Ephesians 3

PAUL’S MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES

3For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner^w of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—²assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. ³The mystery was made known to me by revelation,^x as I have briefly written above. ⁴By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.^{y 5}This was not made known to people^A in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets^z by the Spirit: ⁶The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise^aa in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ⁷I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.^ab

⁸This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches^ac of Christ, ⁹and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created^ad all things. ¹⁰This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom^ae may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.^{af 11}This is according to his eternal purpose^ag accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him we have boldness and confident access^ah through faith in him.^{B 13}So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged^ai over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.^aj

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL POWER

¹⁴For this reason I kneel^ak before the Father^{C 15}from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. ¹⁶I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches^al of his glory,^am to be strengthened with power^an in your inner being^ao through his Spirit, ¹⁷and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, ¹⁸may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,^{ap 19}and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able^aq to do above and beyond all that we ask or think^ar according to the power^as that works in us—²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.^at