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Ephesians 3:17–19 and the Other Verses of Ephesians 3

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“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”

Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively.  Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior.  Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This webpage could be periodically updated.  If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated.  Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.  

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Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.  

When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:  

“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Note:  The heart refers to the mind.  

It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:  

“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”

It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:  

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”

A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned.  In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher.  Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:  

If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship:  whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living.  As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Note:  Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites.  Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM].  The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges.  The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity.  The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness.  In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human.  When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god.  Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.  

The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind.  In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:  

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession.  Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram.  Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:  

Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.

The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:  

Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.  Also, it is still much more evident:  that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life.  Indeed, it is attested:  “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Note:  The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah.  Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body.  The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.  

Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest.  In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family.  Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:  

However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE.  You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Note:  Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people.  In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people.  The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23.  In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.  

Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Put succinctly:  itʼs the message rather than the messenger.  In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:  

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that.  I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book.  Worship God.”

*Note:  The word says is in the Greek historical present tense.  By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.  

Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated.  That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:  

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews.  Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.  Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.

Note:  The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”  

Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday.  The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies.  Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies.  While it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur on a day other than the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah.  Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah, one can be prepared for that day because of already being in the habit of being prepared.  Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life.  Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.  

Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:  

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.  Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

Behold, I tell you a mystery:  we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation.  The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation.  1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic.  In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.  

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.  While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.  However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day.  We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober.  Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.  However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.  Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Note:  In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent.  In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context.  Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!”  In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness.  The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture.  In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation.  Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity.  After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored.  The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1.  Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30.  In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit.  Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.  In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer.  After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.  

The verses of the day for June 6th are Ephesians 3:17–19.  The title of the book Ephesians is also known as “The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians” and “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians.”  Ephesians was a letter written by the apostle Paul to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who were either located in Ephesus or in multiple places, including possibly Ephesus.  

For geographical context, below is a link to a map that shows the location of Ephesus.  

https://NETBible.org/media/images/constable/45Rom-1.jpg

Below is a link to another map that shows the location of Ephesus.  This map also shows the other locations that compose the seven locations of the churches of Revelation.  The seven churches of Revelation are located in grid coordinate B2.  The key for this map is located in grid coordinates B3 and C3.  A list of those seven churches, sorted in order of mention in Revelation 2–3, is located in grid coordinate D1.  

https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/nt2.jpg

If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.  

https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/nt2.jpg

Because it is useful to study verses that share the same context, below is content related to Ephesians 3.  

Ephesians 3:1

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Note:  Paul had been imprisoned unjustly.  Rather than expressing bitterness about that in this epistle, Paul referred to himself using the phrase the prisoner of Christ Jesus.  In that regard, Paul had become a prisoner because he had been sharing the gospel—in other words, the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life—and because Paul had been teaching the Word of God to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Also, the phrase for the sake of you Gentiles is an indication that Paulʼs ministry was to people in Gentile regions.  

Ephesians 3:2

if indeed you heard of—and you did indeed hear of—the dispensation of Godʼs grace which was given to me for you,

Note:  The phrase the dispensation of Godʼs grace refers to the Church Age.  With regard to the Church Age, below is a synopsis of human history as categorized into time periods known as dispensations.  In the below synopsis, there is the term hypostatic union [high-PUH-stat-ick YOON-yuhn].  This refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being 100% Deity and 100% humanity.  The English word hypostatic is derived from the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek word ὑπόστασις [pronounced hoo-PAH-stah-sees and transliterated as hypostasis].  After the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for the sins of humanity, His body was in the grave for three days and three nights.  He was then resurrected, and He was on the earth for forty days after He was resurrected.  He then ascended to Heaven, and ten days after that, the Day of Pentecost [PEN-tih-kahst] occurred.  The Day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Church Age.  The word Pentecost is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντηκοστή [pronounced pen-tay-kah-STAY and transliterated as pentēkostē].  That word is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντήκοντα [pronounced pen-TAY-kahn-tah and transliterated as pentēkonta], which means “fifty.”  Therefore, the word Pentecost is derived from the fact that that day occurred fifty days after the Lord was resurrected.  In that regard, the Church Age began fifty days after the Lord was resurrected.  The Church Age will end with the Rapture.  The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies.  Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies.  Absent from the Bible is anything specifically indicating the precise date and time when the Rapture will occur, although it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026.  

Regarding the word judgment, the proper way to spell that word is without an e between the dg and the m.  In that regard, the e of the root word judge is dropped when the suffix ment is added to that root word.  The formation of the word judgment is shown below.  

judge −e +ment

= judg +ment

= judgment

Another way to categorize human history is by means of civilizations.  Civilizations begin only with believers.  Regarding the timing of civilizations and dispensations, the first civilization began with Adam and ended on the occasion of the Great Flood (also known as the Flood).  That civilization is known as the antediluvian civilization and the predulivian civilization.  In that regard, the prefixes ante and pre mean “before.”  Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time before the Flood.  Those spellings include antediluvian, ante-diluvian, prediluvian, and pre-diluvian.  

After the Flood, there were only eight believers on the earth:  Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sonsʼ wives.  With the removal of the unbelievers from the earth on the occasion of the Flood, a new civilization was started.  That civilization is known as the postdiluvian civilization (also known as the postdiluvial civilization).  Regarding the terminology, the prefix post means “after,” and the adjectives diluvian and diluvial mean “having to do with a flood.”  Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time after the Flood.  Those spellings include postdiluvian, post-diluvian, postdiluvial, and post-diluvial.  The postdiluvian civilization will end on the occasion of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  On the occasion of the Second Advent, the Lord will remove all unbelievers from the earth.  Their removal will be by means of physical death just as the removal of all unbelievers was by means of physical death on the occasion of the Flood.  This is called the Baptism of Fire, which is either a metaphorical description because fire can be used to represent judgment or a literal reference to the use of fire in the judgment of unbelievers on the occasion of the Second Advent.  The Baptism of Fire is referenced in Matthew 3:11–12; Luke 3:15–17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9.  

Just as a new civilization started after the Flood, so also a new civilization will start after the Baptism of Fire.  That civilization is called the Millennium.  The Millennium is both a civilization and a dispensation.  The Eternal State is also both a civilization and a dispensation.  

The content of Ephesians 3:2 is repeated below for reference.  

Ephesians 3:2

if indeed you heard of—and you did indeed hear of—the dispensation of Godʼs grace which was given to me for you,

Ephesians 3:3

that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief, 

Note:  The Church Age was a mystery for believers before the Church Age.  

Ephesians 3:4

pertaining to which, reading, you are able to understand my knowledge/understanding/insight in the mystery of Christ, 

Note:  Paul wrote to the believers who were the recipients of The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.  The believers who were the recipients of The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians needed to read what Paul wrote in order for those believers to learn the Word of God.  If any of those believers could not read, then the content of what Paul wrote could have been read aloud by believers who could read so that the believers who could not read could hear what Paul wrote.  In that regard, whether believers who could read were reading silently to themselves or whether believers who could read were reading out loud for other believers to hear, what Paul wrote needed to be read.  

Ephesians 3:5

which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by means of the Spirit, 

Note:  As mentioned in the notes for verse 3, the Church Age was a mystery for believers before the Church Age.  While the New Testament was being written, God the Holy Spirit revealed information about the Church Age to believers who had the gift of apostle and to believers who had the gift of prophecy.  Regarding the reference to the gift of apostle and the gift of prophecy, while some believers in the Lord Jesus Christ had those gifts before the Canon of Scripture was completed, now that the Canon of Scripture has been completed, no believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have those gifts.  Now that the Canon of Scripture has been completed, the Word of God is revealed in the Canon of Scripture rather than by any information from outside the Canon of Scripture; therefore, the gift of apostle and the gift of prophet are unnecessary.  In contrast, evangelists and pastor-teachers share information that is in the Canon of Scripture; therefore, those gifts are still necessary.  

Ephesians 3:6

that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

Note:  In this verse, the word body refers to all Church Age believers.  In that regard, all Church Age believers are known collectively as the Church.  In the Church Age, both Jewish believers and Gentile believers have equal opportunity to receive eternal rewards.  It is in that sense that, in the Church Age, Jewish believers and Gentile believers are fellow heirs.  

While unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is to what the word promise refers, the content of Ephesians 2:12 contains that same word.  The context of Ephesians 2:12 is such that the word promise in that verse refers to the promise of blessings.  Therefore, it is possible that Paulʼs use of the word promise in the content of Ephesians 3:6 also refers to the promise of blessings.  Regardless of to what the word promise refers in Ephesians 3:6, there is an absence of any privilege distinguishing Jewish believers from Gentile believers in the Church Age.  

The phrase in Christ Jesus refers to being in union with the Lord Jesus Christ—in other words, being associated with Him.  This is what is known as positional truth.  It is through the gospel—in other words, through the good news about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior as the means of receiving eternal life—that all of the foregoing is possible.  

Ephesians 3:7

of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of Godʼs grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Note:  The power mentioned in this verse comes from God the Holy Spirit.  In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity.  After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored.  The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1.  Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30.  In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit.  Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.  In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer.  After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.  

Ephesians 3:8

To me, the very least of all saints / holy ones / set-apart ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 

Note:  All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are saints.  In other words, they are holy, which means that they are set apart.  Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have a relationship with the Trinity, while unbelievers lack a relationship with the Trinity.  At the moment of salvation, a believer becomes a saint / holy one / set-apart one.  

In this verse, Paul expresses humility.  In that regard, rather than praising himself, Paul acknowledges that his ministry was the result of the grace of God the Father instead of a result of any worthiness of Paul.  Also, the word unfathomable calls attention to the fact that the eternal rewards available for each believer are beyond the ability of a believer to imagine.  

Ephesians 3:9

and to bring to light [two early manuscripts read make all know] what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God Who created all things 

Ephesians 3:10

so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the Church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies, 

Note:  Angels are the rulers and authorities mentioned in this verse.  Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the reference to angels in this verse refers to good angels, fallen angels, or both.  Good angels are also known as elect angels.  Fallen angels are also known as demons.  If fallen angels are referenced in this verse, then the making known of the wisdom of God to those angels would involve making known to the fallen angels that the fallen angels are wrong.  

Ephesians 3:11

according to the purpose of the ages which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Note:  Each Member of the Trinity performs a different role.  Regarding the roles of the Members of the Trinity, God the Father does the planning, God the Son executes the plan, and God the Holy Spirit reveals the plan.  The Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son.  Regarding ages, God the Fatherʼs plan involves dispensations.  The notes for verse 2 contain some information related to dispensations.  

Ephesians 3:12

in Whom we have boldness and access in confidence through His doctrine.

Note:  This verse indicates that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have access to communicate to God the Father without having to go through an intermediary.  

Ephesians 3:13

Therefore, I ask not to be discouraged at my tribulations on your behalf, which is your glory/praise/honor.

Note:  In this verse, there is an absence of an object for the verb ask.  In that regard, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whom Paul is asking to refrain from being discouraged.  Regardless of whom Paul was referencing, Paul was calling attention to the need to refrain from becoming discouraged about the challenges that Paul had been encountering.  In that regard, the challenges that Paul had been encountering had occurred because Paul had been trying to help the believers who were the recipients of The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.  Paulʼs helping of those believers involved him sharing the Word of God with them.  

In this verse, the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek word translated as “glory,” “praise,” or “honor” is δόξα [pronounced DAH-ksah and transliterated as doxa].  That word is an inflected form of the root word δόξα [pronounced DAH-ksah and transliterated as doxa].  Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether Paul used doxa in this verse to refer to glory, praise, or honor.  

If Paul was using doxa to refer to glory or praise, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is how Paulʼs experiencing of challenges was glory or praise for the believers who were the recipients of The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.  If Paul was using doxa to refer to honor, then he might have been referring to the matter of it being an honor for the Ephesian believers that it was on their behalf that Paul was experiencing challenges.  In that regard, if a believer becomes discouraged about the challenges that another believer encounters on behalf of the discouraged believer, then the discouraged believer has a glass-half-empty attitude—in other words, the discouraged believer has a pessimistic attitude.  In contrast, if a believer is honored that another believer encounters challenges on behalf of the honored believer, then the honored believer has a glass-half-full attitude—in other words, the honored believer has an optimistic attitude.  Regardless of what Paul meant by means of his use of the word doxa in this verse, Paul indicated in this verse that the believers who were the recipients of The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians should refrain from being discouraged about the challenges that Paul was encountering.  

Ephesians 3:14

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, 

Note:  In this verse, Paul references himself praying to God the Father.  Regarding the word before, wherever Paul prayed, Paul was in front of God the Father because God the Father is omnipresent [God the Father is everywhere].  By praying to God the Father, Paul submitted to the authority of God the Father.  In that regard, all prayer should be addressed to God the Father.  

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself indicated that all prayer must be addressed to God the Father.  The content of Matthew 6:1–13 covers the Lord giving an example about how to pray.  In that regard, the content of Matthew 6:9 covers the Lord commanding that prayers be addressed to God the Father.  The content of Luke 11:1–4 also covers the Lord giving an example about how to pray.  In that regard, the content of Luke 11:2 covers the Lord commanding that prayers be addressed to God the Father.  

Ephesians 3:15

out from the source of Whom the whole family in heavens and on earth is named,

Note:  Based on the context of the content in the verses that precede this verse and the absence of any context provided in the verses that follow this verse, it is logical to conclude that the word family in this verse refers to all Church Age believers.  Unspecified in this verse is to what the phrase in heavens refers.  In that regard, nowhere in Paulʼs writings does he refer to angels with the word family; therefore, it is logical to conclude that the phrase in heavens in this verse is in reference to Church Age believers.  At the time that Paul wrote this epistle, the Church Age believers who were in Heaven were Church Age believers who had experienced physical death.  Heaven, which is where the throne room of God the Father is located, is also known as the Third Heaven or Third Heavens.  It can be referenced by means of either a singular noun or a plural noun.  In this verse, Paul uses a plural noun.  Also, the term second heavens refers to outer space, and the term first heavens refers to the atmosphere of the earth.  Outer space and the atmosphere of the earth can each also be referenced by means of the singular noun heaven—in other words, using the terms second heaven and first heaven, respectively.  

Ephesians 3:16

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man 

Note:  As mentioned in the notes for verse 7, the empowerment comes from God the Holy Spirit.  In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity.  After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored.  The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1.  Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30.  In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit.  Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.  In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer.  After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.  

Ephesians 3:17

so that the Christ may dwell in your hearts through doctrine and that you, having been rooted and grounded in benevolence/goodwill, 

Note:  The heart refers to the mind.  In that regard, the first part of this verse refers to a believer being focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is known as occupation with Christ.  Being focused on the Lord Jesus Christ contrasts with being focused on oneself.  A selfish person is focused on himself or herself.  Such a person is preoccupied with himself or herself instead of being occupied with Christ.  The means by which a believer can focus on the Lord Jesus Christ is by means of Bible doctrine—in other words, by means of the Word of God.  

The phrase having been rooted and grounded in benevolence/goodwill refers to benevolence/goodwill significantly being in the thinking of a believer.  When a believer has benevolence/goodwill in that believerʼs thinking to a significant extent, benevolence/goodwill is in the subconscious thinking of that believer such that exhibiting benevolence/goodwill is a habit of that believer.  In order for a believer to have benevolence/goodwill in the subconscious thinking of that believer such that exhibiting benevolence/goodwill is a habit of that believer, that believer needs to regularly study the Word of God and then regularly apply the Word of God to that believerʼs life.  

Studying the Word of God involves learning the Word of God and also reviewing what is learned.  The more that a believer learns the Word of God, the more that the Word of God permeates the thinking of that believer—in other words, the more that the Word of God spreads throughout the thinking of that believer.  The permeating of the Word God throughout the thinking of a believer is like a network of roots that keep a plant securely fastened to the ground—in other words, securely connected to the ground.  Like a plant that is securely rooted to the ground, a believer who has learned the Word of God, remembers the Word of God that that believer has learned, and applies the Word of God that that believer has learned is rooted and grounded in benevolence/goodwill in the sense that that believer has benevolence/goodwill in the subconscious thinking of that believer to such an extent that that believer habitually exhibits benevolence/goodwill.  

Ephesians 3:18

may be able to comprehend with all the saints / holy ones / set-apart ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth 

Note:  As mentioned in the notes for verse 8, all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are saints.  In other words, they are holy, which means that they are set apart.  Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have a relationship with the Trinity, while unbelievers lack a relationship with the Trinity.  At the moment of salvation, a believer becomes a saint / holy one / set-apart one.  

In the context of Ephesians 3, the phrase breadth and length and height and depth refers to the Word of God.  Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether Paul was referencing specific content of the Word of God with that phrase or whether he was simply calling attention to the fact that there is a bunch of content in the Word of God.  Regardless of whether Paul was referencing specific content of the Word of God or whether he was simply calling attention to the fact that there is a bunch of content in the Word of God, this verse indicates that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who learn the Word of God are able to comprehend more than they would if they were to refrain from learning the Word of God.  

Ephesians 3:19

and to know the benevolence/goodwill of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Note:  In order to know the benevolence/goodwill of Christ, a believer needs to learn the Word of God.  The knowledge acquired by means of learning the Word surpasses human-viewpoint knowledge.  The term human viewpoint refers to any viewpoint that deviates from the Word of God.  In contrast, the term divine viewpoint refers to the viewpoint of the Trinity.  All three Members of the Trinity have the same viewpoint.  Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ can learn divine viewpoint by learning the Word of God.  Therefore, divine viewpoint is the viewpoint that comes from a proper understanding of the Word of God.  With human-viewpoint thinking, a person has unrealistic expectations regarding life.  Such a person is divorced from reality.  Regarding learning the Word of God, the phrase filled up to all the fullness in this verse refers to believers learning as much of the Word of God as possible.  

Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

Note:  In this verse, God the Father is the One to Whom the pronouns Him and Who refer.  Regarding the phrase far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, our perceptive capacity falls woefully short of omniscience [ahm-NISH-uhns] [all-knowingness].  In contrast, God the Father is omniscient [ahm-NISH-uhnt] [all-knowing].  The power referenced in this verse is the empowerment that comes from God the Holy Spirit.  

Ephesians 3:21

to Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever / of the age of the ages.  Amen.

Note:  The term church as used in the Bible refers to a collection of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than referring to a building.  In this verse, the word Church with a capital C refers to all Church Age believers collectively.  The Koine Greek noun that is translated as “Church” in this verse is Ἐκκλησίᾳ [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah and transliterated as Ekklēsia].  That noun is an inflected form of the root word ἐκκλησία [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah and transliterated as ekklēsia].  In addition to being used to refer to a collection of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the word ekklēsia can be used to refer to an assembly of people.  For the sake of clarity when referring to Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the word church with a lowercase c can be used to refer to a specific collection of Church Age believers rather than to all Church Age believers collectively, and the word Church with a capital C can be used to refer to all Church Age believers collectively.  

The Lord Jesus Christ brings glory to God the Father and will continue to bring glory to God the Father forever.  Similarly, Church Age believers of any generation can bring glory to God the Father.  In order to bring glory to God the Father, a believer needs to obey the Word of God.  In order to obey the Word of God, a believer needs to learn the Word of God.  In order to learn the Word of God, a believer must be in fellowship with the Trinity and thereby filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit while the believer is studying the Word of God.  Also, when a believer is praising God the Father or worshiping God the Father or doing anything else to try to bring glory to God the Father, that believer must be in fellowship with the Trinity; otherwise, that praising or worshiping or anything else is ritual without reality.  In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity.  After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored.  The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1.  Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30.  In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit.  Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.  In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer.  After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.  

In Ephesians 3:21, the Koine Greek phrase that is translated as “forever and ever / of the age of the ages” is τοῦ αἰῶνος τῶν αἰώνων [pronounced TOO igh-OH-nahs TOHN igh-OH-nohn and transliterated as tou aiōnos tōn aiōnōn].  That Koine Greek phrase is literally translated as “of the age of the ages.”  In that regard, the phrase τοῦ αἰῶνος [pronounced TOO igh-OH-nahs and transliterated as tou aiōnos], which is literally translated as “of the age,” means “forever.”  Adding tōn aiōnōn to the end of tou aiōnos, thereby resulting in the phrase tou aiōnos tōn aiōnōn, is a way to indicate forever with an emphasis on the fact that forever never ends.  In English, the same thought can be conveyed with the phrase forever and ever.  The thought can also be conveyed with the adverb forevermore.  Similarly, a synonymous term for the adverb forever is the adverb ad infinitum [ADD in-fuh-NIGH-tuhm], which comes from the Latin phrase ad infinitum [AHD een-FEE-nee-toom], the translation of which is “to infinity,” and the fact that forever never ends can be emphasized with the Latin phrase ad infinitum et ultrā [AHD een-FEE-nee-toom ET OOL-trahh], the translation of which is “to infinity and beyond.”  

The Koine Greek particle that is translated as “Amen” in Ephesians 3:21 is Ἀμήν [pronounced ah-MAYN and transliterated as Amēn].  At the beginning of a sentence or quotation, ἀμήν can be translated as “Truly,” “Verily,” “Most assuredly,” or “Point of doctrine.”  Also, sometimes ἀμήν is doubled at the beginning of a sentence or quotation.  When ἀμήν is at then end of a sentence or quotation, or if ἀμήν stands alone in its own sentence, ἀμήν can be translated as “I believe it,” “so it is,” “so be it,” or “may it be fulfilled.”  

Sincerely,

John