The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (214 page)

One in Christ

11
 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called
the uncircumcision
by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
¹²
remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
¹³
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.
¹⁴
For
he is our peace
, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall
 
*
of hostility,
¹⁵
by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
¹⁶
and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end.
¹⁷
And he came and preached peace to you who were
far off
and peace to those who were near;
¹⁸
for through him we both have
access
in one Spirit to the Father.
¹⁹
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and
members
of the household of God,
²⁰
built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets
, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
²¹
in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into
a holy temple
in the Lord;
²²
in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Paul's Ministry to the Gentiles

3
  For this reason I,
Paul, a prisoner
for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
²
assuming that you have heard of the
stewardship
of God's grace that was given to me for you,
³
how the
mystery
 
*
was made known to me by revelation, as I have
written briefly
.
⁴
When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,
⁵
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
⁶
that is, how the
Gentiles are fellow heirs
, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7
 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given me by the working of his power.
⁸
To me, though
I am the very least
of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
⁹
and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in
^d
God who created all things;
¹⁰
that
through the Church
the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
¹¹
This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
¹²
in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him.
¹³
So I ask you not to
^e
lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Prayer for the Ephesians

14
 For this reason I
bow my knees
before the Father,
¹⁵
from whom every
family
in heaven and on earth is named,
¹⁶
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man,
¹⁷
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
¹⁸
may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the
breadth and length and height and depth
,
¹⁹
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.

20
 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far
more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
²¹
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Unity in the Body of Christ

4
  
I therefore
, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
²
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love,
³
eager to maintain the
unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
⁴
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call,
⁵
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
⁶
one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.
⁷
But grace was
given to each
of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
⁸
Therefore it is said,

  
"
When he ascended
on high he led a host of captives,

  
and he gave gifts to men."

⁹
(
In saying
, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
¹⁰
He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
¹¹
And his gifts were that some should be
apostles
, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
¹²
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
¹³
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
¹⁴
so that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.
¹⁵
Rather,
speaking the truth
in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
¹⁶
from whom the whole body,
joined
and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.

The Old Life and the New

17
 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer
walk as the Gentiles walk
, in the futility of their minds;
¹⁸
they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart;
¹⁹
they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.
²⁰
You did not so learn Christ! —
²¹
assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.
²²
Put off the old man that belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts,
²³
and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
²⁴
and
put on
the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Rules for the New Life

25
 Therefore,
putting away falsehood
, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
²⁶
Be angry but do not sin
; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
²⁷
and give no opportunity to the devil.
²⁸
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing
honest work
with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.
²⁹
Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
³⁰
And do not
grieve the Holy Spirit
of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
³¹
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice,
³²
and be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving
one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

5
  Therefore be
imitators of God
, as beloved children.
²
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and
gave himself up
for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Renounce Pagan Ways

3
 But
immorality
and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints.
⁴
Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving.
⁵
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is,
an idolater
), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
⁶
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
⁷
Therefore do not associate with them,
⁸
for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light
⁹
(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
¹⁰
and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
¹¹
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
¹²
For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret;
¹³
but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.
¹⁴
Therefore it is said,

  
"
Awake, O sleeper
, and arise from the dead,

  
and Christ shall give you light."
 
*

15
 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
¹⁶
making the most
of the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸
And
do not get drunk
with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
¹⁹
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,
²⁰
always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

The Christian Household

21
 Be
subject to one another
out of reverence for Christ.
²²
Wives, be subject
to your
husbands
, as to the Lord.
²³
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the
head
of the Church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
²⁴
As the Church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.
²⁵
Husbands, love
your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her,
²⁶
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water
with the word,
²⁷
that he might present the Church to himself in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
²⁸
Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
²⁹
For no man ever hates his own flesh, but
nourishes
and cherishes it, as Christ does the Church,
³⁰
because we are members of his body.
³¹
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the
two shall become one
flesh."
³²
This is a great
mystery
, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church;
³³
however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.