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Pauline Epistles
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Ephesians 3

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3

This chapter unpacks the central mystery (mysterion) hidden for ages in God but now revealed: the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus—a revelation so cosmic in scope that it reorders salvation history itself. Paul identifies himself as a prisoner, the least of all the saints (an ironic self-designation emphasizing grace), entrusted with the stewardship (oikonomia) of grace to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ hidden from the ages in God who created all things. The mystery's revelation serves a cosmic purpose: through the church, God's manifold wisdom (sophia) is made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places—the principalities and powers who now witness the wisdom of God displayed through the reconciled, multi-ethnic body of Christ. Paul's prayer ascends again, this time petitioning that the Ephesians be strengthened with power through the Spirit in their inner being so that Christ might dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they may be rooted and grounded in love, comprehending with all the saints the vast four-dimensional scope of Christ's love (breadth, length, height, depth) that exceeds all knowing—filling them with all God's fullness. The chapter ends with a doxology celebrating God's power at work within us, capable of doing abundantly beyond all we ask or imagine, to whom belongs glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations—a triumphant affirmation that the mystery's revelation issues in the church's eternal glorification.

Ephesians 3:15

From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name — pas patria ('every family') in ouranois ('heaven') and ep' gēs ('on earth') derives (onomazō, 'takes its name,' receives identity) from the patros ('Father'), all human and angelic community rooted in the divine patriarchal source.

Ephesians 3:1

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — Paul identifies himself as desmios Christou ('prisoner of Christ'), bound not merely in chains but spiritually captive to Christ's purpose; his imprisonment serves hyper hymōn tōn ethnōn ('on behalf of you Gentiles'), the mystery he has been entrusted to proclaim.

Ephesians 3:2

Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you — Paul has received oikonomia ('stewardship,' household administration) of the grace of God, not personal possession but entrusted responsibility (dotheishan moi) for the Gentile mission.

Ephesians 3:3

That is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly — the mystērion ('mystery,' divine secret) was apocalypsō ('revealed') to Paul, disclosed through revelation; he alludes to his earlier brief mention, likely in chapter 1, preparing to elaborate the cosmic dimensions of the mystery.

Ephesians 3:4

In reading this then you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ — the readers' comprehension (synesis, 'understanding,' intellectual grasp) of the mysterion Christou ('mystery of Christ') depends on reading Paul's exposition, which unfolds the revelation granted to him.

Ephesians 3:5

This mystery 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 — the mystērion was apokryptos ('hidden') in other generationais (geneas), but nyn apokalyphei ('now has been revealed') to apostoloi kai prophētai ('apostles and prophets') through the pneuma ('Spirit'), the eschatological disclosure of God's purpose.

Ephesians 3:6

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus — the heart of the mystery (to mystērion itself): ta ethnē ('the Gentiles') are synkleronomoi ('co-heirs'), syssōma ('members of one body'), and symmetexa tēs epangelias ('sharers of the promise') in Christ, the stunning revelation that pagans are grafted into covenant blessing.

Ephesians 3:7

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the work of his mighty power — Paul's servanthood (diakonos, 'servant') of the gospel flows from divine charis ('grace') and energeia ('mighty power,' the active force of God), not human qualification.

Ephesians 3:8

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given to me to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ — Paul's self-designation elachistoteros ('least of all saints,' a humility formula) contrasts with his apostolic calling (dotheihen moi hē charis) to announce to ethnē ('Gentiles') the anexichniastos ploutos Christou ('unsearchable riches of Christ,' riches beyond human investigation).

Ephesians 3:9

And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things — Paul's task is to photizō ('illuminate') the oikonomia ('administration') of the mystery ta ethnē ('to the Gentiles'), a secret apokekrymmenēn ('hidden from ages') in theō ('in God') the creator of ta panta ('all things').

Ephesians 3:10

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms — the ecclesia ('church') itself becomes the vehicle of divine disclosure: hina gnōristhē ('that might be made known') the polypoikilos sophia ('manifold wisdom,' variegated, colorful wisdom) theou ('of God') to archē kai exousiai ('rulers and authorities') in the heavenlies, a cosmic declaration to spiritual powers.

Ephesians 3:11

This was in accordance with his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord — Paul situates the mystery within the aionios prothesis ('eternal purpose,' purpose from ages), which God prooimiazō ('accomplished,' worked out in history) in Christō Iēsou ('in Christ Jesus').

Ephesians 3:12

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence — the believers' approach (prosagōgē, 'access,' standing before God) to God occurs en autō ('in Christ') and dia tēs pisteōs ('through faith'), with parrhēsia ('boldness,' freedom of speech) and pepoithēsis ('confidence,' settled trust).

Ephesians 3:13

I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory — Paul's petition (deomai, 'I ask') is that the Gentile readers not lose heart (ekkakeō, 'be discouraged') at his bonds; his pathēmata ('sufferings') for them (hyper hymōn) constitute doxa ('glory') for the community, redemptive solidarity.

Ephesians 3:14

For this reason I kneel before the Father — Paul's posture of prayer, gonypetēo ('kneeling,' a gesture of reverence and petition), precedes his intercession, situating the prayer within the full framework of Gentile inclusion and cosmic mystery.

Ephesians 3:16

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being — Paul petitions hina dynamoō ('that he might strengthen') the community ek tōn ploutōn tēs dóxēs ('out of the riches of glory'), the dunamis ('power') of God transmitted through the pneuma ('Spirit') working in tō esō anthrōpō ('the inner person'), the renovated spirit within.

Ephesians 3:17

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — the ultimate goal: hina katoikeō Christus ('that Christ might dwell,' make his permanent home) in tais kardiais hymōn ('in your hearts') through pistis ('faith'), the indwelling of the risen Christ as the foundation of all spiritual transformation.

Ephesians 3:18

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love — Paul adds ekrizōō ('rooted,' as a plant) and themeliōō ('founded,' as a structure) in agapē ('love'), a mixed metaphor combining botanical and architectural imagery for spiritual stability.

Ephesians 3:19

May have power together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ — the believers' dunamis ('power') meta pantōn tōn hagiōn ('together with all the saints') enables katalambanō ('to grasp,' seize intellectually) the hyperbolic dimensions of Christ's agapē ('love'): platos kai mēkos kai hypsōs kai bathos, the cosmic breadth and length and height and depth of redemptive love. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God — the paradox: believers are called to know (ginōskō) the agapē that hyperballō gnōsin ('surpasses knowledge,' exceeds cognitive grasp), culminating in the fillthe plērōma tou theou ('filled to the measure of all the fullness of God'), believers as vessels of divine plenitide.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us — the doxology begins: dynamai ('able,' 'capable') huperbassontōs ('immeasurably,' abundantly beyond measure) all that we petition (aiteomai) or imagine (noeo), kata tēn dynamin ('according to the power') energoumenēn ('at work,' actively operating) in hemin ('within us').

Ephesians 3:21

To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen — the final doxology directs doxa ('glory') to God en tē ekklēsiā ('in the church') and en Christō Iēsō ('in Christ Jesus'), throughout pasa genea ('all generations') and eis pantas tous aiōnas ('throughout all ages'), the church's eternal worship of God through Christ.