Ephesians 1:3

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised, for He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in [fellowship with] Christ. [Note: The phrase “heavenly realms” is used somewhat differently throughout this book. Here it refers to Christians as part of the church on earth].

Cross References

Luke 2:28

Simeon took Jesus in his arms, praised God and said,

John 14:20

When that day comes [i.e., after His ascension (?)], you will know that I am in [fellowship with] the Father, and that you are in [fellowship with] me, and that I am in you [i.e., through the Holy Spirit].

John 17:21

[I pray] that all of them may be one, just as you, Father, are [one] in [fellowship with] me, and I [am one] in [fellowship with] you, so that they also may be [one] in [fellowship with] us in order that the world may [see it and] believe that you sent me.

John 20:17

Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not ascended to the Father yet [Note: Apparently Jesus was discouraging Mary from embracing Him in worship as was done in Matt. 28:9, and thereby causing a delay of when the rest of the disciples would learn of His resurrection], but go to my brothers and tell them [I said] ‘I am [about] to ascend to my Father and to your Father, and to my God and your God.’”

Romans 12:5

In the same way, though we [Christians] are many, we are one [spiritual] body in [fellowship with] Christ, and each one of us is part of [all] the others.

Romans 15:6

so that in [genuine] unity and with one voice, you people may honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:30

But God brought you into [fellowship with] Christ Jesus, who was made to be God’s wisdom for us. Through Christ you have received a right relationship with God, [as well as] holiness and redemption [i.e., being bought back from Satan].

1 Corinthians 12:12

For [just] as the human body is one [unit], made up of many parts, and all the many parts make up a single body, so it is with Christ. [Note: Just as a human body is a single unit and Christ is a single being, so the members of His body, the church, constitute one body. See verses 27-28].

2 Corinthians 1:3

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father of compassionate feelings and the God of all comfort, be praised.

2 Corinthians 11:31

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who should be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if any person is in [fellowship with] Christ, he is a new person. His old ways have passed away; now his ways have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:21

God considered Christ to be sinful on our behalf, even though He never sinned, so that we could be considered right with God through Him.

Galatians 3:9

So then, all those who have faith [in Jesus] receive a blessing along with Abraham, a man of faith.

Ephesians 1:10

[He did this] to fulfill His plan at the proper time, by bringing together everything [in the universe] under Christ’s headship --- things both in heaven and on earth.

Ephesians 1:17

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you a spirit [i.e., a disposition] of wisdom and revelation [or, “give you the spiritual gifts of wisdom and revelation”], so you can have full knowledge of God.

Ephesians 1:20

which He exerted when raising Christ from the dead and seating Him at His right side in the heavenly realms [i.e., heaven itself].

Ephesians 2:6

God raised us up with Christ [See Col. 2:12] and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms [i.e., in the church. See 1:3] in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:10

This was done so that now God’s many-sided wisdom could be made known through the church, to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms [Note: “Heavenly realms” here refers to the world around us, where these angelic beings (good or bad) view the unfolding of God’s wonderful plan],

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not [actually] against human beings, but against rulers and authorities and leaders of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [Note: “Heavenly realms” here refers to the struggle against Satanic powers which permeates life around us].

Philippians 2:11

and that everyone’s mouth should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 8:5

These priests serve [in a sanctuary] that is [only] a copy and a foreshadow of the heavenly one. Now Moses was warned [by God] when he was about to build the Tabernacle, for God said [Ex. 25:40], “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain [i.e., Mount Sinai].”

Hebrews 9:23

Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things [i.e., the Tabernacle, its furniture and utensils, etc.] to be [ceremonially] cleansed by these things [i.e., the blood of animal sacrifices], but the heavenly things themselves [i.e., the church, both on earth and in heaven] require better sacrifices than these [i.e., the sacrifice of Christ].

1 Peter 1:3

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to be praised for being so merciful as to have given us a new birth, which provides for us a hope of never ending life through the means of Jesus Christ’s return from the dead.