EPHESA
(Letter to the Ephesians)
ABOUT THIS LETTER
“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven!” (chapter 1.3). Paul begins his letter to the Christians in Ephesus with a powerful reminder of the main theme of his message. Christ died on the cross to set us free (1.7,8). But God raised Christ from death, and he now sits at God's right side in heaven, where he rules over this world. And he will rule over the future world as well (1.20,21).
Christ brought Jews and Gentiles together by “breaking down the wall of hatred” that separated them (2.14) and he united them all as part of that holy temple where God's Spirit lives (2.22). This was according to God's eternal plan (3.11).
There is only one Lord, one Spirit of God, and one God, who is the Father of all people (4.4,5). This means that Christians must let the Spirit keep their hearts united, so they can live at peace with each other (4.3). The idea of all Christians being one with Christ is so central to this letter that it occurs 20 times. There is one faith and one baptism by which believers become one body.
Ephesus was a port city on the western shore of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). In Paul's time this was the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire. It was also an ancient centre of nature religion where the goddess Artemis was widely worshipped (Acts 19).
Paul lets the Ephesians know that much is expected of people who are called to a new life (4.17—5.20). Followers of the Lord are God's dear children, and they must do as God does (5.1). They used to live in the dark, but they must now live in the light and make their light shine (5.8,9).
Paul then teaches husbands and wives, children and parents, and slaves and masters how to live as Christians (5.21—6.9).
Paul never forgets how kind God is:
God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God's wonderful kindness is what saves you. (Chapter 2.4,5)
You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. (Chapter 2.8)
A QUICK LOOK AT THIS LETTER
Greetings (1.1,2)
Christ Brings Spiritual Blessings (1.3—3.21)
A New Life in Unity with Christ (4.1—6.20)
Final Greetings (6.21-24)
1
Uemnah Ol
1 Clt 18.19-21; 19.1Pathen kah kongaih neh Jesuh Khrih kah caeltueih Paul loh Ephesa kah aka om hlang cim rhoek neh Jesuh Khrih ah uepom [kan yaak sak].
2 Boeipa Jesuh Khrih neh a pa Pathen taengkah lungvatnah neh ngaimongnah tah nangmih taengah om saeh.
Pathen kah Yoethen Cungkuem
3 Pathen neh mamih kah Boeipa Jesuh Khrih kah a napa tah uemom la om pai saeh. Amah loh Khrih ah vaan kah mueihla yoethennah cungkuem neh mamih n'uem coeng. 4 Mamih he Lungnah neh amah hmuh ah cimcaih tih cuemthuek la om ham diklai a tong hlanah amah dongah mamih n'tuek pataeng coeng. 5 Amah kah kongaih, kolonah vanbangla amah ham Jesuh Khrih lamloh cacah la mamih n'nuen coeng. 6 A lungvatnah dongkah thangpomnah he koehnah la om pai. Te nen ni lungnah dongah mamih n'lungvat. 7 Kol 1.14A thii lamloh amah dongah tlannah n'dang uh. A lungvatnah dongkah khuehtawn vanbangla tholhdalhnah dongkah khodawkngainah te khaw n'dang uh. 8 Tekah te mamih ah cueihnah cungkuem, lungcueinah neh a baetawt sak. 9 A kongaih kah olhuep te mamih taengah phoe coeng. 10 A kolonah bangla amah khuiah a hmoel te a tuetang a soepnah dongah hnokhoemnah la om coeng. A cungkuem he vaan kah neh diklai kah khaw, Khrih amah dongah cuii sak ham om.
11 A kongaih kah mangtaengnah bangla boeih pongthoo tih, a mangtaengnah vanbangla a nuen rhoek long tah amah dongkah te m'pang uh van coeng. 12 Te dongah amah kah thangpomnah Khrih ah koehnah la mamih n'om ham n'ngaiuep. 13 Nangmih khaw amah dongah ni namamih kah khangnah olthangthen oltak olka te na yaak uh. Amah aka tangnah tah olkhueh dongkah Mueihla Cim neh kutnoek n'daeng thil coeng. 14 Te tah koe dongah tlannah duela, a thangpomnah dongkah koehnah te mamih kah rho cungah la om.
Mueihla ben ah Thangthui nah
15 Te dongah Boeipa Jesuh dongah tangnah neh hlangcim rhoek boeih taengah lungnah te nangmih taeng lamloh ka yaak. 16 Te dongah nangmih ham toeng kolla aka uem loh ka thangthuinah dongah poekkoepnah ka khueh. 17 Te daengah ni mamih Boeipa Jesuh Khrih kah Pathen, thangpomnah a pa loh amah mingnah dongah pumphoenah neh cueihnah mueihla te nangmih m'paek eh. 18 Amah kah khuenah dongah ngaiuepnah aka om te na ming hamla nangmih thinko mik tueng uh. Amah rho dongkah thangpomnah khuehtawn te tah hlangcim rhoek soah om. 19 A thaomnah, a lennah aka baekhawk te tah a thadueng kah thaomnah bibi bangla aka tangnah mamih taengah om.
Khrih ah Pathen kah Saithainah
20 Tgt 110.1Te tah duek lamkah aka thoo Khrih amah khuiah a tueng sak. Te dongah vaan ah khaw a bantang ah ngol coeng. 21 Boeilu neh saithainah khaw, thaomnah neh taemrhainah khaw, ming khue boeih te ta kumhal bueng kah pawt tih hmailong kah khaw boeih a poe. 22 Tgt 8.6 Kol 1.18A cungkuem la a kho hmuiah boe a ngai sak tih amah te hlangboel taengah cungkuem soah a lu la a khueh. 23 Te tah amah pum la om tih cungkuem kah a soepnah tah cungkuem taengah soep.