Ephesians 3
Paul, apostle to the Gentiles
1 This is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles.
2 You’ve heard, of course, about the responsibility to distribute God’s grace, which God gave to me for you, right?3 God showed me his secret plant in a revelation, as I mentioned briefly before (4 when you read this, you’ll understand my insight into the secret plant about Christ).5 Earlier generations didn’t know this hidden plan that God has now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets through the Spirit.6 This plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs and parts of the same body, and that they would share with the Jews in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 I became a servant of the gospel because of the grace that God showed me through the exercise of his power.
8 God gave his grace to me, the least of all God’s people, to preach the good news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles.9 God sent me to reveal the secret plant that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything.10 God’s purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church.11 This was consistent with the plan he had from the beginning of time that he accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord.12 In Christ we have bold and confident access to God through faith in him.t
13 So then, I ask you not to become discouraged by what I’m suffering for you, which is your glory.
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians
14 This is why I kneel before the Father.15 Every ethnic group in heaven or on earth is recognized by him.16 I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit.17 I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love,18 I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers.
19 I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.
20 Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us;
21 glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen.
Ephesians 3
Paul's Relationship to the Divine Mystery
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesuss for the sake of you Gentiles –2 if indeeds you have heard of the stewardshipt of God’s grace that was given to me for you,3 thatt by revelation the divine secrett was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.ts4 When reading this,t you will be able tot understand my insight into this secrett of Christ.5 Now this secrett was not disclosed to peoplet in formert generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets byt the Spirit,6 namely, that through the gospels the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow memberst of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.7 I became a servant of this gospelt according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me byt the exercise of his power.s8 To me – less than the least of all the saintss – this grace was given,s to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ9 and to enlightent everyone about God’s secret plant – a secret that has been hidden for agest in Godt who has created all things.10 The purpose of this enlightenment is thatt through the church the multifaceted wisdomt of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.11 This was according tot the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,12 in whom we have boldness and confident accesst to Godt because oft Christ’st faithfulness.ts
13 For this reason I ask yout not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you,t whichs is your glory.t
Prayer for Strengthened Love
14 For this reasons I kneelt before the Father,s15 fromt whom every familyt in heaven and on the earth is named.16 I pray thatt according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,18 you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,s
19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up tot all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who by the power that is working within uss is able to do far beyondt all that we ask or think,
21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.