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to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:6 · New King James Version
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.
  • BSB to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
  • 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 3:22–26even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
  • Col 1:13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
  • Eph 1:12to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
  • Phil 4:19My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
  • Matt 3:17Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
  • Eph 1:7–8in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
  • 1 Pet 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
  • Eph 1:14who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
  • Phil 1:11being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
  • Eph 3:10–11to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,
  • 1 Pet 4:11If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
  • Eph 1:18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
  • Isa 43:21the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.
  • 2 Cor 5:21For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
  • Isa 42:1“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights — I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
  • Rom 5:15–19But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
  • 1 Pet 2:5You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Tim 1:14–16The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
  • Prov 8:30–31then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,
  • Rom 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
  • Rom 9:23–24and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
  • 2 Cor 4:15For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
  • Jer 23:6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. This is his name by which he shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.
  • John 10:17Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
  • Isa 45:24–25They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in Yahweh.’” Even to him shall men come; and all those who raged against him shall be disappointed.
  • Matt 17:5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
  • 2 Th 1:8–10giving vengeance to those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,
  • Jer 33:9This city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do to them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to it.’”
  • Isa 61:11For as the earth produces its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up; so the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
  • John 3:35The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
  • Luke 2:14“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
  • Eph 2:7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
  • Isa 49:1–3Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother he has mentioned my name.
  • Ps 60:5So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.
  • Prov 16:4Yahweh has made everything for its own end — yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
  • Phil 3:9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
  • Ps 22:20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog.
  • Isa 61:3to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
  • Zech 13:7“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Armies. “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.