The Mystery of the Gospel 1 UDB Because God has done all this for you Gentiles, Christ Jesus has put me, Paul, in prison for your sake. BSB BSB: For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...
2 UDB I assume that you know that God has honored me by giving me a certain task to do for your sake. BSB BSB: Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
3 UDB He gave me this task because of the secret truth about which I wrote to you briefly; BSB BSB: that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4 UDB when you read what I have already written briefly about that, you will be able to understand that I clearly understand the truth about Christ. BSB BSB: In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 UDB Formerly, God did not fully reveal the good news that was to come to anyone. It was something that no one understood, but now his Spirit has revealed the good news to his apostles and prophets whom the Spirit called to serve God. BSB BSB: which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
6 UDB This hidden truth is that the Gentiles now share together with Jews the spiritual riches of God, belong to the same group of God's people, and will share all the things God has promised them because they are joined to Christ Jesus—this is the good news. BSB BSB: This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 UDB I am now God's servant to spread the good news, a work I did not deserve to do, but it was the work that God gave me to do through the working of his power in me. BSB BSB: I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
8 UDB Although I am the least worthy of all God's people, God has enabled me by his kindness and mercy to proclaim to Gentiles the good news about what Christ has done for us, which is so much that no one can learn all about it. BSB BSB: Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 UDB My mission is to explain to everyone what God's plan is, something that God has kept hidden from long ago, from the time when he created everything. BSB BSB: and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10 UDB What God has wisely planned, he showed to powerful angels in heaven through his people who trust in Christ. BSB BSB: His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11 UDB That is what God had always planned for eternity, and it is what he accomplished through the work of Christ Jesus our Lord. BSB BSB: according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 UDB So now when we pray, we can come to God confidently and without being afraid because we trust in Jesus, who has fulfilled God's plan. BSB BSB: In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.
13 UDB So I ask that you do not be discouraged because of my suffering many things for you here in prison, which actually end up honoring you. BSB BSB: So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians 14 UDB Because God has done all this for you, I kneel and pray to God our Father. BSB BSB: ... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 UDB He is the one who gives every family in heaven and on the earth their name. BSB BSB: from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 UDB I pray because of his great power that God will give you power and will strengthen you by his Spirit who lives in your spirits. BSB BSB: I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
17 UDB I pray that Christ may live in your hearts because you trust in him, and I pray that you will be like a firmly rooted tree and a building founded upon stone, BSB BSB: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 UDB so that you may be fully able to understand, along with all those set apart for God, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. BSB BSB: will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth
19 UDB For this love is so great that we cannot understand it, but because of this love, I pray that God may fill you all with himself. BSB BSB: of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 UDB God is able to do much greater things than we usually ask him to do, or even that we might think that he can do, because of his power that is working within us. BSB BSB: Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
21 UDB May all believers come together to honor God and to honor Christ Jesus himself. May all believers through every generation offer God praises forever and ever! May it be so! BSB BSB: to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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