The Mystery of Christ Revealed

3 On account of this I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles ² —if indeed you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace given to me for you. ³ According to^[a] revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief, ⁴ so that you may be able when you read^[b] to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ ⁵ (which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit): ⁶ that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ⁷ of which I became a servant, according to the gift of God’s grace given to me, according to the working of his power.

⁸ To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles, ⁹ and to enlighten everyone as to what is the administration of the mystery hidden from the ages by God, who created all things, ¹⁰ in order that the many-sided wisdom of God might be made known now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places through the church, ¹¹ according to the purpose of the ages which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through faith in him.^{[c] 13} Therefore I ask you^[d] not to be discouraged at my afflictions on behalf of you, which are your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

¹⁴ On account of this, I bend my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every^[e] family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that he may grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (you having been firmly rooted and established in love), ¹⁸ in order that you may be strong enough to grasp together with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to the one who is able to do beyond all measure more than all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us, ²¹ to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.