Ephesians 3:1
New International Version
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

New Living Translation
When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . .

English Standard Version
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Berean Standard Bible
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...

Berean Literal Bible
For reason of this, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles...

King James Bible
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

New King James Version
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—

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

NASB 1995
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

NASB 1977
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Legacy Standard Bible
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Amplified Bible
For this reason [because I preach that you and believing Jews are joint heirs] I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Christian Standard Bible
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

American Standard Version
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles,�

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because of this, I Paul am the prisoner of Yeshua The Messiah for the sake of you Gentiles,

Contemporary English Version
Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so I could help you Gentiles.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles;

English Revised Version
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles,--

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is the reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for those of you who are not Jewish.

Good News Translation
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles, pray to God.

International Standard Version
For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles.

Literal Standard Version
For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you the nations,

Majority Standard Bible
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...

New American Bible
Because of this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ [Jesus] for you Gentiles—

NET Bible
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--

New Revised Standard Version
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

New Heart English Bible
For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you the non-Jews,

Webster's Bible Translation
For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Weymouth New Testament
For this reason I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles--

World English Bible
For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Young's Literal Translation
For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you the nations,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Mystery of the Gospel
1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles... 2Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,…

Cross References
Acts 9:15
"Go!" said the Lord. "This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.

Acts 23:18
So the centurion took him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."

2 Corinthians 1:6
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Ephesians 3:8
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,

Ephesians 3:11
according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

I.

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Galatians 5:2
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

the.

Ephesians 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians 6:20
For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Luke 21:12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

for.

Galatians 5:11
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

Colossians 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

1 Thessalonians 2:15,16
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: …

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Ephesians 3
1. The hidden mystery that the Gentiles should be saved was made known to Paul by revelation;
8. and to him was that grace given, that he should preach it.
13. He desires them not to be discouraged over his tribulation;
14. and prays that they may perceive the great love of Christ toward them.














-1Ephesians 3:1-13 contain two subjects closely blended together. The first (carrying on what is implied in the contrast drawn out in Ephesians 2) is the absolute newness of this dispensation to the Gentiles--a mystery hidden from the beginning in God, but now at last revealed. The second, an emphatic claim for St. Paul himself, "less than the least" although he is, of a special apostleship to the Gentiles, proclaiming this mystery by word and deed.

(1) For this cause . . .--After much discussion of the construction of this verse, there seems little doubt that the nominative, "I, Paul," must be carried on beyond the digression upon the mystery of the gospel, and his part in ministering it, which follows. The only question which can well be raised is whether the resumption takes place at Ephesians 3:13, "I desire that ye faint not;" or at Ephesians 3:14, "I bow my knees;" and this seems decided for the latter alternative, both by the emphatic repetition of "for this cause," and by the far greater weight and finality of the latter sentence.

The prisoner of Jesus Christ.--The phrase (repeated in Ephesians 4:1; Philemon 1:9; 2Timothy 1:8) is dwelt upon with an emphasis, explained by St. Paul's conviction that "his bonds" tended to "the furtherance of the gospel"--not merely by exciting a sympathy which might open the heart to his words, but even more (see Philippians 1:13-14) by showing the victorious power of God's word and grace--which "is not bound"--to triumph over captivity and the danger of death. The expression itself is notable. When St. Paul calls himself the "prisoner of Jesus Christ," he represents our Lord's own will, as ordaining his captivity for His own transcendent purposes of good, making him an "ambassador in chains" (Ephesians 6:20), and these "the bonds of the gospel." (See Philemon 1:13; and Acts 28:20, "For the hope of Israel I am bound in this chain.") Hence in this passage St. Paul seems to speak of his captivity as a special proof of the reality of his mission, and a new step in its progress; and appeals to it accordingly, just as in the final salutation of the Colossian Epistle, "Remember my bonds." The whole idea is a striking instance of the spiritual alchemy of faith, turning all things to good--not unlike the magnificent passage (in 2Corinthians 11:23-30) of his "glorying in his infirmities." . . .

Verses 1-13. - DIGRESSION ON THE ADMISSION OF THE GENTILES TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Verse 1. - For this cause. The reference is not merely to the last statement or illustration, but to the whole view of the purpose of God toward the Gentiles unfolded in Ephesians it. The apodosis does not come in till ver. 14, at the beginning of which this conjunctive clause is repeated. I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. He introduces himself in order to make known the feelings which were roused in his soul towards them by the consideration of the privileges just enlarged on - especially to acquaint them with the prayers he offered for them (see vers. 14-19), and apparently with the indirect object of getting them to offer similar prayers for themselves. To justify this introduction of himself, he delicately introduces the fact of his being a prisoner on their behalf. What had brought him to Rome, what had made him appeal to Caesar, was his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles; indeed, the immediate occasion of his arrest at Jerusalem was the suspicion that he had taken Trophimus, an Ephesian, one of themselves, into the temple (Acts 21:29). By this allusion to the condition into which his regard for them had brought him, be conciliates sympathetic consideration of what is to follow.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For this reason,
χάριν (charin)
Preposition
Strong's 5484: Accusative case of charis as preposition; through favor of, i.e. On account of.

I,
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

Paul,
Παῦλος (Paulos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3972: Paul, Paulus. Of Latin origin; Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

prisoner
δέσμιος (desmios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1198: One bound, a prisoner. From desmon; a captive.

of Christ
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

for the sake of
ὑπὲρ (hyper)
Preposition
Strong's 5228: Gen: in behalf of; acc: above.

you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

Gentiles...
ἐθνῶν (ethnōn)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 1484: Probably from etho; a race, i.e. A tribe; specially, a foreign one.


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NT Letters: Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul am (Ephes. Eph. Ep)
Ephesians 2:22
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