| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles. | 1When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . |
| 2Surely you have heard about the responsibility of administering God's grace that was given to me on your behalf, | 2assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. |
| 3and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past. | 3As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. |
| 4By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about the Messiah, | 4As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. |
| 5which in previous generations was not made known to human beings as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This is that secret: | 5God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. |
| 6The gentiles are heirs-in-common, members-in-common of the body, and common participants in what was promised by the Messiah Jesus through the gospel. | 6And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. |
| 7I have become a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. | 7By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. |
| 8To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given so that I might proclaim to the gentiles the immeasurable wealth of the Messiah | 8Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. |
| 9and help everyone see how this secret that has been at work was hidden for ages by God, who created all things. | 9I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. |
| 10He did this so that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm | 10God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. |
| 11in keeping with the eternal purpose that God carried out through the Messiah Jesus our Lord, | 11This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| 12in whom we have boldness and confident access through his faithfulness. | 12Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. |
| 13So then, I ask you not to become discouraged because of my troubles on your behalf, which work toward your glory. | 13So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored. Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth |
| 14This is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, | 14When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, |
| 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its name. | 15the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. |
| 16I pray that he would give you, according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit, | 16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. |
| 17and that the Messiah would make his home in your hearts through faith. Then, having been rooted and grounded in love, | 17Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. |
| 18you will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep— | 18And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. |
| 19that is, you will know the love of the Messiah — which transcends knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God. | 19May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. |
| 20Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us— | 20Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. |
| 21to him be glory in the church and in the Messiah Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen. | 21Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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