Limitless Word
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:14 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
  • BSB who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • NKJV who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • NASB who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • NLT The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Holy Spirit is the pledge guaranteeing our future inheritance until full redemption. It assures believers their salvation will surely be completed.

Overview

The Spirit is called a 'pledge' (a down-payment or deposit) guaranteeing the believer's full inheritance to come. The 'redemption of God's own possession' points to the final day when God's people are fully delivered. As with verses 6 and 12, this too is 'to the praise of his glory,' closing the eulogy with worship.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • 2 Cor 1:22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
  • 2 Cor 5:5Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
  • Eph 4:30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
  • Gal 4:6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
  • Rom 8:15–17For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
  • Rom 8:23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
  • Eph 1:12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
  • 1 Pet 2:9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
  • Eph 1:6–7To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
  • Acts 20:32And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
  • Ps 78:54And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
  • Lev 25:24–34And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.
  • Jer 32:7–8Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.
  • Ps 74:2Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
  • Luke 21:28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
  • Acts 20:28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ephesians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ephesians 1:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EphesiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.

How Ephesians 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.