Epheser 3 | New International Reader’s Version

God’s wonderful plan for the Gentiles

1 I, Paul, am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. I am in prison because of my work among you who are Gentiles.

2 I am sure you have heard that God appointed me to share his grace with you.

3 I’m talking about the mystery God showed me. I have already written a little about it.

4 By reading about this mystery, you will be able to understand what I know. You will know about the mystery of Christ.

5 The mystery was not made known to people of other times. But now the Holy Spirit has made this mystery known to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

6 Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.

7 I now serve the good news because God gave me his grace. His power is at work in me.

8 I am by far the least important of all the Lord’s holy people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the Gentiles about the unlimited riches that Christ gives.

9 God told me to make clear to everyone how the mystery came about. In times past it was kept hidden in the mind of God, who created all things.

10 He wanted the rulers and authorities in the heavenly world to come to know his great wisdom. The church would make it known to them.

11 That was God’s plan from the beginning. He has fulfilled his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Through him and through faith in him we can approach God. We can come to him freely. We can come without fear.

13 So here is what I’m asking you to do. Don’t lose hope because I am suffering for you. It will lead to the time when God will give you his glory.

Paul prays for the Ephesians

14 I bow in prayer to the Father because of my work among you.

15 From the Father every family in heaven and on earth gets its name.

16 I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you.

17 Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in him. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation.

18 May you have power together with all the Lord’s holy people to understand Christ’s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is.

19 And may you know his love, even though it can’t be known completely. Then you will be filled with everything God has for you.

20 God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us.

21 Give him glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. Give him glory through all time and for ever and ever. Amen.

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English Standard Version

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed

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

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

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

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

5 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.

6 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.

7 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.

8 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,

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

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

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

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

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

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

20 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,

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

The ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV^® Text Edition: 2016. The ESV^® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. The ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.