Ephesians 3

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

Paul identifies himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles, noting that he was given a stewardship of God's grace by revelation. He explains that this previously hidden mystery reveals that Gentiles are fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, a message he was made a servant to preach. Paul then asks the readers not to be discouraged by his sufferings and bows his knees in prayer before the Father on their behalf. He prays that they may be strengthened with power through the Spirit, that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they may comprehend the love of Christ to be filled with the fullness of God. The chapter concludes with a doxology attributing glory to God in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles... ²Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power. ⁸Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence. ¹³So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. ¹⁴... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth ¹⁹of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now 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, ²¹to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Test this chapter

Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.