EphesiansChapter 3

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¹That is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles... ²Surely you have heard about the job God gave me. He gave me his grace to share with you. ³God showed me his secret plan. He made it known to me. I have already written to you about it in a few words. ⁴When you read this, you will understand what I know about the secret plan of Christ. ⁵People in past generations were not told about it. But now the Spirit has shown it to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This is the secret plan. Through the good news, the Gentiles share in what God gives, along with the Jews. They are members of the same body. They share together in the promise in Christ Jesus. ⁷I became a servant of this good news. It was a gift of God's grace. He gave it to me by his power at work in me. ⁸I am less than the least of all God's people. Even so, God gave me this grace. He gave me the job of preaching to the Gentiles about the riches of Christ. Those riches are too great to measure. ⁹He also gave me the job of helping everyone see how this secret plan works. For ages past it was hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰God's purpose was to use the church to show his wisdom in all its many forms. He wanted it to be known now to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly world. ¹¹This was God's eternal plan. He carried it out in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In Christ, and through faith in him, we can come near to God. We can come boldly and without fear. ¹³So I ask you not to lose heart because I am suffering for you. My sufferings bring you glory. ¹⁴...That is why I kneel before the Father. ¹⁵Every family in heaven and on earth gets its name from him. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he will make you strong. I pray that he will give you power through his Spirit deep inside you. ¹⁷Then Christ will live in your hearts through faith. And you will have roots that go deep into love. You will stand firm in love. ¹⁸Then, together with all God's people, you will have the power to understand how wide and long and high and deep ¹⁹the love of Christ is. I pray that you will know this love, even though it is too great to fully know. Then you will be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰God is able to do far more than all we ask or imagine. He does it by his power that is at work in us. ²¹May he receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. May he receive it through all generations, forever and ever. Amen.