independentparticipialrelativepurposecomparativecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The salutation 1:1–2
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,independent — the sender — a verbless superscription
to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus:phrase modifier — dative of address — the recipients
2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.independent — the greeting
The blessing — one Greek sentence 1:3–14
vv. 3–6 — in the Father: chosen and destined before time
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,independent — the doxology — 'Blessed be…' (verb supplied)
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,participial — attributive — expands ὁ θεός: the one who blessed us
4
just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,comparative — the blessing grounded in election
that we should be holy and blameless before him in love,purpose — infinitive — election's goal (ἐν ἀγάπῃ read with this line)
5
having predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself,participial — on ἐξελέξατο — predestined to sonship
according to the good pleasure of his will,phrase modifier — the norm — his good pleasure
6
to the praise of the glory of his grace,purpose — refrain 1 — the goal of the choosing and destining (on προορίσας)
with which he favored us in the Beloved,relative — on τῆς χάριτος (attracted ἧς) — grace bestowed in the Beloved
vv. 7–12 — in the Son: redeemed, and let into the plan
7
in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses,relative — on τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ — in him, redemption
according to the riches of his grace,phrase modifier — the measure — the riches of his grace
8
which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight,relative — on τῆς χάριτος (attracted ἧς) — the grace lavished
9
having made known to us the mystery of his will,participial — the lavishing as disclosure — the mystery made known
according to his good pleasurephrase modifier — the norm — his good pleasure
which he purposed in him,relative — on τὴν εὐδοκίαν — purposed in him
10
for an administration of the fullness of the times,purpose — the horizon of προέθετο — the fullness of the times
to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth —content — epexegetic infinitive — on τὸ μυστήριον (v. 9): all things summed up in Christ
in him,phrase modifier — resumptive — repeats ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ and launches v. 11
11
in whom we also were made a heritage,relative — in him — made God's own portion
having been predestined according to the purpose of the one who works all things according to the counsel of his will,participial — grounded — predestined by the all-working God
12
so that we should be to the praise of his glory —purpose — refrain 2 — εἰς τό + infinitive (on ἐκληρώθημεν)
we who first hoped in Christ;participial — apposition to ἡμᾶς — 'we who first hoped'
vv. 13–14 — in the Spirit: sealed until the inheritance
13
in whom you also —relative — anacoluthon — 'in whom you also—' (antecedent τῷ Χριστῷ, v. 12)
having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation —participial — temporal — having heard the word
in whom also, having believed,relative — the suspended clause resumed, with a second temporal participle
you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,relative — the ἐν ᾧ clause's finite verb — sealed with the Spirit
14
who is the down payment of our inheritance,relative — on τῷ πνεύματι — the Spirit as ἀρραβών
until the redemption of the possession,phrase modifier — the term — until God redeems his possession
to the praise of his glory.purpose — refrain 3 — closing the blessing (on ἐσφραγίσθητε)
The thanksgiving and prayer for illumination 1:15–23
15
For this reason I also,independent — the subject, suspended over the participle — 'I also…'
having heard of the faith among you in the Lord Jesus and the love toward all the saints,participial — causal — the report of your faith and love
16
do not cease giving thanks for you,independent — the sentence's one main verb — unceasing thanksgiving
making mention of you in my prayers,participial — manner — mention in prayer
17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,purpose — the petition — the content of the prayer (on μνείαν ποιούμενος)
18
the eyes of your heart having been enlightened,participial — result of the giving — enlightened eyes of the heart
that you may knowpurpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — governing three questions
what is the hope of his calling,content — question 1 — the hope of his calling
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,content — question 2 — the wealth of his inheritance
19
and what the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe,content — question 3 — the surpassing power
according to the working of the might of his strength,phrase modifier — the measure — his mighty working
vv. 20–23 — the power displayed: Christ raised, enthroned, given as head
20
which he worked in Christrelative — on τὴν ἐνέργειαν (v. 19) — the working worked in Christ
when he raised him from the deadparticipial — means — raised from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,participial — means — seated at his right hand (Ps 110:1)
21
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named,phrase modifier — far above every power
not only in this age but also in the one to come;phrase modifier — the scope — this age and the next
22
and he subjected all things under his feet,independent — coordinate finite — continues ἐνήργησεν: all things under his feet (Ps 8:6)
and gave him as head over all things to the church,independent — coordinate finite — given as head to the church
23
which is his body,relative — the church, his body
the fullness of the one who fills all in all.phrase modifier — apposition — the fullness of the all-filling one
Analysis. Verses 3–14 are one Greek sentence — the longest opening benediction in the Pauline corpus — and the colors show how it moves: almost nothing sits on the margin. The single flush-left line is the verbless doxology Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεός, and everything after it advances by participles (teal) and by relative pronouns (coral) that hook onto the nearest preceding noun — the Beloved, his grace, his good pleasure, the Spirit — so the sentence never stops, it hands itself forward. Three times an amber purpose line εἰς ἔπαινον (vv. 6, 12, 14) interrupts the chain like a refrain, dividing the blessing into its trinitarian movements: chosen in the Father, redeemed in the Son, sealed by the Spirit. Verses 15–23 are again a single sentence with one purple main verb (οὐ παύομαι, v. 16): the prayer descends through an amber petition into three blue indirect questions, and the third question's 'power' is caught by a coral relative that climbs from resurrection to enthronement to headship over the church. Interpretive cruxes the layout takes a side on: ἐν ἀγάπῃ (v. 4) is read with what precedes (holiness in love) rather than with προορίσας (v. 5); ἐκληρώθημεν (v. 11) is taken as 'we were made a heritage' rather than 'we obtained an inheritance'; and τὸ πλήρωμα (v. 23) is read passively — the church as the fullness filled by Christ. Indentation is strict: every line steps in exactly one column from the line it attaches to, so the staircase of vv. 3–14 — seventeen levels deep by its end — is itself a picture of the sentence's relentless chaining, and each line is set directly beneath the very word it hangs from — dotted-underlined in the line above, and highlighted when its dependent clause is hovered (each tag also names the attachment).