For this reason I, Paul, athe prisoner of bChrist Jesus cfor the sake of you dGentiles—Acts 23:18; Eph 4:1; 2 Tim 1:8; Philem 1, 9, 23Gal 5:242 Cor 1:6; Eph 3:13Eph 3:8 2 if indeed you have heard of the astewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;Eph 1:10; 3:9; Col 1:25; 1 Tim 1:4 3 athat bby revelation there was cmade known to me dthe mystery, eas I wrote before in brief.Acts 22:17, 21; 26:16ffGal 1:12Eph 1:9; 3:4, 6, 9Rom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:4, 9; 6:19; Col 1:26f; 4:3Eph 1:9f; Heb 13:22; 1 Pet 5:12 4 1By referring to this, when you read you can understand amy insight 2into the bmystery of Christ,Lit To which, when you readLit in2 Cor 11:6Rom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:3, 9; 6:19; Col 1:26f; 4:3 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy aapostles and prophets 1in the Spirit;Or by1 Cor 12:28; Eph 2:20 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are afellow heirs and bfellow members of the body, and cfellow partakers of the promise in dChrist Jesus through the gospel,Gal 3:29Eph 2:16Eph 5:7Gal 5:24 7 aof which I was made a bminister, according to the gift of cGod’s grace which was given to me daccording to the working of His power.Col 1:23, 251 Cor 3:5Acts 9:15; Rom 12:3; Eph 3:2Eph 1:19; 3:20 8 To me, athe very least of all 1saints, this grace was given, to bpreach to the Gentiles the unfathomable criches of Christ,Or holy ones1 Cor 15:9Acts 9:15; Eph 3:1fRom 2:4; Eph 1:7; 3:16 9 and to 1bring to light what is the administration of the amystery which for ages has been bhidden in God cwho created all things;Two early mss read make all knowRom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:3, 4; 6:19; Col 1:26f; 4:3Col 3:3Rev 4:11 10 so that the manifold awisdom of God might now be bmade known through the church to the crulers and the authorities in dthe heavenly places.Rom 11:33; 1 Cor 2:7Eph 1:23; 1 Pet 1:12Eph 1:21; 6:12; Col 2:10, 15Eph 1:3 11 This was in aaccordance with the 1eternal purpose which He 2carried out in bChrist Jesus our Lord,Lit purpose of the agesOr formedEph 1:11Gal 5:24; Eph 3:1 12 in whom we have boldness and 1aconfident baccess through faith 2in Him.Lit access in confidenceLit of Him2 Cor 3:4; Heb 4:16; 10:19, 35; 1 John 2:28; 3:21Eph 2:18 13 Therefore I ask 1you not ato lose heart at my tribulations bon your behalf, 2for they are your glory.Or that I may not loseLit which are2 Cor 4:1Eph 3:1
14 For this reason I abow my knees before the Father,Phil 2:10 15 from whom 1every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,Or the whole 16 that He would grant you, according to athe riches of His glory, to be bstrengthened with power through His Spirit in cthe inner man,Eph 1:18; 3:81 Cor 16:13; Phil 4:13; Col 1:11Rom 7:22 17 so that aChrist may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being brooted and cgrounded in love,John 14:23; Rom 8:9f; 2 Cor 13:5; Eph 2:221 Cor 3:6; Col 2:7Col 1:23 18 may be able to comprehend with aall the 1saints what is bthe breadth and length and height and depth,V 8, note 1Eph 1:15Job 11:8f 19 and to know athe love of Christ which bsurpasses knowledge, that you may be cfilled up to all the dfullness of God.Rom 8:35, 39Phil 4:7Col 2:10Eph 1:23
20 aNow to Him who is bable to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, caccording to the power that works within us,Rom 16:252 Cor 9:8Eph 3:7 21 ato Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations 1forever and ever. Amen.Lit of the age of the agesRom 11:36