Ephesians 3

3RD CHAPTER

Paul’s Work of Spreading the Good News

¹This is the reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus^afor those of you who are not Jewish. 

²Certainly, you have heard how God gave me the responsibility of bringing his kindness^bto you. ³You have heard that he let me know this mystery through a revelation. I’ve already written to you about this briefly. ⁴When you read this, you’ll see that I understand the mystery about Christ. ⁵In the past, this mystery was not known by people as it is now. The Spirit has now revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is the Good News that people who are not Jewish have the same inheritance as Jewish people do. They belong to the same body and share the same promise that God made in Christ Jesus. ⁷I became a servant of this Good News through God’s kindness freely given to me when his power worked ⸤in me⸥. 

⁸I am the least of all God’s people. Yet, God showed me his kindness by allowing me to spread the Good News of the immeasurable wealth of Christ to people who are not Jewish. ⁹He allowed me to explain the way this mystery works. God, who created all things, kept it hidden in the past. ¹⁰He did this so that now, through the church, he could let the rulers and authorities in heaven know his infinite wisdom. ¹¹This was God’s plan for all of history which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²We can go to God with bold confidence through faith in Christ. ¹³So then, I ask you not to become discouraged by the troubles I suffer for you. In fact, my troubles bring you glory. 

Paul Prays That God Would Strengthen Christians

¹⁴This is the reason I kneel in the presence of the Father ¹⁵from whom all the family in heaven and on earth receives its name. ¹⁶I’m asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. ¹⁷Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. ¹⁸This way, with all of God’s people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is. ¹⁹You will know Christ’s love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God. 

²⁰Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. ²¹Glory belongs to God in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time and eternity! Amen.