave you.

Therefore, be followers of 'Elohiym, as dearly loved children and live in checed – just as the Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us – as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to 'Elohiym.

But let no debauchery, or anything tame', or avaricious be found among you, as is fitting for qadoshiym. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or vulgar joking, which are out of place, but rather grateful language directed to 'Elohiym. For of this you can be sure: No debauchee, tame' or greedy person – such a man is an idolator – has any inheritance in the Mamlahkah of the Messiah and 'Elohiym. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of 'Elohiym comes on those who are unbelievers. Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were then in darkness, but now you are in the ‘Owr, in YHWH, so live as children of ‘Owr. For the fruit of the light consists of all towbah, tsdaqah and 'emeth, proving what is well-pleasing to YHWH. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful acts of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of what they do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. Therefore, He says: "Wake up, sleeper, and stand against the muwtiym, and the Messiah will shine on you."

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as chakmiym, making the most of every opportunity, because the times are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what is the will of YHWH. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to a lack of deliverance. Instead, be satiated with haRuach. Preach to yourselves using the Tphillowt, hymns and non-worldly songs. Sing and make music to YHWH in your thinking, always giving thanks to 'Elohiym the Father for everything, in the Name of our Lord, Yeshuwah haMashiyach.

Submit to one another in the reverence of the Messiah.

Women, submit to your husband as to YHWH. For the husband is the head of the woman as the Messiah is the Ro'sh of the Qahal, He is the Savior of the Body of believers. Now as the Qahal is subject to the Messiah, so also the women must submit to their own husband in everything.

Husbands, have checed for the women, just as the Messiah has checed for the Qahal and gave Himself up for it to set it apart, cleansing it by the washing of the water by the Word, that He could present it to Himself, Kabowd, as a Qahal without defilement or self-dependence or any other such thing, but qadoshiym and tamiym. In this same way, husbands are under obligation to love their women as their own bodies. He who loves his women loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as the Messiah does the Qahal – for we are members of His body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and the mother and be united to his woman, and the two will be one nature." This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about the Messiah and the Qahal. However, each one of you also is under obligation to love his woman as he loves himself, and the woman is under obligation to respect her husband.

Children, obey your parents in YHWH, for this is tsdaqah. "Honor your father and mother" – which is the first mitsvah with a promise – "that it will go well with you and that you will enjoy long life on the earth."

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in discipline, calling their attention to YHWH.

Slaves, obey your worldly masters with fear and trembling, with sincerity of heart, as you obey the Messiah. Obey them not to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as bond-servants of the Messiah, doing the will of 'Elohiym from your intellect. Serve as slaves with goodwill, as if you were serving YHWH, not men, knowing that YHWH will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is a slave or freeman.

And masters, treat them in the same way. Do not threaten them, knowing that He who is both their Master and yours is in Shamayim, and there is no favoritism with Him.

Finally, be strengthened in YHWH and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of 'Elohiym, that you will be enabled to stand against the devil's schemes. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against those of the first estate, against the superhuman, against the worldly rulers of this darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil that are against Shamayim. 

Therefore, put on the full armor of 'Elohiym, so that you will be able to resist in the day of tsarah, and after everything works itself out, to stand. Stand firm then, having fastened the truth around your waist, putting on the breastplate of Tsaddiyq, and having shod the feet with preparation that comes from the Gospel of Shalom. Above all, having taken up the shield of 'emuwnah, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Rasha`, yourself having been refined. Also, take the helmet of the Deliverer and the sword of haRuach, which is the Word of 'Elohiym, praying in the nephesh, in all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and petitions. With this in mind, be alert in all perseverance and keep on praying for all the qadoshiym.

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, a Word will be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Tychicus, the dear brother and ne’eman servant in YHWH, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may comfort you.

Peace to the brothers, and checed, with 'emuwnah from 'Elohiym, the Father, and the Lord, Yeshuwah haMashiyach. 

Grace will be with all who sincerely love our Lord, Yeshuwah haMashiyach.