3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- |
3:2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which God gave to me for you; |
3:3 that by revelation I came to know the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. |
3:4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, |
3:5 which in other generations the sons of men had not known, as God has revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; |
3:6 For example, that the Gentiles have become fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, |
3:7 of which God made me a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which He had given to me according to the working of His power. |
3:8 God gave to me , the very least of all saints, this grace, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, |
3:9 and to bring to light the administration of the mystery which for ages has remained hidden in God who created all things; |
3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now have revelation through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. |
3:11 This accorded with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, |
3:12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. |
3:13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they occur for your glory. |
3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, |
3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, |
3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to receive strength with power through His Spirit in the inner man, |
3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, find yourselves rooted and grounded in love, |
3:18 may have the capability to comprehend with all the saints the breadth and length and height and depth, |
3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may receive fulfillment up to all the fullness of God. |
3:20 Now to Him who can do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, |
3:21 to Him belong the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. |