| Chapter 3 |
1 | For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles,
|
2 | If that ordering of the grace of God has come to your knowledge, which was given to me for you,
|
3 | How by revelation the secret was made clear to me, as I said before in a short letter,
|
4 | By the reading of which you will be clear about my knowledge of the secret of Christ;
|
5 | Which in other generations was not given to the sons of men, but the revelation of it has now been made to his holy Apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
|
6 | Which is that the Gentiles have a part in the heritage, and in the same body, and in the same hope in Christ through the good news,
|
7 | Of which I was made a preacher, through that grace of God which was given to me in the measure of the working of his power.
|
8 | To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, was this grace given, so that I might make clear to the Gentiles the good news of the unending wealth of Christ:
|
9 | And make all men see what is the ordering of the secret which from the first has been kept in God who made all things;
|
10 | So that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavens might be made clear through the church the wide-shining wisdom of God,
|
11 | Which is seen in his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord:
|
12 | By whom we come near to God without fear through faith in him.
|
13 | For this reason it is my prayer that you may not become feeble because of my troubles for you, which are your glory.
|
14 | For this cause I go down on my knees before the Father,
|
15 | From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
|
16 | That in the wealth of his glory he would make you strong with power through his Spirit in your hearts;
|
17 | So that Christ may have his place in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and based in love,
|
18 | May have strength to see with all the saints how wide and long and high and deep it is,
|
19 | And to have knowledge of the love of Christ which is outside all knowledge, so that you may be made complete as God himself is complete.
|
20 | Now to him who is able to do in full measure more than all our desires or thoughts, through the power which is working in us,
|
21 | To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations for ever and ever. So be it.
|