The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...(a)

Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.

Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship

(b)

of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Him and through faith in Him

(c)

we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.

So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father,(d)

from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,

will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth

of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do so much more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes

(a)3:1 This train of thought is continued in verse 14.

(b)3:9 NE and WH and to illuminate the stewardship; TR and to illuminate for everyone the fellowship

(d)3:14 BYZ and TR before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you,

how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ,

which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit,

that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

of which I was made a servant according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.

To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

and to make all men see what is the administration

(a)

of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ,

to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,

according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In him we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,

and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes

(a)3:9 TR reads “fellowship” instead of “administration”