Ephesians 3 — Greek text and reception
Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.
Chapter 3
The mystery made known
Verse 3:1
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: “For this reason I, Paul” begins an interruption. The ministry account in 3:2–13 precedes the resumed prayer in 3:14; “prisoner of Christ Jesus” is retained as the writer’s own description. Reception: R10.
Verse 3:2
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you:
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Oikonomia is entrusted stewardship here. The grace was given to Paul for the recipients; the two directional phrases should not be collapsed into grace possessed for his own advantage. Reception: R10.
Verse 3:3
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote briefly before.
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The mystery was made known by revelation. “As I wrote briefly before” remains an internal reference whose precise literary reach is not settled by naming a lost letter. Reception: R10.
Text: NA28 opens the verse with [ὅτι] in brackets (SBLGNT omits); the rendering above follows SBLGNT, and NA28 would subordinate the clause to 3:2, "that by revelation the mystery was made known to me".R10
Verse 3:4
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
By reading this you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Reading enables the recipients to perceive the writer’s understanding of Christ’s mystery. The wording ties understanding to the communication just mentioned rather than to privileged unrecorded instruction. Reception: R10.
Verse 3:5
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of human beings as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The contrast is other generations and “now,” with “as” qualifying the comparison. Revelation is to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; the text does not say that no earlier hint existed. Reception: R10.
Verse 3:6
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Three “fellow-” compounds express shared inheritance, membership in the body and participation in the promise. All three are retained, together with Christ Jesus and the gospel as the stated means. Reception: R10.
Verse 3:7
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
of which I became a servant according to the gift of God’s grace given to me according to the working of His power.
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The writer became a servant of the gospel through the gift of grace and working of divine power. Diakonos identifies service here without assigning a later formal clerical rank. Reception: R10.
Verse 3:8
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given: to proclaim to the nations the untraceable riches of Christ,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: “The very least” conveys an unusual intensified comparative of least. “Untraceable” preserves the image of riches beyond tracking, while the grace equips proclamation to the nations. Reception: R11.
Verse 3:9
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
and to enlighten everyone as to the administration of the mystery hidden from the ages in God, who created all things,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: G reads administration, not fellowship, and ends the creator clause without “through Jesus Christ.” The consulted English Homily 7 later quotes that expansion; its wording is reception evidence, not G’s main text. Reception: R11.
Verse 3:10
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
so that now, through the Church, the richly varied wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The Church is the means by which God’s richly varied wisdom is made known to heavenly rulers and authorities. The verse does not say that those powers teach the Church the mystery. Reception: R11.
Verse 3:11
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
according to the purpose of the ages which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The “purpose of the ages” is accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Retaining purpose and accomplishment keeps the sentence’s relation between divine intention and its realization visible. Reception: R11.
Verse 3:12
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The source is literally “through the faith of Him.” “Faith in Him” takes the genitive objectively; His faithfulness remains a possible alternative. Boldness, access and confidence are all retained. Reception: R11.
Verse 3:13
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my afflictions for you, which are your glory.
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: “You” is supplied as the understood subject of not losing heart. Another possible construction makes Paul ask not to lose heart himself; the afflictions are expressly for the recipients and their glory. Reception: R11.
Prayer for strength and fullness
Verse 3:14
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
For this reason I bend my knees before the Father,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The prayer resumes the “for this reason” of 3:1. G has simply “the Father,” without the expanded phrase “of our Lord Jesus Christ” in this verse. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:15
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
from whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: “Every family” renders pasa patria and preserves its word relation to Father. “The whole family” is another collective reading; the verse does not name the heavenly family’s members. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:16
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
so that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner human being,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The prayer seeks strengthening with power through His Spirit in the inner human being. God’s glorious riches measure the gift; the contrast does not declare the bodily human being evil. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:17
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
so that Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts, being rooted and founded in love,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Christ’s dwelling is through faith in the recipients’ hearts. “Rooted and founded” describes them, combining plant and building imagery; attachment of “in love” remains a punctuation question. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:18
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
so that with all the saints you may have strength to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Breadth, length, height and depth stand without an expressed object. Love in 3:19 supplies relevant context, but neither a physical cross nor a cosmic diagram is inserted into the translation. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:19
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Knowing Christ’s love is juxtaposed with its surpassing knowledge. Being filled unto God’s fullness is the purpose; the paradox is not resolved by weakening either knowing or surpassing. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:20
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
Now to the One who is able to do beyond all things, far more abundantly than we ask or think, according to the power working in us,
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: The doxology intensifies divine ability beyond what is asked or conceived. The power is already at work in “us,” linking praise with the preceding prayer for inward strengthening. Reception: R12.
Verse 3:21
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus for all generations of the age of ages. Amen.
Textual & Reception Notes
Text: Glory is ascribed in the Church and in Christ Jesus. G includes the conjunction and the emphatic succession of generations and ages; the Amen here is actually present. Reception: R12.