EFÉSIËRS 3

Die verborgenheid van die roeping van die heidene. Die apostelskap van Paulus.

1 OM hierdie rede is ek, Paulus, die gevangene van Christus Jesus vir julle wat heidene is —

2 as julle ten minste gehoor het van tdie bediening tvan die genade van God wat aan my verleen is vir julle,

3 dat Hy aan my tdeur ’n openbaring tbekend gemaak het die verborgenheid, tsoos ek tevore kortliks geskryf het;

4 waardeur julle, as julle dit lees, my insig in tdie verborgenheid van Christus kan verstaan,

5 wat in ander tye aan die mensekinders nie bekend gemaak is nie soos dit nou aan sy heilige tapostels en profete geopenbaar is deur die Gees, naamlik

6 dat die heidene tmede-erfgename is en medelede tvan die liggaam en mededeelgenote aan sy belofte in Christus deur die evangelie

7  twaarvan ek ’n dienaar geword het, volgens die gawe van die genade van God wat aan my gegee is tooreenkomstig die werking van sy krag.

8 Aan my, tdie geringste van al die heiliges, is hierdie genade gegee om onder die heidene die evangelie van die onnaspeurlike trykdom van Christus te verkondig,

9 en vir almal aan die lig te bring wat die gemeenskap is van die verborgenheid wat van alle eeue af verborge was in God twat alles geskape het deur Jesus Christus,

10 sodat nou deur die gemeente aan die towerhede en magte tin die hemele die menigvuldige twysheid van God bekend gemaak kan word,

11  tvolgens die ewige voorneme wat Hy opgevat het in Christus Jesus, onse Here,

12 in wie ons die tvrymoedigheid en die ttoegang het met vertroue deur tdie geloof in Hom.

13 Daarom bid ek dat julle tnie moedeloos word by my verdrukkinge ter wille van julle nie. tDit is julle eer.

Gebed van Paulus vir die Efésiërs.

14  tOM hierdie rede tbuig ek my knieë voor die Vader van onse Here Jesus Christus,

15 van wie elke geslag tin die hemele en op die aarde sy naam ontvang,

16 dat Hy aan julle mag gee na tdie rykdom van sy heerlikheid tom met krag versterk te word deur sy Gees in die innerlike mens,

17  tsodat Christus deur die geloof in julle harte kan woon, julle twat in die liefde gewortel en gegrond is,

18 en julle in staat kan wees om saam met al die heiliges ten volle te begryp wat die breedte en lengte en diepte en hoogte is,

19 en die liefde van Christus te ken wat die kennis oortref, sodat julle vervul kan word tot al tdie volheid van God.

20  tEn aan Hom wat mag het om te doen ver bo alles wat ons bid of dink, tvolgens die krag wat in ons werk,
21 aan Hom die heerlikheid in die gemeente in Christus Jesus deur alle geslagte tot in ewigheid! Amen.

Ephesians 3

1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,2 if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you;3 how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,4 by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;5 which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,7 of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.8 To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,9 and to make all men see what is the administrationt of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ;10 to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,11 according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord;12 in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

13 Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.
14 For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19 and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

21 to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.