Paul’s Stewardship
3 For this reason I, Paul, (A)the prisoner of (B)Christ Jesus (C)for the sake of you (D)Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the (E)administration of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 (F)that (G)by revelation there was (H)made known to me (I)the mystery, (J)as I wrote before briefly. 4 [a]By referring to this, when you read you can understand (K)my insight [b]into the (L)mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to [c]mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy (M)apostles and prophets [d]in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are (N)fellow heirs and (O)fellow members of the body, and (P)fellow partakers of the promise in (Q)Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 (R)of which I was made a (S)minister, according to the gift of (T)God’s grace which was given to me (U)according to the working of His power. 8 To me, (V)the very least of all [e]saints, this grace was given, to (W)preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable (X)riches of Christ, 9 and to [f]enlighten all people as to what the plan of the (Y)mystery is which for ages has been (Z)hidden in God, (AA)who created all things; 10 so that the multifaceted (AB)wisdom of God might now be (AC)made known through the church to the (AD)rulers and the authorities in (AE)the heavenly places. 11 This was in (AF)accordance with the [g]eternal purpose which He [h]carried out in (AG)Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and [i](AH)confident (AI)access through faith [j]in Him. 13 Therefore I ask [k]you not (AJ)to become discouraged about my tribulations (AK)in your behalf, [l]since they are your glory.
14 For this reason I (AL)bend my knees before the Father, 15 from whom [m]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to (AM)the riches of His glory, to be (AN)strengthened with power through His Spirit in (AO)the inner [n]self, 17 so that (AP)Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being (AQ)rooted and (AR)grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with (AS)all the [o]saints what is (AT)the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know (AU)the love of Christ which (AV)surpasses knowledge, that you may be (AW)filled to all the (AX)fullness of God.
20 (AY)Now to Him who is (AZ)able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, (BA)according to the power that works within us, 21 (BB)to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [p]forever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 3:4 Lit To which, when you read
- Ephesians 3:4 Lit in
- Ephesians 3:5 Lit the sons of man
- Ephesians 3:5 Or by
- Ephesians 3:8 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Ephesians 3:9 One early ms bring to light what
- Ephesians 3:11 Lit purpose of the ages
- Ephesians 3:11 Or formed
- Ephesians 3:12 Lit access in confidence
- Ephesians 3:12 Lit of Him
- Ephesians 3:13 Or that I may not lose
- Ephesians 3:13 Lit which are
- Ephesians 3:15 Or the whole
- Ephesians 3:16 Lit person
- Ephesians 3:18 See note v 8
- Ephesians 3:21 Lit of the age of the ages
Cross references
- Ephesians 3:1 : Acts 23:18; Eph 4:1; 2 Tim 1:8; Philem 1, 9, 23
- Ephesians 3:1 : Gal 5:24
- Ephesians 3:1 : 2 Cor 1:6; Eph 3:13
- Ephesians 3:1 : Eph 3:8
- Ephesians 3:2 : Eph 1:10; 3:9; Col 1:25; 1 Tim 1:4
- Ephesians 3:3 : Acts 22:17, 21; 26:16ff
- Ephesians 3:3 : Gal 1:12
- Ephesians 3:3 : Eph 1:9; 3:4, 6, 9
- Ephesians 3:3 : Rom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:4, 9; 6:19; Col 1:26f; 4:3
- Ephesians 3:3 : Eph 1:9f; Heb 13:22; 1 Pet 5:12
- Ephesians 3:4 : 2 Cor 11:6
- Ephesians 3:4 : Rom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:3, 9; 6:19; Col 1:26f; 4:3
- Ephesians 3:5 : 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 2:20
- Ephesians 3:6 : Gal 3:29
- Ephesians 3:6 : Eph 2:16
- Ephesians 3:6 : Eph 5:7
- Ephesians 3:6 : Gal 5:24
- Ephesians 3:7 : Col 1:23, 25
- Ephesians 3:7 : 1 Cor 3:5
- Ephesians 3:7 : Acts 9:15; Rom 12:3; Eph 3:2
- Ephesians 3:7 : Eph 1:19; 3:20
- Ephesians 3:8 : 1 Cor 15:9
- Ephesians 3:8 : Acts 9:15; Eph 3:1f
- Ephesians 3:8 : Rom 2:4; Eph 1:7; 3:16
- Ephesians 3:9 : Rom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:3, 4; 6:19; Col 1:26f; 4:3
- Ephesians 3:9 : Col 3:3
- Ephesians 3:9 : Rev 4:11
- Ephesians 3:10 : Rom 11:33; 1 Cor 2:7
- Ephesians 3:10 : Eph 1:23; 1 Pet 1:12
- Ephesians 3:10 : Eph 1:21; 6:12; Col 2:10, 15
- Ephesians 3:10 : Eph 1:3
- Ephesians 3:11 : Eph 1:11
- Ephesians 3:11 : Gal 5:24; Eph 3:1
- Ephesians 3:12 : 2 Cor 3:4; Heb 4:16; 10:19, 35; 1 John 2:28; 3:21
- Ephesians 3:12 : Eph 2:18
- Ephesians 3:13 : 2 Cor 4:1
- Ephesians 3:13 : Eph 3:1
- Ephesians 3:14 : Phil 2:10
- Ephesians 3:16 : Eph 1:18; 3:8
- Ephesians 3:16 : 1 Cor 16:13; Phil 4:13; Col 1:11
- Ephesians 3:16 : Rom 7:22
- Ephesians 3:17 : John 14:23; Rom 8:9f; 2 Cor 13:5; Eph 2:22
- Ephesians 3:17 : 1 Cor 3:6; Col 2:7
- Ephesians 3:17 : Col 1:23
- Ephesians 3:18 : Eph 1:15
- Ephesians 3:18 : Job 11:8f
- Ephesians 3:19 : Rom 8:35, 39
- Ephesians 3:19 : Phil 4:7
- Ephesians 3:19 : Col 2:10
- Ephesians 3:19 : Eph 1:23
- Ephesians 3:20 : Rom 16:25
- Ephesians 3:20 : 2 Cor 9:8
- Ephesians 3:20 : Eph 3:7
- Ephesians 3:21 : Rom 11:36