Ephesians Chapter 3 – A Commentary & Explanation
Ephesians 3 always feels like stepping into a heartfelt confession, almost like Paul suddenly pauses and goes, “Okay… let me tell you why all this matters so deeply to me.” The whole chapter has this soft, emotional glow to it. There's theology in it, yeah, but there’s also this raw, personal humanity. You can kinda feel Paul’s heart beating between the lines.
Let’s walk through it slowly. Not rushing. Just breathing Scripture like fresh air.
Verse 1 — “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles…”
Paul calls himself a prisoner of Christ, not of Rome. That always hits me. Like he’s saying, “My life doesn’t belong to earthly circumstances; it’s tied to Jesus.” Imagine having chains on your wrists but still believing you’re exactly where God wants you. I don’t know if I could do that without complaining a bunch.
I once talked to an older man in church who had been bedridden for years, and he told me, “These four walls are not my prison. They’re my mission field.” When I read Paul’s words, I hear the same heart. Not bitter, just surrendered.
Verses 2–3 — “The dispensation of grace… the mystery made known to me by revelation…”
Paul’s like, “Look, God handed me a job. A stewardship. A message that wasn’t invented by humans.”
This mystery he keeps talking about—it wasn’t a puzzle Paul solved. It was something God opened before him like a curtain being drawn back.
Sometimes God reveals something to you in layers, like peeling an onion. Sometimes it’s fast, sometimes painfully slow. Paul got it by revelation. Powerful stuff.
Verse 4 — “When you read, you can understand my knowledge of the mystery of Christ…”
He’s saying, “I’m not making this up. If you sit with what I’m writing, you’ll see it too.”
It’s almost like he trusted the readers—ordinary believers—to grasp deep spiritual truth. That’s encouraging for folks like me who sometimes feel slow at understanding Scripture.
Verse 5 — “Not made known to people in other generations…”
This is one of those verses that gives me goosebumps. Generations of people longed to understand God’s plan, and now believers in Paul’s time—and us today—get to see what was hidden for centuries.
It’s like being allowed backstage after the show to finally see what was happening behind the curtains all along.
Verse 6 — “Gentiles are fellow heirs… members of the same body…”
This is the big mystery:
Gentiles aren’t outsiders anymore. They’re full family.
Not half-members, not second-tier believers, not “oh-they’re-new-here-just-be-patient-with-them.” No. Full inheritance. Same promises. Same Christ. Same Spirit.
I remember feeling like an outsider at church when I was younger—everybody seemed to know all the songs, all the verses, all the right “churchy” phrases. But then I read passages like this and realized God never makes outsiders out of His children. Ever. If you’re in Christ, you belong.
Verse 7 — “I became a minister according to the gift of God’s grace…”
Paul’s humility always feels so sincere. He’s not bragging about being an apostle. He’s amazed that God uses him at all.
Some days I wonder the same thing—why God uses any of us when we’re so flawed, distracted, inconsistent. But that’s grace. Pure grace.
Verse 8 — “To me, the least of all saints, grace was given…”
Paul, the least? Really?
This guy wrote half the New Testament. But he still calls himself the least. That’s not false humility; that’s someone aware of the mercy they’ve been shown.
Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed by my own weaknesses, I remember this verse and think, “If God can use Paul… He can definitely handle me.”
Verse 9 — “To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery…”
Paul’s mission wasn’t just preaching—it was revealing.
Opening people’s eyes to a reality bigger than their upbringing, their culture, their past wounds.
This verse feels like a lantern being lifted in a dark cave. Like the glow spreading.
Verse 10 — “That the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church…”
This is one of the wildest verses in the whole chapter. Paul says the church—broken, messy, sometimes-confusing church—is supposed to display God’s wisdom to heavenly beings.
Imagine angels and spiritual powers watching the church and going, “Wow, look at God’s wisdom!”
Honestly, some Sundays I can barely get through service without distraction. But heaven sees something we often don’t.
Verse 11 — “According to His eternal purpose…”
Not a last minute plan. Not a backup strategy. God’s purpose for saving and unifying people through Christ is ancient—eternal. Long before people invented walls and divisions, God planned reconciliation.
Verse 12 — “We have boldness and access with confidence…”
You can approach God without fear. Without shakiness. Without that feeling like you need to pretend you’re better than you are.
Confidence—not in yourself, but in Christ.
This is like having a key to a home you didn’t build but are welcome in anytime.
Verse 13 — “Do not lose heart because of my sufferings…”
Paul basically says, “Don’t pity me. My suffering is your glory.”
He sees purpose where others might see tragedy.
Paul’s hardships helped the gospel spread. His chains didn’t silence him—they amplified his message.
Faith like that… whew. It humbles you.
Paul’s Beautiful Prayer (Verses 14–21)
These verses feel like Paul kneeling on the ground, hands lifted maybe, voice trembling with love for the people he prays for. There’s something tender and emotional here that makes you wanna slow down and read every phrase twice.
Verse 14 — “I bow my knees…”
Bowing is surrender. Reverence. Love.
Some people pray standing or walking or whispering on their beds, but kneeling has this deep emotional posture. Paul kneels before the Father, like a child seeking comfort.
Verse 15 — “From whom every family in heaven and earth is named…”
God is the source of all family. True belonging starts with Him.
When earthly families fail—and many do—this verse feels like balm. Healing. Like God saying, “You still have a name. You still have a home.”
Verse 16 — “Strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…”
Inner strength is different from energy or confidence or adrenaline.
Inner strength is what holds you together when the world falls apart outside you.
I remember once sitting in my car crying after a horrible day, and somehow I felt this deep, steady calm inside that didn’t match my circumstances. That’s the “inner man” being strengthened.
Verse 17 — “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…”
Not just visit. Dwell. Live. Stay.
Christ isn’t a guest who knocks politely and leaves. He makes His home in you.
The verse continues:
“…that you, being rooted and grounded in love…”
Rooted—like a tree that doesn’t fall over when the storm hits.
Grounded—like a building that doesn’t crumble.
Love is supposed to be the soil we grow from. Not fear. Not guilt. Not shame. Love.
Verse 18 — “Able to comprehend… the breadth, length, depth, and height…”
Paul is basically saying, “I pray you grasp how huge God’s love is.”
Like trying to measure the ocean with a spoon.
It’s too wide, too deep, too long… but Paul still prays we understand it more and more.
Verse 19 — “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…”
This is such a beautiful contradiction.
Know something you can’t fully know.
Experience something too big for your brain.
Christ’s love goes beyond comprehension, yet He wants us to taste it anyway. Feel it. Swim in it.
Verse 20 — “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly…”
Paul kinda runs out of words here. “Exceedingly… abundantly… above all…”
It’s like stacking adjectives because one isn’t enough.
God isn’t limited by our imagination. He works beyond it. Way beyond.
Verse 21 — “To Him be glory… forever and ever. Amen.”
A perfect ending.
Not glory to Paul. Not to the church. Not to religious leaders.
Glory to God—forever.
It sounds like a final heartfelt sigh of worship.
Closing Thoughts on Ephesians 3
This chapter feels like a love letter mixed with a prayer mixed with a confession. Paul shares his heart, his mission, his sufferings, and his deepest prayers for believers. And through all of it?
Grace. Mystery. Unity. Love. Strength. Wonder. Worship.
When you read Ephesians 3 slow, it warms you from the inside out. Like the kind of warmth that stays a while even after you close the Bible.
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