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Ephesians 3

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Paul's Commission and the Mystery Revealed 1–13

1
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ​
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If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ​
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How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ​
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Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
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Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ​
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That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: ​
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Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
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Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ​
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And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
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To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by 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 with confidence by the faith of him. ​
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Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. ​

Paul's Prayer and Doxology 14–21

14
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ​
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Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ​
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That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; ​
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That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ​
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May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; ​
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And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with 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 glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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 — 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: '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, not a reason for discouragement.

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 — Four dimensions, with no object named; v.19 supplies it in 'the love of Christ'. The comprehending is done 'with all saints', not alone. 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 — 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).