Ephesians 3
1 For this cause [[I bend my knees]], I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you gentiles;
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus, the Christ, for the sake of you Gentiles –
2 if, indeed, ye heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given me toward you,
For you have heard, I suppose, of the responsible charge with which God entrusted me for your benefit,
3 that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,
and also that it was by direct revelation that the hidden purpose of God was made known to me, as I have already briefly told you.
4 whereby, when ye read, ye may perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ;
And, by reading what I have written, you will be able to judge how far I understand this hidden purpose of God in Christ.
5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
In former generations it was not made known to humanity, as fully as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to the apostles and prophets among Christ’s people –
6 that the gentiles are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with us of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel;
That, by union with Christ Jesus and through the good news, the Gentiles are coheirs with us and members of one body, and that they share with us in God’s Promise.
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God, given to me according to the effectual working of his power.
Of this good news I become an assistant, in virtue of the charge with which God entrusted me in the exercise of his power –
8 To me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to make known among the gentiles the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Yes, to me, who am less than the least of all Christ’s people, was this charge entrusted! – to tell the Gentiles the good news of the boundless wealth to be found in the Christ,
9 to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which hath been hidden for ages in God, who created all things; (aiōn g165)
and to make clear what is God’s way of working out that hidden purpose which from the first has been concealed in the mind of the Creator of all things; (aiōn g165)
10 to the intent that now to the principalities and powers in the heavenly regions might be known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,
so that now to the archangels and to all the powers on high should be made known, through the church, the all-embracing wisdom of God,
in accordance with that purpose which runs through all the ages and which he has now accomplished in Jesus, the Christ, our Master. (aiōn g165)
12 in whom we have our boldness and our access in confidence, through faith in him.
And in union with him, and through our trust in him, we find courage to approach God with confidence.
13 Wherefore I entreat you not to be disheartened by the troubles I am suffering for you, since they are your glory.
Therefore I beg you not to be disheartened at the sufferings that I am undergoing for your sakes; for they redound to your honour.
14 For this cause I bend my knees to the Father,
For this reason, then, I kneel before the Father –
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth receiveth its name,
from whom all “fatherhood” in heaven and on earth derives its name –
16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
and pray that, in proportion to the wealth of his glory, he will strengthen you with his power by breathing his Spirit into your inmost soul,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, ye having been rooted and grounded in love,
so that the Christ, through your faith, may make his home within your hearts in love; and I pray that you, now firmly rooted and established, may, with all Christ’s people,
18 that ye may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,
have the power to comprehend in all its width and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
and to understand – though it surpasses all understanding – the love of the Christ; and so be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 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,
To him who, through his power which is at work within us, is able to do far more than anything that we can ask or conceive –
