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Ephesians 3
New International Version
Ephesians 3
New International Version
God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner(A) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me(B) for you, 3 that is, the mystery(C) made known to me by revelation,(D) as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight(E) into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.(F) 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs(G) together with Israel, members together of one body,(H) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.(I)
7 I became a servant of this gospel(J) by the gift of God’s grace given me(K) through the working of his power.(L) 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,(M) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles(N) the boundless riches of Christ,(O) 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,(P) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God(Q) should be made known(R) to the rulers and authorities(S) in the heavenly realms,(T) 11 according to his eternal purpose(U) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God(V) with freedom and confidence.(W) 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel(X) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(Y) he may strengthen you with power(Z) through his Spirit in your inner being,(AA) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(AB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(AC) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(AD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(AE) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(AF)—that you may be filled(AG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(AH)
20 Now to him who is able(AI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask(AJ) or imagine, according to his power(AK) that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.(AL)
Footnotes
- Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).
Ephesians 3
New King James Version
Ephesians 3
New King James Version
The Mystery Revealed
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the [a]dispensation of the grace of God (A)which was given to me for you, 3 (B)how that by revelation (C)He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles (D)should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 (E)of which I became a minister (F)according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by (G)the effective working of His power.
Purpose of the Mystery
8 To me, (H)who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles (I)the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the [b]fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who (J)created all things [c]through Jesus Christ; 10 (K)to the intent that now (L)the [d]manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church (M)to the [e]principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 (N)according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access (O)with confidence through faith in Him. 13 (P)Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, (Q)which is your glory.
Appreciation of the Mystery
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the (R)Father [f]of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, (S)according to the riches of His glory, (T)to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in (U)the inner man, 17 (V)that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, (W)being rooted and grounded in love, 18 (X)may be able to comprehend with all the saints (Y)what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled (Z)with all the fullness of God.
20 Now (AA)to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly (AB)above all that we ask or think, (AC)according to the power that works in us, 21 (AD)to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 3:2 stewardship
- Ephesians 3:9 NU, M stewardship (dispensation)
- Ephesians 3:9 NU omits through Jesus Christ
- Ephesians 3:10 variegated or many-sided
- Ephesians 3:10 rulers
- Ephesians 3:14 NU omits of our Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Ephesians 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles
3 This is the reason that I, Paul, am a prisoner for[a] Christ Jesus[b] for the sake of you gentiles, 2 for surely[c] you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you 3 and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words,[d](A) 4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.(B) 5 In former generations this mystery[e] was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:(C) 6 that is, the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.(D)
7 Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8 Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ(E) 9 and to make everyone see[f] what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in[g] God, who created all things,(F) 10 so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.[h](G) 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have access in boldness and confidence through faith in him.[i](H) 13 I pray, therefore, that you[j] may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
Prayer for the Readers
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,[k] 15 from whom every family[l] in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit(I) 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth(J) 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.(K)
20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,(L) 21 to him be glory in the church and[m] in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes
- 3.1 Or of
- 3.1 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus
- 3.2 Or if indeed
- 3.3 Or wrote before in brief
- 3.5 Gk it
- 3.9 Other ancient authorities read to bring to light
- 3.9 Or by
- 3.10 Gk heavenlies
- 3.12 Or the faith of him
- 3.13 Or I
- 3.14 Other ancient authorities add of our Lord Jesus Christ
- 3.15 Gk fatherhood
- 3.21 Other ancient authorities omit and
Ephesians 3
The Message
Ephesians 3
The Message
The Secret Plan of God
3 1-3 This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you’re familiar with the part I was given in God’s plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.
4-6 As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.
7-8 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.
8-10 And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!
11-13 All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don’t let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!
* * *
14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson