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Ephesians 3

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Paul's Commission and the Mystery Revealed 1–13

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For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles,— ​
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if so be that ye have heard of the dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward; ​
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how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, ​
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whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;
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which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; ​
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to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ​
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whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.
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Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ​
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and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things;
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to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, ​
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according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
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in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. ​
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Wherefore I ask that ye may not faint at my tribulations for you, which are your glory. ​

Paul's Prayer and Doxology 14–21

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For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, ​
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from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ​
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that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; ​
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that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ​
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may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ​
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and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. ​
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Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ​
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unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Ephesians 3

Verse 1

the prisoner of Jesus Christ — Desmios, one bound, a captive. Paul writes as held for Christ's cause, 'for you Gentiles'. 'For this cause' looks back to 2:19–22, then breaks off; the thought resumes in v.14. Compare 'the prisoner of the Lord' (Eph 4:1) and Philemon 1:9.

Verse 2

the dispensation of the grace of God — Oikonomia, the management of a household, hence a stewardship entrusted. Paul's charge is the same as in 'the dispensation of God which is given to me for you' (Col 1:25). 'If ye have heard' is eige, 'if indeed', assuming they have.

Verse 3

by revelation… the mystery — Apokalypsis, a disclosure, and musterion, a secret now made known. Paul received it as he received the gospel, not 'of man' but 'by the revelation of Jesus Christ' (Gal 1:12). 'Afore in few words' points back to 1:9 and 2:11–22.

Verse 5

his holy apostles and prophets — These are the same pair that form the 'foundation' in Eph 2:20. 'Ages' here is genea, generations: the secret was 'hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints' (Col 1:26). The disclosure came 'by the Spirit'.

Verse 6

fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers — Three Greek words, each compounded with syn, 'with': synkleronomos, syssomos, symmetochos. This is the content of the mystery. 'If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise' (Gal 3:29).

Verse 8

less than the least — Elachistoteros, a comparative built on a superlative. Paul had earlier called himself 'the least of the apostles… because I persecuted the church of God' (1 Cor 15:9). 'Unsearchable' is anexichniastos, untraceable, as 'past finding out' (Rom 11:33).

Verse 10

principalities and powers in heavenly places — The ranks named in Eph 1:21 and Eph 6:12. They learn God's 'manifold' wisdom (polypoikilos, much variegated) 'by the church', the Jew and Gentile body of v.6. 'Now' marks what had been hidden until then (v.9).

Verse 12

boldness and access — Parrhesia, freedom of speech, and prosagoge, admission into a presence; the access is 'through him… by one Spirit unto the Father' (Eph 2:18). The same footing appears in 'boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus' (Heb 10:19).

Verse 13

faint not at my tribulations — Ekkakeo, to lose heart. Paul's imprisonment (v.1) is 'for you', and he can write 'Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you' (Col 1:24). 'Which is your glory' makes the sufferings an honour to them.

Verse 14

I bow my knees — Kampto, to bend. Here the sentence begun in v.1 is taken up again after the digression of vv.2–13. The prayer is addressed 'unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ'; kneeling in worship is also in Ps 95:6, 'let us kneel before the LORD our maker'.

Verse 15

the whole family in heaven and earth — Patria, a family traced to one father, so the word answers 'the Father' of v.14. All who bear his name, in heaven and on earth, are one household, as 'all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth' (Eph 1:10).

Verse 16

strengthened with might… in the inner man — Krataioo, to make strong, with dynamis, power; it comes 'by his Spirit' and 'according to the riches of his glory'. The prayer asks strength within, not release from the prison of v.1. Compare Col 1:11.

Verse 17

dwell in your hearts — Katoikeo, to settle permanently in a house. It echoes 'an habitation of God through the Spirit' (Eph 2:22) and Christ's word, 'we will come unto him, and make our abode with him' (John 14:23). 'Rooted' (rhizoo) is a plant image, 'grounded' (themelioo) a building one.

Verse 18

breadth, and length, and depth, and height — These are four dimensions with no object named, and v.19 supplies it in 'the love of Christ'. The comprehending is done 'with all saints'. Scripture measures God's reach in like terms: 'longer than the earth, and broader than the sea' (Job 11:9).

Verse 19

passeth knowledge — Hyperballo, to throw beyond the mark; the love can be known (ginosko) yet exceeds gnosis. 'Fulness' is pleroma; in Christ 'dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily' (Col 2:9), and the church is 'the fulness of him that filleth all in all' (Eph 1:23).

Verse 20

exceeding abundantly above — This is a stacked Greek phrase: hyper (over), ek (out of) and perissos (abundant). God is 'able' (dynamai) beyond 'all that we ask or think', by the power that 'worketh' (energeo) in believers, the power of 'his mighty power' described in Eph 1:19.

Verse 21

in the church by Christ Jesus — Glory is given to God 'in the church' (ekklesia) and in Christ Jesus. 'All ages' is genea, generations, and 'world without end' renders aion, age. The doxology matches 'to whom be glory for ever. Amen' (Rom 11:36).