T4T EPH book

We should praise God for having chosen and redeemed us, having revealed his plan to unite all things under Christ, and causing Christ to rule over all his people.

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of our relationship with Christ, he has blessed us spiritually in every way by giving us blessings that come from heaven. 4 Before God created the world, he chose us to be his people because of our ◄relationship with/union with► Christ, in order that God could consider us to be completely holy [DOU]. Because God loves us, 5 he decided long ago that he would adopt us to be as though we were his own children because of what Jesus Christ has done. He decided to do that because it pleased him to do that. 6 He did it in order that we would praise him for acting very kindly toward us in a wonderful way that we did not deserve. He did it because of our relationship with his beloved Son {one, who is also God, whom he loves}.

7 When the blood of Christ flowed when he died [MTY], it was as though he paid a price to free/save us from the guilt of our sins. That ◄provided a way/made it possible► for God to act very kindly toward us to forgive us for having sinned. 8 He acted very kindly toward us and enabled us to become wise about many [HYP] things and to understand his truth. 9 He has enabled us to know the things that he had planned secretly (OR, that he had not revealed to anyone yet). He did that because he wanted to do that, and because he planned to do that by means of the things Christ would do. 10 God planned that at the time that he appointed, he would unite all things/beings in heaven and all things/beings on earth (OR, all beings in heaven and all things on earth), and cause Christ to be the one who will rule them [MET]. 11 Because of our close relationship with Christ, God has also chosen us (inc) (OR, us (exc) Jews) to receive what he has promised to give us. He decided long ago to do that. It was exactly what he planned. He accomplishes everything exactly as he plans and desires, 12 in order that we(exc) Jews, who confidently expected the Messiah to do great things for us before the non-Jews expected such things (OR, we (inc) who were already confidently expecting Christ to do great things for us) will praise him for his greatness. 13 You Ephesians also heard the true message, the good message about how God saves you. People put their seal on something to show that it belongs to them. Similarly, when you believed in Christ, God showed that you also belong to him by sending you the Holy Spirit as he promised to do [MET]. 14 The Holy Spirit is like [MET] a ◄deposit/down payment►. That is, he ◄guarantees/assures us► that we will receive all that God has promised to give us, at the time when God will give to those who belong to him [MET] everything that Christ freed us to receive. God also assures you that you belong to him, in order that you would praise him for his greatness.

I thank God for your faith, and pray that you will understand more about how powerfully he works on our behalf, just like he did when he caused Christ to become alive again and made him ruler over everything.

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 Because of what God has done for you, and because people told me that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus and that you love all those who belong to God, 16 I thank God for you constantly [LIT, HYP]. I ◄mention/pray for► you constantly, whenever I pray. 17 I pray that God, who is the glorious/wonderful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may cause his Spirit to make you wise, and that his Spirit will reveal God to you so that you may fully know him. 18 And I pray that God would enable you to understand [MTY] his truth, in order that in your ◄inner beings/hearts► you may know the things that we believers should confidently expect to receive because he chose us to be his people. And I pray that you will know how God will bless his people in a very wonderful way when we finally receive all that he has promised to give us. 19 And I pray that you will know how very powerfully God helps us who continue to trust in Christ. He works powerfully for us 20 just like he acted powerfully for Christ when he caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and put him in the place of highest/greatest honor [MTY] in heaven. 21 There, Christ is the supreme ruler over every powerful spirit of every level of authority. His rank is much higher than any powerful spirit can receive, not only now, but forever. 22 God has caused all beings to be subject to Christ [MTY], and he has also appointed Christ, who rules over all things, to rule [MET] over all believers. 23 We believers relate to Christ like the parts of a person’s body [MET] relate to its head. Christ uses all his power among us just like he uses his power throughout the whole universe.

Formerly we were all spiritually dead and were certain to be punished by God, but he acted very kindly toward us and saved us freely as a result of our faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10

2 Formerly, because you were habitually sinning [DOU], you were ◄spiritually dead/as unable to please God as a corpse [MET] is►. 2 You were acting in the same evil way as those who oppose Christ [MTY] act. That is, you were behaving in the evil ways that Satan wanted you to behave. He rules over evil spiritual beings that no person can see [MTY]. He is the spirit who now powerfully controls the people who disobey God. 3 Formerly, we all used to disobey God as they do. We did the things that our self-centered nature wanted us to do. We habitually did those evil deeds that our bodies and our minds wanted to do. When we were acting like that, it was certain that God would punish [MTY] us, just like he will certainly punish all other evil people.

4 But God always acts very mercifully, and he loves us very much. 5 As a result, even when we were ◄spiritually dead/as unable to please God as a corpse [MET] is► because we were habitually sinning, he enabled us to receive spiritual/eternal life because of our relationship with Christ. Do not forget this: It is only because God has acted so kindly toward you, in a way that you did not deserve, that you are saved {that he saved you} from the guilt of your sin 6 And it is as though God gave us spiritual life when he caused Christ Jesus to be alive again after he died [MET]. And it is as though God caused us to sit and rule [MTY] with him in heaven, 7 in order that he might show to everyone at all times in the future that he has acted toward us in an extremely kind way because of what Christ Jesus did for us.

8 It is only by God acting [PRS] toward you in a way that you did not deserve that you have been saved {that he has saved you} as a result of your trusting in Christ. You did not save yourselves. His saving you was his gift to you. 9 He did not save any of you because of anything you yourselves did. Because you have done nothing to save yourselves, you cannot be proud of your efforts to save yourselves. 10 It is God who has made us what we are now. Because of our relationship with Christ Jesus, he has enabled us to receive spiritual/eternal life in order that we should conduct our lives habitually doing the good deeds that God previously planned for us to do.

God brought you Gentiles into his family so that now you and Jewish believers both share the same blessings and form one group; you now have peace with each other and can come to God in prayer with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:11-22

11 You Ephesians have been non-Jews from the time that you were born. The Jews ◄insult you/say that you are not God’s people► by calling you ‘those who are not circumcised’. They proudly call themselves ‘we (exc) who are circumcised’. They have allowed people to circumcise them to indicate that they are God’s people, but that has only changed their bodies, not their ◄inner beings/hearts►. 12 You should constantly remember these things: Formerly you did not have any relationship with Christ. You did not belong to the people of Israel, the people whom God chose. You did not know about the things God promised in his agreements with his people. You did not confidently expect to go to heaven after you die (OR, that God would save you). You lived in this world without knowing God. 13 But now, because of your relationship with Christ Jesus, God has brought you, who had no relationship with him [MET], into his family [MET]. He did that because you trusted in what Christ accomplished when his blood [MTY] flowed from his body when he died on the cross.

14 Christ himself has caused us Jewish and non-Jewish believers to have peace with each other. He has made both of our groups to become one group. Just like people ◄tear down/demolish► a wall that separates groups of people [MET], he has destroyed the hatred between Jews and non-Jews. 15 By dying [MTY] for us on the cross he made it no longer necessary for us to obey all the Jewish laws and rituals in order to be saved. He did that in order to enable the two groups to become one new group because of our relationship with him. The result was that he has caused us to have peace with each other. 16 By dying on the cross [MTY] he caused both Jews and non-Jews to have a peaceful relationship with God. That is how he caused us to no longer be [MET] enemies with God (OR, with each other). 17 He came to earth and proclaimed that you non-Jews, who did not have a relationship with [MET] God, and us(exc) Jews, who considered that we(exc) belonged to [MET] God’s family, can all now have peace with God. 18 We know that he has done that because we both, Jews and non-Jews, are now able to approach God the Father in prayer by the help of his Spirit, because of what Christ has done.

19 So God no longer treats you non-Jews as people treat [MET] foreigners and strangers who live among them [MET]. Instead, along with all God’s people, it is as though you have become citizens of a country that he rules over, and as though you have become members of the family of which he is the father [MET]. 20 Just like a building is built {as someone builds a building} on a foundation, God has joined you into one group that originated/began from what the apostles and prophets taught. Christ Jesus is the most important one in that group, just like a cornerstone is the most important part of a building. And 21 just like a builder might join together all the parts of a building to make it a temple that people will dedicate to the Lord [MET], Christ is continually causing all of you who have a relationship with him to be united, in order that you will become one holy group. 22 And because of your relationship with Christ, God is joining you non-Jews together with Jewish believers to be like one building [MET] in which his Spirit lives.

I am in prison because God appointed me to tell non-Jews that Christ is the source of great spiritual blessings for them.

Ephesians 3:1-13

3 Because God has done all this for you non-Jews, I, Paul, pray for you. I want you to know that it is because I serve Christ Jesus for your sake that I am in prison. 2 I ◄assume that/think that probably► someone has told you how God acted very kindly toward me, appointing me so that I would proclaim the gospel to you non-Jews. 3 God revealed to me the message that he had not revealed to others. When you read what I have already written briefly about that, 4 you will be able to understand that I understand clearly that message about Christ. 5 Formerly, God did not reveal that message to anyone, but now his Spirit has revealed that message to ◄his holy apostles and prophets/people who tell messages that come directly from God►. 6 That message, which he has now revealed, is that because of our (inc) relationship with Christ Jesus, all of us, non-Jews as well as Jews [MTY], will receive the great spiritual blessings that God has promised as we all form one group [MET] as a result of our believing the good news about Christ. 7 By God powerfully enabling me, and because God acted kindly toward me, doing what I did not deserve, and chose me to do that work, I became someone who tells others this good message.

8 Although I am the least worthy of all God’s people, God kindly appointed me to proclaim to the non-Jews the message about the great spiritual blessings that they can receive from Christ, 9 and to enable everyone to understand clearly how God accomplished what he planned. God, who created everything, has now revealed this message, which he never revealed to anyone before. 10 What he planned was that all ◄believers/people who belong to Christ► would be the ones who would reveal to all the ranks [DOU] of spiritual beings in heaven that what God had planned is wise in every way. 11 That is what God had always planned, and it is what he accomplished by what our Lord Jesus has done. 12 Because of what he has done and because of our relationship with him, when we pray we can approach God confidently and without being afraid. 13 So I ask that you do not be discouraged because of my suffering many things for you here in prison. You should feel honored that I am willing to suffer these things for your sake.

I pray that God’s Spirit will empower you, that you may experience how much Christ loves you, and that God may make you all that he intends for you to be.

Ephesians 3:14-21

14 Because God has done all this for you, I kneel and pray [MTY] to God our Father. 15 He is the one who is like a father of all the believers who are now in heaven and those who are still on the earth. 16 I pray that, using his unlimited resources, he will cause you to be strengthened by his Spirit {cause his Spirit to strengthen you} in your ◄inner beings/hearts► with all God’s power. 17 That is, I pray that because of your trusting in Christ, his Spirit may live in your ◄inner beings/hearts► (OR, he may live in your hearts). And I pray that because you love Christ firmly and faithfully/continually [MET], you, 18 along with all other believers, may be able to know how very [DOU] much Christ loves us(inc). 19 I want you to experience how very deeply he loves us, even though it is not possible for us to understand fully how much he loves us. And I pray that God will enable you to be filled with {have a full measure of} all the qualities of his character that he himself has.

20 God is able to do much ◄greater things/more► than we could ask him to do, or even that we might think that he can do, by his power that is working within us. 21 Because of our relationship with Christ Jesus, may all ◄believers/those who belong to him► praise him forever. ◄Amen!/May it be so!►

Conduct your lives in a way that shows that you are God’s people; do all that you can to keep all the believers united; and remember that Christ has given various abilities to each of his people, in order that you all may be united and grow spiritually and become like Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-16

4 Therefore I, who am in prison because I serve the Lord Jesus, urge you, whom God has chosen to be his people, to do these things: Conduct your lives as God’s people should. 2 Always be humble, and do not demand your own rights. Be patient with each other, and, because you love each other, endure each other’s ◄irritating behavior/behavior that you do not like►. 3 God’s Spirit has caused you to be united with one another, so do all that you can to remain united with one another by acting peacefully toward each other. 4 All we believers form just one group [MET], and we have only one Holy Spirit. Similarly, you were chosen {God chose you} in order that you all might confidently keep expecting one set of good things from God. 5 There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. We all believe the same teaching about him. It was to show that we belong to him alone that we had someone baptize us. 6 There is one God, who is the spiritual Father of all us believers. He rules over all his people; he enables all his people to do powerful things (OR, he sustains all his people); and his Spirit lives in all his people.

7 Christ has generously given to each one of us spiritual gifts, just like he decided to give them. 8 When Christ gave gifts to his people, it was similar to what the Psalmist said about God receiving tribute money from those whom he had conquered,

When he ascended to heaven, he gave as gifts to people the things that he had taken from the people whom he captured:

9 The words ‘he ascended’ certainly imply/indicate [RHQ] that Christ had also previously descended to the earth. 10 Christ, who descended to earth, is also the one who ascended to the most exalted position in heaven, in order that he might show his power [MTY] throughout the universe. 11 He appointed some people to be apostles. He appointed some people to be ◄prophets/ones who reveal messages that come directly from God►. He appointed some people to be ◄evangelists/ones whose work is to tell others the message about Christ►. He appointed some people to lead and teach the congregations. 12 He appointed all of these in order that they would prepare God’s people to do God’s work, so that all the people who belong to Christ [MET] might become spiritually mature. 13 He wants all of us believers to be united because we all believe in the Son of God (OR, the man who was also God) and because we all know him. He wants us to become spiritually mature; that is, he wants us to be ◄perfect/all that God wants us to be►, just like Christ was ◄perfect/all that God wanted him to be►. 14 Then we will no longer be spiritually immature, like [MET] little children are immature. We will no longer be constantly changing what we believe, like [MET] waves of the sea are constantly changing as the wind blows and tosses them back and forth. We will not allow people who teach what is false and who scheme to deceive/influence us. 15 Instead, by loving others as we behave as God’s truth requires (OR, speak in a loving manner what is true), we will become more and more like Christ in every way. He is the one who controls/guides all his people [MET], just like a person’s head controls/guides his body. 16 He enables all those who belong to him to mature spiritually. A person’s body grows stronger, as each part of the body is joined to the others by the ligaments and as each part ◄functions properly/works as it should►. Similarly, believers will become mature spiritually by loving each other and by each of them doing the work that God wants them to do [MET].

You should conduct yourselves in a way that matches your new life; so stop doing the harmful things that unbelievers do, and do good things to one another.

Ephesians 4:17-32

17 The Lord Jesus has authorized me to strongly tell you that you must no longer conduct your lives like unbelievers do. The futile/worthless way in which they think [MET] controls how they conduct their lives. 18 They are unable to think clearly [MET] about what is right and what is wrong. Because they have decided that they do not want to know about God and because they stubbornly [IDM] refuse to listen to his message, they do not have the eternal life that God gives us. 19 The result is that because they have ceased ◄to care/to be concerned► about what is right and what is wrong, they have ◄deliberately committed themselves to doing/wholeheartedly decided to do► the shameful things that their bodies want, and they commit all kinds of immoral acts, and continually are eager to do more of those things.

20 But when you learned about Christ, you did not learn to behave like that. 21 I am sure that you heard the message about Christ, and because you are people who have a close relationship with him, you were taught {others taught you} the true way to live that Jesus showed us. 22 You were taught {They taught you} that you must put aside [MET] your evil nature; that is, that you must not behave like you formerly did. Your evil desires deceived you, making you want to do evil things and causing you to think that doing that was good for you; and your thinking like that was destroying you spiritually. 23 Others taught you that instead, you must let God’s Spirit change the way you think, 24 and that you must start being [MET] the new persons that God made you to become. That is, your behavior must be righteous and truly/genuinely devout.

25 Therefore, quit lying to one another. Instead, because we all belong to just one group of believers, speak truthfully to each other. 26 If you get angry, do not sin as a result of getting angry. Before the end of the day [MTY], stop being angry; 27 by doing that, you will not allow the devil to make you do evil. 28 Those who have been stealing must not steal any longer. Instead, they should work hard to earn ◄their living/what they need► ◄by their own efforts/by what they do themselves► [MTY], in order that they may have something to give to those who are needy. 29 Do not use [MTY] foul language. Instead, say only things that are useful for helping people when they need help, things that will help spiritually the people that you talk to. 30 God has given you his Spirit ◄to confirm/to assure you► that some day God will claim all you people whom Christ has redeemed [MET], just like people confirm that something belongs to them by putting their seal on it. So do not cause God’s Holy Spirit to be sad ◄by the way you talk/by the things that you say►. 31 Do not be resentful at all towards others. Do not become angry in any way. Never shout abusively at others. Never ◄slander/say bad things about► others. Never act maliciously/be mean in any way. 32 Be kind to one another. Act mercifully toward each other. Forgive each other, just like God forgave you because of what Christ has done.

Imitate God, do everything in a way that shows love, and do not let anyone persuade you to live immorally, because God will punish those who disobey him.

Ephesians 5:1-6

5 ◄Imitate/Behave like► God, because he loves you who are as though you were [SIM] his children. 2 Do everything in a way that shows that you love people, just like Christ loved us and willingly died for us. He offered himself to God as a sacrifice that was very pleasing to God, just like Jewish priests offered sweet-smelling animal sacrifices to God [MET]. 3 Do not commit any kind of immoral act [DOU], and do not desire more things than you need. Do not act in such a way that others could even ◄spread rumors/talk► about your acting in such ways, because it is not appropriate/fitting for God’s people to do such things. 4 Do not use obscene/shameful language when you talk to people. Do not talk foolishly. Do not use vulgar/indecent language, because it is not appropriate/fitting that God’s people should talk like that. Instead, tell people how much you thank God for all he does for you. 5 You can be sure of this: No person who is sexually immoral or who acts indecently/shamefully will be among those people whom God rules over [MET] in heaven. Neither will those who desire more things than they need. Such people worship their possessions instead of worshipping God. 6 Do not let anyone deceive you by suggesting that God will really not punish people who commit such sins, because God certainly will punish [MTY] those who habitually disobey him by doing such things.

Live righteously, and expose the evil deeds that evil people do, because when you do that, those people who do those evil things will come to know the truth.

Ephesians 5:7-21

7 So, do not commit the same kinds of deeds that such people do, 8 because formerly you did not know God’s truth [MET], as those who are in darkness do not know what is around them. But now it is as though you are in the light [MET] because you know God’s truth because of your relationship with the Lord Jesus. So do those things that those who know God’s truth [MET] should do. 9 Keep in mind that as light [MET] causes good things to grow, those who know God’s truth should do those things that are good, righteous, and honest. 10 And as you do that, try ◄to find out/to discover► what pleases the Lord. 11 Do not do the worthless deeds that the people ◄who are in spiritual darkness/who do not know God’s truth► [MET] do. Instead, let others know that those people’s deeds are worthless. 12 It is shameful for God’s people to even talk among themselves about those evil deeds that evil people do secretly and habitually. 13 But when God’s people rebuke those evil people about their deeds, it will be clear/evident how evil their deeds really are, just like everything exposed to the light becomes visible {as light [MET] reveals everything that we cannot see in the darkness}. 14 Just like something on which a light shines reflects that light [MET], whoever has learned God’s truth reveals that truth to others. That is why we believers say this:

You who are not aware of your sins, become aware of them [MET]!

It is as though you are sound asleep, so wake up!

Be like dead people who are becoming alive again!

Christ will cause you to know God’s truth, just like a light [MET]

that shines causes people to know what is in the darkness.

15 So be very careful how you behave. Do not behave as foolish people do. Instead, behave as wise people do. 16 Use your time carefully, because these days [MTY] people do extremely evil deeds. 17 So do not be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord Jesus wants you to do, and do it!

18 Do not become drunk by drinking alcoholic drinks, since people are unable to control their behavior when they are drunk. Instead, let God’s Spirit control your behavior at all times [MTY]. 19 Sing to each other ◄Psalms/songs with words from the Scriptures►, sing other songs that the congregation knows, and songs that God’s Spirit gives you. Sing these Psalms and other songs sincerely to praise the Lord Jesus. 20 At all times thank God, who is our heavenly Father, for everything, especially for what the Lord Jesus Christ [MTY] has done for you. 21 Humbly submit yourselves to each other because you reverence Christ, who is our example.

Instructions about how wives and husbands, children and parents, and slaves and masters should behave toward each other.

Ephesians 5:22—6:9

22-23 22-23Because husbands have authority over [MET] their wives, just as all of us believers form one group under the authority of Christ, you women should submit yourselves to the authority of your husbands just as you submit yourselves to the Lord Jesus. He is the one who saves all his people from the guilt of their sins. 24 Just like all believers submit themselves to the authority of Christ, the women must submit themselves completely to the authority of their husbands.

25 Each of you husbands, love your wife as Christ loved all of us who would become believers, with the result that he willingly died for our sake, 26 in order that he might ◄set us apart for himself/cause us to belong to him►. That is, by revealing his message to us, he wanted to remove the guilt of our sin, just like people remove dirt from something by washing it [MET]. 27 Christ did that in order that he might cause all of us believers to be a glorious group of people that belong to him, people that do not have any moral flaws/imperfections, but instead might be completely pure [DOU] when he gathers us ◄to his presence/to himself►. 28 In the same way, each man should love his wife as he loves his own body. Men who love their wives, it is as though they love themselves. 29-30 29-30This is shown by the fact that no one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds his own body and cares for it, just like Christ also cares for all us believers. We have become one group of believers that belongs to him [MET]. 31 What someone has written in the Scriptures about people who marry is this,

When a man and a woman marry, they should ◄permanently leave/no longer live with► their fathers and mothers. They should be joined as husband and wife, and the two of them shall become as though they were one [MET] person.

32 It is very difficult to understand the meaning of these things that God has now revealed to me, but I am telling you that those words also refer to the relationship between Christ and all those who belong to him. 33 However, as for you(pl), each man must love his wife just as he loves himself, and each woman must respect her husband.

6 You children, because you ◄belong to/have a close relationship with► the Lord Jesus, obey your parents, because it is right for you to do that. 2 God commanded in the Scriptures,

Greatly respect your father and mother.

That is the first law that God commanded in which he also promised something. He promised,

3 If you do that, you will prosper, and you will live a long time.

4 You parents (OR, You fathers), do not treat your children so severely that they become angry. Instead, bring them up well by instructing them and by disciplining them in the manner that the Lord Jesus wants you to do.

5 You slaves, obey those who are your masters. Obey them very respectfully and sincerely [DOU], just like you obey Christ. 6 Obey them, not only when they are watching [MTY] you, and not only to cause them to think highly/well of you. Instead, obey them as though you were [MET] slaves of Christ, not slaves of your masters. Do enthusiastically what God wants you to do. 7 Serve your masters zealously/wholeheartedly, as you would serve the Lord Jesus, not as you would serve ordinary people. 8 Do this because you know that some day the Lord Jesus will reward each person for whatever good deeds that person has done. He will reward people who are slaves and people who are not slaves.

9 You masters, just like your slaves should serve you well, you similarly must treat them well. Stop threatening to beat them if they do not do their work well. Do not forget you and they have the same Lord who is in heaven. So he is the one who will say to you and your slaves whether he approves of what you and they have done, and when he judges people, he does not act more favorably toward some than he acts toward others.

As you always rely on the Lord to strengthen you, make use of every spiritual resource that God provides to resist the devil and all his powerful evil spirits.

Ephesians 6:10-20

10 Finally, at all times rely/depend completely on the Lord Jesus to strengthen you spiritually by his own mighty power. 11 Just like a soldier puts on all his ◄armor/things to help him fight► [MET], you should use every spiritual resource/help that God provides for you, in order that you may successfully resist the devil when he cleverly tries to oppose you. 12 You must do this because the fighting that we believers do is not only against human beings [SYN]. Instead, we are also fighting against evil spirits who rule and have authority over all that is evil [MET] in the world. And we are fighting against evil spirits who are in heavenly places (OR, everywhere). 13 Therefore, just like a soldier puts on all his ◄armor/things to help him fight► [MET], use well all the spiritual resources/helps that God provides for you. Do that in order that you may be able to resist successfully the devil and all his powerful evil spirits [MTY] every time they ◄attack you/tempt you to sin or cause something bad to happen to you►. Do it also in order that when you have done all that you can to resist them when they attack you, you will still be ready to resist them when they attack you the next time.

14 You must be ready to firmly resist the devil and his evil spirits [MET], just like soldiers must be ready to resist the enemy. Prepare for doing that by doing these things: To be strong spiritually, hold firmly to God’s truth, just like soldiers prepare ◄to stand firm against/to firmly resist► their enemies by fastening their belts around their waists [MET]. Act righteously in order to protect yourself against demonic attacks, just like soldiers put on breastplates to protect their chests against their enemies’ attacks [MET]. 15 Hold fast the good message that gives us peace with God, just like soldiers put on their boots firmly [MET] ◄to stand firm against/to firmly resist► their enemies. 16 In addition, keep trusting firmly in the Lord. That will enable you to protect yourselves from anything that Satan, the evil one, may do to harm you spiritually, just like soldiers carry shields to protect themselves against the arrows that have flaming tips that their enemies shoot at them [MET]. 17 And rely/depend on the fact that God has saved you, in order to protect yourselves against demonic attacks, just like soldiers put on a helmet to protect their heads from attacks by their enemies [MET]. And be ready to use the weapon that God’s Spirit has given you, which is the message of God, in order to fight against ◄demonic powers/Satan►, just like soldiers use their swords to fight against their enemies [MET]. 18 As you are doing that, keep praying to God at all times, and requesting him to do things for you and others; and let God’s Spirit direct what you pray. For this purpose, always be spiritually alert/watchful, and ◄always be persistent in/never quit► praying for all God’s people. 19 And specifically, pray for me. Pray that God will tell me what I should say [MTY] whenever I speak, in order that I may boldly tell others the good message about Christ. People did not know that message before, but God has now revealed it to me. 20 I am ◄a representative of Christ/one who speaks on behalf of Christ► as I tell this message to others, and I am in prison [MTY] because of that. Pray that when I tell others about Christ, I may speak without being afraid, because that is how I ought to speak.

I am sending Tychicus to tell you what is happening here and to encourage you. I pray that God will give you peace and love for each other, and that he will continue to act kindly toward you all.

Ephesians 6:21-24

21 In order that you may know about what is happening to me and what I am doing, I am sending Tychicus to you with this letter. He will tell you everything that is happening here. He is a fellow believer whom we all (inc) love very much, and he serves the Lord Jesus faithfully. 22 That is the reason that I am sending him to you; I want you to know ◄how my companions and I are/what is happening to my companions and me►, and I want him to encourage you [SYN].

23 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will cause all of you fellow believers to have inner peace, and enable you to love each other and to continue trusting in Christ. 24 I pray that God will continue to act kindly to you and to all others who love our Lord Jesus Christ and will never quit loving him.