Eph.3.1

This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called.

Eph.3.1

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--

Eph.3.1

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles--

Eph.3.1

I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of my preaching to you Gentiles.

Eph.3.2

I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody.

Eph.3.2

Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,

Eph.3.2

if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

Eph.3.2

As you already know, God has given me this special ministry of announcing his favor to you Gentiles.

Eph.3.3

I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.

Eph.3.3

that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

Eph.3.3

how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,

Eph.3.3

As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me.

Eph.3.4

As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ.

Eph.3.4

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Eph.3.4

by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

Eph.3.4

As you read what I have written, you will understand what I know about this plan regarding Christ.

Eph.3.5

None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order.

Eph.3.5

which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

Eph.3.5

which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

Eph.3.5

God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.

Eph.3.6

The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

Eph.3.6

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Eph.3.6

that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,

Eph.3.6

And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God's children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus.

Eph.3.7

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details.

Eph.3.7

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.

Eph.3.7

of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Eph.3.7

By God's special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

Eph.3.8

When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.

Eph.3.8

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Eph.3.8

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Eph.3.8

Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

Eph.3.9

My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along.

Eph.3.9

and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Eph.3.9

and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

Eph.3.9

I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

Eph.3.10

Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

Eph.3.10

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

Eph.3.10

to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

Eph.3.10

God's purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. They will see this when Jews and Gentiles are joined together in his church.

Eph.3.11

All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus.

Eph.3.11

according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eph.3.11

according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Eph.3.11

This was his plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eph.3.12

When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.

Eph.3.12

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Eph.3.12

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Eph.3.12

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome.

Eph.3.13

So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud! [JC]

Eph.3.13

I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Eph.3.13

Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Eph.3.13

So please don't despair because of what they are doing to me here. It is for you that I am suffering, so you should feel honored and encouraged.

Eph.3.14

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father,

Eph.3.14

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

Eph.3.14

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Eph.3.14

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,

Eph.3.15

this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth.

Eph.3.15

from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Eph.3.15

from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Eph.3.15

the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

Eph.3.16

I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit--not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength--

Eph.3.16

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Eph.3.16

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

Eph.3.16

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

Eph.3.17

that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love,

Eph.3.17

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Eph.3.17

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph.3.17

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.

Eph.3.18

you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights!

Eph.3.18

may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

Eph.3.18

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--

Eph.3.18

And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

Eph.3.19

Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

Eph.3.19

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Eph.3.19

to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph.3.19

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Eph.3.20

God can do anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Eph.3.20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Eph.3.20

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Eph.3.20

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

Eph.3.21

Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Eph.3.21

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Eph.3.21

to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Eph.3.21

May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.