Ephesians Chapter 3
Showing all 21 verses for Ephesians Chapter 3.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, "
"This is why I, Paul, a prisoner because of my devotion to Jesus Christ, for the sake of you non-Jewish readers..."
Difficult circumstances don't automatically mean your purpose has been derailed. Even confined, Paul kept his sense of mission intact - your situation, however limited, doesn't have to strip away your sense of why you're here.
"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: "
"Assuming you've heard about the special role God gave me - his grace entrusted to me specifically for your benefit."
Whatever role or responsibility you carry, hold it as something entrusted to you for others' benefit, not as personal property to be used however you please.
"How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, "
"God revealed to me directly the secret plan I'm talking about - as I already briefly wrote about earlier."
Some truths aren't things you can reason your way into fully alone - they need to be revealed, opened up to you, often through unexpected means. Stay open to insight arriving from beyond your own effort.
"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) "
"So when you read what I've written, you'll be able to understand how well I grasp this mystery about Christ."
Don't just take someone's word for a truth secondhand - go and read, examine, and test it for yourself. Real understanding invites scrutiny rather than fearing it.
"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; "
"In previous generations this truth wasn't made known to people, but now it's been revealed by the Spirit to his holy messengers and prophets."
Understanding often unfolds gradually across time, not all at once. Don't be discouraged if certain truths take a while to become clear to you - even history itself moves in stages.
"That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: "
"The secret is this: non-Jewish people now share fully in the inheritance, belong to the same body, and share in the same promise in Christ, through the good news."
Full belonging isn't a lesser, second-tier membership - it's complete equality, no asterisks attached. Don't settle for feeling like a partial member of any community that claims to welcome you.
"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. "
"I was made a servant of this message, through the gift of God's grace given to me by his power actively working in me."
Your past disqualifications don't determine your future usefulness. Whatever ability you end up having to help others came from somewhere beyond your own resources - stay humble about it.
"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; "
"To me - the least significant of all God's people - this privilege was given: to tell the non-Jewish world about the boundless, unfathomable riches found in Christ."
I don't wait for people to become impressive before I use them. Some of the most effective messengers of grace are people painfully aware of how undeserving they are of the privilege - that awareness, not achievement, qualifies you.
"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: "
"And to make it clear to everyone how this mystery works - the secret hidden in God since the beginning of time, the God who created everything through Jesus Christ."
What's true and good isn't meant to be hoarded by a privileged few who already understand it. Part of your job, once you've grasped something valuable, is helping make it clear and visible to others.
"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, "
"The purpose of all this is that the church would now display God's endlessly varied wisdom to every ruler and authority in the spiritual realm."
The way you and others learn to live together across real differences matters more than you might think - it's not just self-improvement, it's a demonstration to the wider order of things about what's genuinely possible.
"According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: "
"This all happened according to the eternal plan he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Even the surprises in your own story might not be as random as they feel in the moment. There can be a coherent thread running underneath events that only becomes visible with time and perspective.
"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. "
"Through him, we can approach God with boldness and confidence, because we trust in him."
You don't need to approach what matters most in your life hesitantly, as though you might be turned away. Confidence isn't arrogance here - it's simply trusting that the door is genuinely open.
"Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. "
"So I ask you not to lose heart because of the hardships I'm going through for you - they're actually your glory."
When someone suffers for something they believe helps you, don't let it crush your own hope - let it strengthen your resolve instead. Meaning can be found even in another person's hardship, when it's borne out of love.
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, "
"For this reason, I kneel down before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..."
There are moments that call for more than a passing thought - real intensity, real humility. Don't be afraid to bring your full weight and seriousness to the things you care about most.
"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, "
"The one from whom every family, in heaven and on earth, gets its name."
Whatever family you were born into - good, broken, or somewhere in between - there's a bigger, more perfect family you also belong to, one that gives meaning to the very idea of belonging.
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; "
"I pray that out of his glorious riches, he would strengthen you with power, through his Spirit, deep within you."
Don't wait for your circumstances to change before you seek strength - ask for it to work on the inside first. That inner resilience will carry you through whatever the outside world throws at you.
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, "
"So that Christ would settle down and feel at home in your hearts through faith - and that you, with your roots and foundation firmly in love..."
Build your life on love as the foundation, not on fear, guilt, or the need to prove yourself. Anything built on those shakier foundations will eventually crack under pressure.
"May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; "
"So that you, together with all of God's people, would be able to grasp just how wide, how long, how deep, and how high this all is."
Some things are too big to fully understand on your own - you need other people's perspectives and experiences to even begin grasping the full scope. Seek understanding in community, not isolation.
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. "
"And to know Christ's love, even though it goes beyond what you can fully understand - so that you'd be completely filled with the fullness of God himself."
Some truths you won't fully figure out with your head - you'll only really know them by experiencing them, by letting love actually reach you rather than just studying it from a distance. Let yourself be filled, not just informed.
"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, "
"Now, to the one who is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or even imagine, by the power that's already at work within us..."
Don't limit your hopes to only what seems realistic or reasonable to ask for. There's more possible than you can currently imagine, and the resource for it isn't distant - it's already at work in you right now.
"Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. "
"To him be glory in the church, through Christ Jesus, throughout every generation, forever and ever. Amen."
The praise and glory that matters most isn't found in isolated grandeur, but lived out through actual communities of ordinary people, generation after generation. Your part, however small, plays into something that outlasts you.