King James Version · Under Rome
Ephesians 1
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, of by the will of , to which are at , and to the in Christ : be to you, and peace, from , and from . be the and of our , who hath us with all spiritual in places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the of the of his , wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have through his , the forgiveness of , according to the riches of his ; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all and prudence; Having unto us of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in , and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an , being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the of his own will: That we should be to the of his , who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, of your : in whom also after that ye , ye were sealed with that of promise, Which is the earnest of our until the of the purchased possession, unto the of his . Wherefore I also, after I heard of your in , and love unto all , Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the of our , of , may give unto you of and in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the of his calling, and what the riches of the of his in , And what is the exceeding greatness of his to us-ward who , according to the working of his mighty , Which he wrought in Christ, when he him from , and set him at his own in the places, Far above all principality, and , and might, and , and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things , and gave him to be the head over all things to , Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
- Does God choose us, or do we choose God? · Ephesians 1:3-14
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.