Ephesians 1 · Verse 15

Ephesians 1:15

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Ephesians 1:15, King James Version

Ephesians 1:15 in other translations

BSBFor this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
WEBFor this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints,
ASVFor this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which ye show toward all the saints,
YLTBecause of this I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love to all the saints,
DARBYWherefore I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is in you, and the love which ye have towards all the saints,
BBEFor this cause I, having had news of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which you make clear to all the saints,
WebsterWherefore I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints,

What does Ephesians 1:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. Wherefore--because ye are in Christ and sealed by His Spirit (Ep 1:13, 14). I also--on my part, in return for God's so great benefits to you. after I heard--ever since I have heard. Not implying that he had only heard of their conversion: an erroneous argument used by some against the address of this Epistle to the Ephesians (see on Ep 1:1); but referring to the report he had heard since he was with them, as to their Christian graces. So in the case of Philemon, his "beloved fellow laborer" (Phm 1), he uses the same words (Phm 4, 5). your faith--rather, as Greek, "the faith among you," that is, which many (not all) of you have. love unto all the saints--of whatever name, simply because they are saints. A distinguishing characteristic of true Christianity (Ep 6:24). "Faith and love he often joins together. A wondrous pair" [Chrysostom]. Hope is added, Ep 1:18.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus. This is one of the passages usually relied on by those who suppose that this epistle was not written to the Ephesians. The argument is, that he writes to them as if they were strangers to him, and that it is not language such as would be used in addressing a people among whom he had spent three years. See the Intro.  5. But this inference is not conclusive. Paul had been some years absent from Ephesus when this epistle was written. In the difficult communication in those times between distant places, it is not to be supposed that he would hear often from them. Perhaps he had heard nothing after the time when he bade farewell to the elders of Ephesus at Miletus, (Acts 20,) until the time here referred to. It would be, therefore, a matter of great interest with him to hear from them; and when, in some way, intelligence was brought to him at Rome of a very gratifying character about their growth in piety, he says that his anxiety was relieved, and that he did not cease to give thanks for what he had heard, and to commend them to God in prayer.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Faith in the Lord Jesus - Cordial reception of the Christian religion, amply proved by their love to all the saints - to all the Christians. Perhaps love here implies, not only the kind affection so called, but also all the fruits of love - benevolence, and kind offices of every description.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ephesians 1:15-23
God has laid up spiritual blessings for us in his Son the Lord Jesus; but requires us to draw them out and fetch them in by prayer. Even the best Christians need to be prayed for: and while we hear of the welfare of Christian friends, we should pray for them. Even true believers greatly want heavenly wisdom. Are not the best of us unwilling to come under God's yoke, though there is no other way to find rest for the soul? Do we not for a little pleasure often part with our peace? And if we dispute less, and prayed more with and for each other, we should daily see more and more what is the hope of our calling, and the riches of the Divine glory in this inheritance. It is desirable to feel the mighty power of Divine grace, beginning and carrying on the work of faith in our souls. But it is difficult to bring a soul to believe fully in Christ, and to venture its all, and the hope of eternal life, upon his righteousness. Nothing less than Almighty power will work this in us. Here is signified that it is Christ the Saviour, who supplies all the necessities of those who trust in him, and gives them all blessings in the richest abundance. And by being partakers of Christ himself, we come to be filled with the fulness of grace and glory in him. How then do those forget themselves who seek for righteousness out of him! This teaches us to come to Christ. And did we know what we are called to, and what we might find in him, surely we should come and be suitors to him. When feeling our weakness and the power of our enemies, we most perceive the greatness of that mighty power which effects the conversion of the believer, and is engaged to perfect his salvation. Surely this will constrain us by love to live to our Redeemer's glory.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Ephesians 1:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΔιὰDiaBecause ofG1223
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
κἀγὼkagōI myself alsoG1473
ἀκούσαςakousashaving heard ofG191
τὴνtēntheG3588
καθ᾽kath᾽amongG2596
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
πίστινpistinfaithG4102
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
κυρίῳkuriōLordG2962
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
καὶkaiandG2532
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἀγάπηνagapēnloveG26
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
εἰςeistowardG1519
πάνταςpantasallG3956
τοὺςtoustheG3588
ἁγίουςhagioussaintsG40

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ephesians 1:15

  • Philemon 1:5

    Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

  • Colossians 1:3-4

    We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:3

    We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

  • Hebrews 6:10

    For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

  • 1 John 4:21

    And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

  • 1 John 3:17

    But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

  • 1 Timothy 1:5

    Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:9

    But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

  • 1 Peter 1:22

    Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:3

    Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

  • 1 Timothy 1:14

    And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

  • Galatians 5:6

    For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
after.
Col 1:3,4; Phm 1:5
faith.
Ga 5:6; 1Th 1:3; 2Th 1:3; 1Ti 1:5,14
love.
Ps 16:3; Col 1:4; 1Th 4:9; Heb 6:10; 1Pe 1:22; 1Jo 3:17; 4:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ephesians 1:14

    Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

  • Ephesians 1:15

    Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

  • Ephesians 1:16

    Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Read all of Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Por lo cual también yo, habiendo oído de vuestra fe en el Señor Jesús, y amor para con todos los santos,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		C’est pourquoi moi aussi, ayant entendu parler de la foi au seigneur Jésus qui est en vous, et de l’amour que vous avez pour tous les saints,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Weshalb auch ich, nachdem ich gehört habe von dem Glauben an den Herrn Jesu, der in euch ist, und von der Liebe, die ihr zu allen Heiligen habt,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Propterea et ego audiens fidem vestram, quæ est in Domino Jesu, et dilectionem in omnes sanctos,