Shared Word Translation
Ephesians 3
The Mystery Revealed
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God that was given to me for you, that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote briefly before,
by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of humanity as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the good news.
Of this I became a servant according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the working of his power. To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given: to proclaim to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,
so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him.
Therefore I ask you not to lose heart over my afflictions for you, which are your glory.
Prayer for Strength and Comprehension
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—being rooted and grounded in love— that you may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to the one who is able to do beyond all things exceedingly more than we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.