My paraphrase of Ephesians 1:3-8

I was reading in Ephesians, and I thought that this passage was hard to understand. I doubt that I made it any clearer, below, but I have at least eliminated the abundant and ambiguous pronouns in the NIV translation ...

"Praise be to the God and Father of the Church's (our) Lord, Jesus Christ, for the Father has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Because, you see, the Father chose us, the Church, in Jesus Christ, before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his own sight.

In deep love, the Father predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters, his own precious children, through Jesus Christ, because this was the Father's pleasure and will--so that we would praise the Father's glorious grace, the grace which he has freely given us in his son Jesus, whom he loves.

In Jesus Christ we have redemption through his own blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with, and corresponding to, the riches of the Triune God's grace, that they lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding (the wisdom and understanding of all things that have passed and all that are to come, as well as all that are)."

(Ephesians 1:3-8, paraphrased)

Barkerian Confession

1. I have come to believe that I am constantly eager to promote myself above those around me, and that Christ is the only source of downward mobility.

2. I have come to believe that I am truly beautiful, regardless of my weight, age, or momentary attitude.

3. I have come to believe that I am extremely susceptible to great amounts of folly from my own heart.

4. I have come to believe that prayer works and that I am foolish for not praying more often.