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to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
Ephesians 1:6 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved,
  • KJV To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
  • NKJV to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
  • NASB to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved.
  • NLT So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

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

All of this is to the praise of God's glorious grace, freely given to us in his beloved Son. The aim of salvation is the glory of God's grace.

Overview

Paul names the ultimate purpose of election and adoption: the praise of the glory of God's grace. 'The Beloved' is a title for Christ, echoing the Father's words at Jesus' baptism. Believers are accepted not on their own standing but as they are united to the beloved Son, so that all worship redounds to the freely-giving God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 39

  • Rom 3:22–26And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
  • Col 1:13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
  • Eph 1:12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
  • Phil 4:19And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
  • Matt 3:17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
  • Eph 1:7–8In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
  • 1 Pet 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
  • Eph 1:14who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • Phil 1:11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
  • Eph 3:10–11His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
  • 1 Pet 4:11If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
  • Eph 1:18I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
  • Isa 43:21The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
  • 2 Cor 5:21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
  • Isa 42:1“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.
  • Rom 5:15–19But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many!
  • 1 Pet 2:5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Tim 1:14–16And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
  • Prov 8:30–31Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day by day, rejoicing always in His presence.
  • Rom 8:1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
  • Rom 9:23–24What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—
  • 2 Cor 4:15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
  • Jer 23:6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
  • John 10:17The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again.
  • Isa 45:24–25Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
  • Matt 17:5While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
  • 2 Th 1:8–10in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
  • Jer 33:9So this city will bring Me renown, joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I do for it. They will tremble in awe because of all the goodness and prosperity that I will provide for it.
  • Isa 61:11For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
  • John 3:35The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
  • Luke 2:14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
  • Eph 2:7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
  • Isa 49:1–3Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
  • Ps 60:5Respond and save us with Your right hand, that Your beloved may be delivered.
  • Prov 16:4The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.
  • Phil 3:9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
  • Ps 22:20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs.
  • Isa 61:3to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
  • Zech 13:7Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 1:6YouTube · 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 1:6 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.