Ephesians 3:8-4:16

New King James Version

Purpose of the Mystery

⁸ To me, ^(A)who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles ^(B)the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the ^[a]fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who ^(C)created all things ^[b]through Jesus Christ; ^10 (D)to the intent that now ^(E)the ^[c]manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church ^(F)to the ^[d]principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ^11 (G)according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access ^(H)with confidence through faith in Him. ^13 (I)Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, ^(J)which is your glory.

Appreciation of the Mystery

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the ^(K)Father ^[e]of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, ^(L)according to the riches of His glory, ^(M)to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in ^(N)the inner man, ^17 (O)that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, ^(P)being rooted and grounded in love, ^18 (Q)may be able to comprehend with all the saints ^(R)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 ^(S)with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now ^(T)to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly ^(U)above all that we ask or think, ^(V)according to the power that works in us, ^21 (W)to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Walk in Unity

4 I, therefore, the prisoner ^[f]of the Lord, ^[g]beseech you to ^(X)walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit ^(Y)in the bond of peace. ^4 (Z)There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ^5 (AA)one Lord, ^(AB)one faith, ^(AC)one baptism; ^6 (AD)one God and Father of all, who is above all, and ^(AE)through all, and in ^[h]you all.

Spiritual Gifts

⁷ But ^(AF)to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore He says:

^9 (AH)(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also ^[i]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One ^(AI)who ascended far above all the heavens, ^(AJ)that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, ^(AK)for the ^[j]edifying of ^(AL)the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith ^(AM)and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to ^(AN)a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be ^(AO)children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of ^(AP)deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the ^(AQ)head—Christ— ^16 (AR)from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.