3:1 For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you gentiles. |
3:2 Surely you have heard about the responsibility of administering God's grace that was given to me on your behalf, |
3:3 and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past. |
3:4 By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about Christ, |
3:5 which in previous generations was not made known to human beings as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets: |
3:6 The gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of what was promised in Christ Jesus through the gospel. |
3:7 I have become a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. |
3:8 To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given so that I might proclaim to the gentiles the immeasurable wealth of Christ |
3:9 and help everyone see how this secret, which was hidden for ages in God who created all things, has been at work. |
3:10 He did this so that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm |
3:11 in keeping with the eternal purpose that God carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord, |
3:12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through his faithfulness. |
3:13 So then, I ask you not to become discouraged because of my troubles on your behalf, which are your glory. |
3:14 This is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, |
3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its name. |
3:16 I pray that he would give you, according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit, |
3:17 and that Christ would make his home in your hearts through faith. Then, having been rooted and grounded in love, |
3:18 you will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep- |
3:19 that is, you will know the love of Christ, which goes far beyond knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God. |
3:20 Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us- |
3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen. |