Ephesians 3

What’s happening

For this reason Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of the Gentiles, writes, assuming they have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to him for them: the mystery was made known to him by revelation, as he wrote briefly before. This mystery was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: "that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News." Of this gospel he became a servant according to the gift of God's grace, given to him by the working of his power. "To me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things, to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him." So he asks them not to lose heart over his afflictions on their behalf, which are their glory. Then he turns to prayer: "For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Then a doxology: "Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Who’s in this chapter

Talk it through

1. Paul calls himself "less than the least of all saints." What does his humility do for his message?
2. The mystery is that Gentiles are fellow heirs without becoming Jews. Why would that have been hard to accept?
3. The church displays God's wisdom "to the rulers and authorities." What does it mean that the church is a kind of public demonstration?
4. Paul prays that they would "know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge." How can you know what surpasses knowledge?