# Ephesians 03 📖: The Mystery of the Gospel [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Ephesians Overview]] | [[Ephesians 02]] | [[Ephesians 04]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) #### Paul’s Relationship to the Divine Mystery **Principle**: The Church is the revealed mysterious masterpiece of God. [[#Verse 01.]] For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles  [[#Verse 02.]] if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,  [[#Verse 03.]] that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.  [[#Verse 04.]] When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ  [[#Verse 05.]](which was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit),  [[#Verse 06.]] namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.  [[#Verse 07.]] I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power.  [[#Verse 08.]] To me—less than the least of all the saints—this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ  [[#Verse 09.]] and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan—the mystery that has been hidden for ages in Godwho has created all things.  [[#Verse 10.]] The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.  [[#Verse 11.]] This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,  [[#Verse 12.]] in whom we have boldness and confident access to God by way of Christ’s faithfulness.  [[#Verse 13.]] For this reason I ask younot to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. ### Prayer for Strengthened Love **Principle**: The more we grow and see the more we love Him. [[#Verse 14.]] For this reason I kneel before the Father,  [[#Verse 15.]] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.  [[#Verse 16.]] I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,  [[#Verse 17.]] that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,  [[#Verse 18.]] you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  [[#Verse 19.]] and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God. [[#Verse 20.]] Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,  [[#Verse 21.]] to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary - ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. In Paul's letters a "mystery" (3:3) is a truth once hidden but now revealed by God, not a riddle to solve. 2. "Less than the least" (3:8) is an unusual Greek form, a comparative built on a superlative. 3. Paul calls himself "the prisoner of Christ Jesus" (3:1), seeing his chains as belonging to Christ and not to Rome. 4. Paul begins a prayer in 3:1, breaks off to explain his ministry, and picks the prayer back up in 3:14. 5. God's wisdom is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms through the church (3:10). 6. Standing was a common posture for prayer among Jews (Mark 11:25), so Paul's kneeling (3:14) shows deep earnestness. 7. There is a wordplay in 3:14-15: every "family" (*patria*) is named from the "Father" (*pater*). 8. "Rooted and grounded" (3:17) combines an image from farming with an image from building. 9. The doxology in 3:20-21 closes the first half of the letter before Paul turns to how believers should live. 10. "Unfathomable" (3:8) can mean "untraceable," like footprints that cannot be followed. The same word appears in Romans 11:33. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the unfathomable riches Paul preached (3:8) and the One through whom we have bold and confident access to God (3:12). Because of Him we can approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). ## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. The mystery now revealed is that Gentiles are fellow heirs with Israel (3:6). Why was this such stunning news in Paul's day? 2. Paul calls himself less than the least of all the saints (3:8). How does humility fuel faithful ministry? 3. Paul prays that we grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ's love (3:18-19). When have you experienced that love in a fresh way? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 6: Through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ. - 📖 verse 12: In Christ we have boldness and confident access to God through faith. - 📖 verses 16-19: Paul prays that Christ would dwell in our hearts and that we would know His love that surpasses knowledge. - 📖 verses 20-21: God is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think. ## 🔗 Related Passages - 🔗 [[Galatians 01#Verse 12.|Galatians 1:12]] - The gospel received by revelation. - 🔗 [[Romans 16#Verse 25.|Romans 16:25-26]] - The mystery kept secret for ages, now revealed. - 🔗 [[1 Timothy 01#Verse 15.|1 Timothy 1:15]] - Paul the foremost of sinners. - 🔗 [[Hebrews 04#Verse 16.|Hebrews 4:16]] - Approach the throne of grace with confidence. - 🔗 [[Romans 08#Verse 38.|Romans 8:38-39]] - Nothing can separate us from God's love. - 🔗 [[Jude 01#Verse 24.|Jude 24-25]] - To Him who is able be glory forever. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Ephesians 03 - SOAP|The Never Ending Journey]] ## 📂 Internal Notes