As in a number of other contexts, the phrase the Father must be translated as “our Father” (with first person plural inclusive), since such kinship terms must in many languages be possessed.

All Christian brothers must be rendered in some languages as “all fellow believers” or “all who trust Christ as we do.”

Here, as in the body of the letter, peace is the gift of reconciliation, oneness, in the Christian group. This type of peace which is shared by a fellowship may often be referred to in an idiomatic way, for example, “to live with openness with one another” or “to live without hiding anything from one another” or even “to live together with happiness.”

Love is probably their love one for another and not primarily the love of God for them; this mutual brotherly love is also a gift from God and Christ.

With faith is a rather unusual expression; in 1.15 the writer speaks of his knowledge of the readers’ faith and love (also Col 1.4). Barth takes it to mean “especially faith,” which does not seem likely; some translations (for example, Bible de Jérusalem, Translator’s New Testament, New American Bible) translate “peace, love, and faith.”

It is easy enough to render love as “to love one another,” but to combine this with the phrase with faith is difficult, because the relationship is essentially obscure. The faith, however, is not “confidence in one another” (as some persons might assume on the basis of the relationship involved in peace and love). Perhaps the phrase with faith can be best rendered as “together with confidence in God” or even “together with trust in Christ.” It might also be possible to render with faith as a separate sentence: “May God and Christ also give you confidence in them.”

For grace (in verse 24) see 1.2. The expression May God’s grace be with all is essentially a prayer, and therefore in many languages one must introduce it by a phrase such as “I pray,” for example, “I pray that God will be king to all.”

The phrase all those who love … is a unique description of believers, but it is not strange or difficult. The Greek verb for “to love” is used in 2.4; 5.2, 25, 28, 33.

With undying love (also Revised Standard Version) translates the phrase “in incorruption.” Beare disagrees with this translation of it and takes it to be used loosely in the sense “Grace be with them all forever.” Barth takes it to mean “in eternity”; New English Bible takes it to be an additional element in the benediction and so translates “grace and immortality” (with the alternative rendering in footnote “Or who love … Christ with love imperishable”); likewise Jerusalem Bible “grace and eternal life.” After making a detailed study of the word, Robinson concludes that it means eternal life. But Translator’s New Testament, New International Version, Barclay, and others all translate as do Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation “unfailing, changeless, immortal” love; so Salmond, Abbott, Ellicott. Moule thinks the word might have here an intentional double meaning: “sincerely” and “eternally.” It must be admitted that the Greek phrase is unusual and that the usual meaning of the Greek noun “incorruption” in the New Testament is eternal life.

The English phrase with undying love is a particularly apt expression, but it is almost impossible to render literally in most languages. The closest equivalent may be “with love that never ceases,” “with love that can never be put out,” or “never stop loving” or even possibly “love that goes on forever.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .