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Ephesians 1:14

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 14 which is a token in advance* of our inheritance,+ for the purpose of releasing God’s own possession+ by a ransom,+ to his glorious praise.

Ephesians 1:14

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 14 ὅ which (thing) ἐστιν is ἀρραβὼν token τῆς of the κληρονομίας inheritance ἡμῶν, of us, εἰς into ἀπολύτρωσιν releasing by ransom τῆς of the περιποιήσεως, thing preserved, εἰς into ἔπαινον praise τῆς of the δόξης glory αὐτοῦ. of him.

Ephesians 1:14

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
- 14 which* is a token+ in advance* of our inheritance,+ for the purpose of releasing by a ransom+ [God’s] own* possession,+ to his glorious praise.

Ephesians 1:14

The Bible in Living English
- 14 which is the first installment of our inheritance, for redemption for preservation, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:14

American Standard Version
- 14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:14

The Emphasized Bible
- 14 Which is an earnest of our inheritance Unto the redemption of the acquisition;—Unto his glorious praise.

Ephesians 1:14

King James Version
- 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians

Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985
- 1:14 sl 331; w74 252; w73 494-495; w72 636; w70 383; sr55 174; w44 216; w39 153; s 190

Ephesians Study Notes—Chapter 1

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 1:14
  
  which: Referring to God’s “holy spirit,” or active force, mentioned in the preceding verse. Although some manuscripts use a masculine Greek pronoun here, there is strong support for the reading that uses the neuter pronoun, translated “which.” The use of a neuter pronoun agrees with how God’s spirit is referred to in other Bible verses. Some scholars suggest that later scribes used a Greek pronoun indicating masculine gender to portray the holy spirit as a person.—See study notes on Mt 28:19; Joh 14:17.
  
  a token in advance: Or “a down payment; a guarantee (pledge) of what is to come.” Paul here uses a legal term (ar·ra·bonʹ) that often refers to an advance payment of money smaller than the full payment. All three occurrences of this Greek word in the Christian Greek Scriptures are used figuratively to refer to God’s anointing of Christians with “the promised holy spirit,” God’s active force. (Eph 1:13, 14; 2Co 1:22; 5:5) This special operation of holy spirit becomes like a figurative down payment, a guarantee (or, a pledge) of what is to come. Because of this token of their heavenly inheritance, spirit-anointed Christians are convinced of their hope. They experience the complete fulfillment of their hope when they receive an incorruptible heavenly body.—2Co 5:1-5.
  
  our inheritance: That is, the heavenly inheritance of Christians who have been anointed with God’s holy spirit. The spirit serves as “a token in advance of” their inheritance. (1Pe 1:4, 5) For anointed Christians, this inheritance involves more than life in heaven. They are “the things in the heavens” that are to be gathered together under Jesus to be “heirs . . . of God” and “joint heirs with Christ.” (Eph 1:10; Ro 8:16, 17) The basic meaning of the Greek verb for “inherit” is for an heir to receive something as a right. This is often because of a family relationship, such as when a son receives an inheritance from his father. (Ga 4:30) But here, as in most occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures, this term is used in the broader sense of something received as a gift from God.—Mt 19:29; 1Co 6:9.
  
  God’s own possession: Lit., “the possession.” This possession is the congregation of spirit-anointed Christians. (Ac 20:28) At 1Pe 2:9, these Christians are referred to as “a people for special possession.”