Ephesians 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 60-62
Location
Written from Rome (likely) to the church in Ephesus, Asia Minor
Audience
The church at Ephesus, composed of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, though likely predominantly Gentile believers
Situation
Paul writes from prison, explaining his role as apostle to the Gentiles and the divine mystery now revealed. He interrupts his prayer (begun in 3:1) with an extended explanation of his ministry before resuming it in 3:14.
Key Background
Paul had previously spent three years ministering in Ephesus, a major commercial city and center of pagan worship. The central theme of chapter 3 addresses a revolutionary concept for the early church: that Gentiles are 'fellow heirs' with Jews in God's promises through Christ, without needing to follow Jewish law. This 'mystery' had been hidden for ages but was now revealed, and Paul saw his suffering in prison as part of his calling to proclaim this truth to the Gentile world.
This is why I, Paul, am now a of the Jesus -- and it's for your sake, you who aren't Jewish.
I'm sure you've heard about the God's gave me for your benefit --
how the was made known to me by direct as I briefly wrote about earlier.
When you read what I've written, you'll be able to see how deeply I understand this mystery about the One.
In previous generations, this wasn't made known to people the way it has now been revealed by the of to his and prophets:
that non-Jewish people are with Jewish believers, of the same and equal partners in the promise that comes through the One, Jesus, by means of the
I became a of this good news through the gift of God's undeserved kindness, given to me by the working of his
To me -- the very of all those set apart for God -- this undeserved kindness was given: to announce to non-Jewish people the good news about the One,
and to what the of this mystery is -- the one hidden for ages in God, who created everything.
so that through the God's would now be made known to the and in the
This was his from the very -- the purpose he carried out through the One, Jesus, our
In him we have the to and confidently through our in him.
So I'm asking you not to over what I'm suffering for your sake -- my suffering is actually an for you.
This is why I on my before the
from whom every in heaven and on earth gets its name.
I'm praying that out of the wealth of he would strengthen you with power through in your being,
so that the One would in your through trust. And I'm praying that you, being and in love,
would have the strength to along with all those set apart for God, how and and and his love is,
and to the love of the One that you could -- so that you would be filled with the of himself.
Now to the one who can do more than anything we could ask or even imagine -- through his that is at in us --
to him be the in the and in the One, Jesus, every and it be so.