Ephesians 3
Expanded Bible
Paul’s Work in Telling the Good News
3 ·So [For this reason] I, Paul, a prisoner [C Paul is probably writing from house arrest in Rome, about ad 60; see Acts 28:30–31] of Christ Jesus ·for [for the sake of] you Gentiles—[C Paul is about to pray for the Ephesians, but instead digresses into a description of his ministry until v. 14]. 2 Surely you have heard that God gave me this ·work [task; stewardship; commission] ·to tell you about his grace [L of God’s grace for you]. 3 He let me know his ·secret [mystery; 1:9] by ·showing it to me [revelation]. I have already written ·a little [briefly] about this [C either earlier in this letter or previously]. 4 ·If you read what I wrote then [or By reading this], you can see that I truly understand the ·secret [mystery] ·about [or revealed by; or that consists of; L of] ·Christ [or the Messiah]. 5 ·People [L The sons of men; C a Hebrew way of referring to people] who lived in other ·times [generations] were not told that secret. But now, through the Spirit, God has ·shown [revealed] that secret to his holy apostles and prophets. 6 This is that ·secret [mystery]: that through the ·Good News [Gospel] the Gentiles ·will share with the Jews in God’s blessing [L are co-heirs]. They belong to the same body, and they share together in the promise that God made in Christ Jesus.
7 By God’s special gift of grace given to me through ·his power [L the working out/exercise of his power], I became a servant ·to tell that Good News [of this Gospel]. 8 I am the least important of all ·God’s people [T the saints], but God gave me this ·gift [or grace]—to tell the Gentiles the ·Good News [Gospel] about the riches of Christ, which are ·too great to understand fully [unfathomable; or boundless]. 9 And God gave me the work of ·telling [making plain; enlightening] all people about the ·plan for [administration of; C the same word translated “work” in v. 2] his ·secret [mystery], which has been hidden ·in [or by] him ·since the beginning of time [L from the ages]. He is the One who created everything. 10 His purpose was that through the church all the rulers and powers in the heavenly ·world [realm; places; 1:3, 20; 2:6] will now know God’s ·wisdom, which has so many forms [multi-faceted/multi-dimensional wisdom]. 11 ·This agrees with [L …according to] ·the plan God had since the beginning of time [his eternal purpose/plan], which he accomplished ·through [or in] Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Christ we ·can come before [have access to] God with ·freedom [boldness; freedom to speak] and ·without fear [with confidence]. We can do this ·through faith in Christ [or because of Christ’s faithfulness]. 13 So I ·ask you not to become [or pray that you would not be] discouraged because of the ·sufferings [trials] I am having for you. My ·sufferings [trials; affliction] are ·for your glory [to bring you honor/eternal glory].
The Love of Christ
14 So [C Paul begins again the prayer he started in v. 1] I ·bow in prayer [kneel] before the Father 15 from whom ·every [or the whole] ·family [C a play on words, since the words “father” and “family” are related] in heaven and on earth gets its true name. 16 I ask the Father ·in his great glory [or from the treasures of his glory; or out of his glorious riches] to give you the power to be strong ·inwardly [L in the inner person] through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will ·live [make his home] in your hearts by faith and that your life will be ·strong in love and be built on love [L rooted and grounded in love]. 18 And I pray that you and all ·God’s holy people [T the saints] will have the power to ·understand [comprehend; grasp] the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is ·greater than anyone can ever know [beyond comprehension/knowledge], but I pray that you will be able to know that love. ·Then [L …so that] you can be filled with the fullness of God.
20 ·Glory be to God, who can [L Now to the One who is able to] do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine through his power working in us. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all ·time [generations], forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
3 For this houtos reason charin I egō, Paul Paulos, a ho prisoner desmios of ho Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous for hyper the sake of you hymeis · ho Gentiles ethnos— 2 assuming that ei you have heard akouō about the ho stewardship oikonomia of the ho grace charis of ho God theos that ho was given didōmi to me egō for eis you hymeis, 3 that hoti by kata revelation apokalypsis the ho mystery mystērion was made known gnōrizō to me egō, as kathōs I have already written prographō briefly en oligos. 4 Accordingly pros, when you read anaginōskō this hos you will be able dynamai to understand noeō · ho my egō insight synesis into en the ho mystery mystērion of ho Christ Christos, 5 which hos was gnōrizō not ou made known gnōrizō to the ho sons hyios of ho men anthrōpos in other heteros generations genea as hōs it has now nyn been revealed apokalyptō to ho his autos holy hagios apostles apostolos and kai prophets prophētēs by en the Spirit pneuma, 6 namely, that the ho Gentiles ethnos are eimi joint heirs synklēronomos, · kai fellow syssōmos members of the body and kai sharers together symmetochos in the ho promise epangelia in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous through dia the ho gospel euangelion. 7 Of this hos gospel I became ginomai a servant diakonos according to kata the ho gift dōrea of ho God’ s theos grace charis, · ho which ho was given didōmi to me egō by kata the ho exercise energeia of ho his autos power dynamis. 8 To me egō, the ho very least elachistos of all pas the saints hagios, this houtos grace charis was given didōmi: · ho to preach euangelizō to the ho Gentiles ethnos the ho unsearchable anexichniastos riches ploutos of ho Christ Christos, 9 and kai to make it plain phōtizō to all pas what tis is the ho administration oikonomia of the ho mystery mystērion, which ho was kept hidden apokryptō for apo · ho ages aiōn in en · ho God theos who ho created ktizō · ho all pas things , 10 in order that hina now nyn, through dia the ho church ekklēsia, the ho manifold polypoikilos wisdom sophia of ho God theos should be made known gnōrizō to the ho rulers archē and kai · ho authorities exousia in en the ho heavenly epouranios realms , 11 according to kata the eternal aiōn purpose prothesis · ho that hos he accomplished poieō in en · ho Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous · ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios, 12 in en whom hos we have echō · ho boldness parrēsia and kai confident pepoithēsis access prosagōgē through dia · ho faith pistis in him autos.
13 I ask aiteō you, therefore dio, not mē to be discouraged because en of · ho my egō sufferings thlipsis on hyper your hymeis behalf, which hostis are eimi your hymeis glory doxa. 14 For this houtos reason charin I bow kamptō · ho my egō knees gony before pros the ho Father patēr, 15 from ek whom hos every pas family patria in en heaven ouranos and kai on epi earth gē derives its name onomazō, 16 in order hina that according to kata the ho riches ploutos of ho his autos glory doxa he may grant didōmi you hymeis to be strengthened krataioō with power dynamis through dia · ho his autos Spirit pneuma in eis your ho inner esō being anthrōpos, 17 that Christ Christos may dwell katoikeō · ho in en your hymeis hearts kardia through dia · ho faith pistis, · ho rooted rhizoō and kai grounded themelioō in en love agapē, 18 in order that hina you may be empowered exischuō to grasp katalambanō with syn all pas the ho saints hagios what tis is the ho breadth platos and kai length mēkos and kai height hypsos and kai depth bathos, 19 and te to know ginōskō the ho love agapē of ho Christ Christos which surpasses hyperballō · ho knowledge gnōsis, that hina you may be filled plēroō up to eis all pas the ho fullness plērōma of ho God theos. 20 Now de to the ho one who is able dynamai to do poieō far more abundantly hyperekperissou beyond hyper all pas that hos we ask aiteō or ē imagine noeō, according kata to the ho power dynamis that ho is working energeō within en us hēmeis, 21 to him autos be · ho glory doxa in en the ho church ekklēsia and kai in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous throughout eis all pas · ho generations genea, · ho forever aiōn and · ho ever aiōn! Amen amēn.
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