The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

Because of this I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles.

I assume that you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God that was given to me for you.

I am writing according to the revelation made known to me. This is the hidden truth about which I briefly wrote to you.

When you read about this, you will be able to understand my insight into this hidden truth about Christ.

In other generations this truth was not made known to the sons of men. But now it has been revealed by the Spirit to his apostles and prophets who were set apart for this work.

This hidden truth is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and they share the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

For I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given to me through the working of his power.

God gave this gift to me, although I am the least of all God’s holy people. This gift is that I should proclaim to the Gentiles the gospel of the unsearchable riches of Christ.

God’s gift to me is that I will bring to light to everyone what God’s plan is. This plan had been hidden for ages in the past by God, who created all things.

This plan was made known through the church so the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places would come to know the many-sided nature of the wisdom of God.

This happened according to the eternal plan that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For in Christ we have boldness and access with confidence because of our faith in him.

Therefore, I ask you not to be discouraged because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

For this reason I bend my knees to the Father,

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

I pray that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through his Spirit, who is in you.

I pray that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, that you will be rooted and grounded in his love.

May you have strength so you can understand, along with all the believers, what is the width, the length, the height, and the depth,

and that you may know the love of Christ, which goes beyond knowledge, and that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, according to his power that works in us,

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

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you,

how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ,

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,

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,

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.

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

and to make all men see what is the administration

(a)

of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ,

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,

according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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

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

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,

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

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,

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

Footnotes

(a)3:9 TR reads “fellowship” instead of “administration”