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Ephesians 3:1-4:24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

III. World Mission of the Church

Chapter 3

Commission to Preach God’s Plan.[a] 1 Because of this,(A) I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ[b] [Jesus] for you Gentiles— 2 if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship[c] of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit,(B) 3 [namely, that] the mystery[d] was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier.(C) 4 When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,(D) 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.(E)

7 Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.(F) 8 To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,(G) 9 and to bring to light [for all][e] what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things,(H) 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities[f] in the heavens.(I) 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him.(J) 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over my afflictions for you; this is your glory.(K)

Prayer for the Readers.[g] 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[h] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,(L) 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,(M) 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,(N) 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.(O)

20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,(P) 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Chapter 4

Unity in the Body. 1 [i]I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,(Q) 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,(R) 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:(S) 4 [j]one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;(T) 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;(U) 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.(V)

Diversity of Gifts. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.(W) 8 Therefore, it says:

“He ascended[k] on high and took prisoners captive;
    he gave gifts to men.”(X)

9 What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower [regions] of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

11 [l]And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,(Y) 12 to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,[m] for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[n] to the extent of the full stature of Christ,(Z) 14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.(AA) 15 Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head,(AB) Christ,[o] 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.(AC)

Renewal in Christ.[p] 17 So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;(AD) 18 darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart,(AE) 19 they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess.(AF) 20 That is not how you learned Christ, 21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, 22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,(AG) 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,(AH) 24 and put on[q] the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.(AI)

Footnotes

  1. 3:1–13 Paul reflects on his mission to the Gentiles. He alludes to his call and appointment to the apostolic office (Eph 3:2–3) and how his insight through revelation, as well as that of the other apostles and charismatic prophets in the church (Eph 3:4–5), has deepened understanding of God’s plan of salvation in Christ. Paul is the special herald (Eph 3:7) of a new promise to the Gentiles (Eph 3:6): that the divine plan includes them in the spiritual benefits promised to Israel. Not only is this unique apostolic role his; Paul also has been given the task of explaining to all the divine plan of salvation (Eph 3:8–9), once hidden. Through the church, God’s plan to save through Christ is becoming manifest to angelic beings (Eph 3:10; cf. Eph 1:21), in accord with God’s purpose (Eph 3:11). The fulfillment of the plan in Christ gives the whole church more confidence through faith in God (Eph 3:12). The readers of this letter are also thereby encouraged to greater confidence despite Paul’s imprisonment (Eph 3:13).
  2. 3:1 A prisoner of Christ: see Introduction. Paul abruptly departs from his train of thought at the end of Eph 3:1, leaving an incomplete sentence.
  3. 3:2 Stewardship: the Greek is the same term employed at Eph 1:10 for the plan that God administers (Col 1:25) and in which Paul plays a key role.
  4. 3:3–4 The mystery: God’s resolve to deliver Gentiles along with Israel through Christ; cf. notes on Eph 1:10; 3:9.
  5. 3:9 [For all]: while some think this phrase was added so as to yield the sense “to enlighten all about the plan…,” it is more likely that some manuscripts and Fathers omitted it accidentally or to avoid the idea that all conflicted with Paul’s assignment to preach to the Gentiles (Eph 3:8) specifically.
  6. 3:10 Principalities and authorities: see note on Eph 1:15–23 regarding Eph 3:21.
  7. 3:14–21 The apostle prays that those he is addressing may, like the rest of the church, deepen their understanding of God’s plan of salvation in Christ. It is a plan that affects the whole universe (Eph 3:15) with the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love in Christ (Eph 3:18) or possibly the universe in all its dimensions. The apostle prays that they may perceive the redemptive love of Christ for them and be completely immersed in the fullness of God (Eph 3:19). The prayer concludes with a doxology to God (Eph 3:20–21).
  8. 3:14–15 Every family: in the Greek there is wordplay on the word for the Father (patria, patēr). The phrase could also mean “God’s whole family” (cf. Eph 2:21).
  9. 4:1–16 A general plea for unity in the church. Christians have been fashioned through the Spirit into a single harmonious religious community (one body, Eph 4:4, 12; cf. Eph 4:16), belonging to a single Lord (in contrast to the many gods of the pagan world), and by one way of salvation through faith, brought out especially by the significance of baptism (Eph 4:1–6; cf. Rom 6:1–11). But Christian unity is more than adherence to a common belief. It is manifested in the exalted Christ’s gifts to individuals to serve so as to make the community more Christlike (Eph 4:11–16). This teaching on Christ as the source of the gifts is introduced in Eph 4:8 by a citation of Ps 68:18, which depicts Yahweh triumphantly leading Israel to salvation in Jerusalem. It is here understood of Christ, ascending above all the heavens, the head of the church; through his redemptive death, resurrection, and ascension he has become the source of the church’s spiritual gifts. The “descent” of Christ (Eph 4:9–10) refers more probably to the incarnation (cf. Phil 2:6–8) than to Christ’s presence after his death in the world of the dead (cf. 1 Pt 3:19).
  10. 4:4–6 The “seven unities” (church, Spirit, hope; Lord, faith in Christ [Eph 1:13], baptism; one God) reflect the triune structure of later creeds in reverse.
  11. 4:8–10 While the emphasis is on an ascension and gift-giving by Christ, there is also a reference in taking prisoners captive to the aeons and powers mentioned at Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12.
  12. 4:11 Concerning this list of ministers, cf. 1 Cor 12:28 and Rom 12:6–8. Evangelists: missionary preachers (cf. Acts 21:8; 2 Tm 4:5), not those who wrote gospels. Pastors and teachers: a single group in the Greek, shepherding congregations.
  13. 4:12 The ministerial leaders in Eph 4:11 are to equip the whole people of God for their work of ministry.
  14. 4:13 Mature manhood: literally, “a perfect man” (cf. Col 1:28), possibly the “one new person” of Eph 2:15, though there anthrōpos suggests humanity, while here anēr is the term for male. This personage becomes visible in the church’s growing to its fullness in the unity of those who believe in Christ.
  15. 4:15–16 The head, Christ: cf. Col 1:18 and contrast 1 Cor 12:12–27 and Rom 12:4–5 where Christ is identified with the whole body, including the head. The imagery may derive from ancient views in medicine, the head coordinating and caring for the body, each ligament (perhaps the ministers of Eph 4:11) supporting the whole. But as at Eph 2:19–22, where the temple is depicted as a growing organism, there may also be the idea here of growing toward the capstone, Christ.
  16. 4:17–24 Paul begins to indicate how the new life in Christ contrasts with the Gentiles’ old way of existence. Literally, the old self (Eph 4:22) and the new self (Eph 4:24) are “the old man” and “the new man” (anthrōpos, person), as at Eph 2:15; cf. note on Eph 4:13.
  17. 4:24 Put on: in baptism. See note on Gal 3:27.
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Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.