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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Ephesians 3 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ephesians/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ephesians/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Ephesians 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ephesians/2.htm" title="Ephesians 2">◄</a> Ephesians 3 <a href="../ephesians/4.htm" title="Ephesians 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Paul's Mission to the Gentiles</h3><p class="par"><span class="v49_3_1"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.1" class="v49_3_1">1</span>Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so I could help you Gentiles. </span><span class="v49_3_2"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.2" class="v49_3_2">2</span>You have surely heard about God's gift of undeserved grace in choosing me to help you. </span><span class="v49_3_3"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.3" class="v49_3_3">3</span>In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. </span><span class="v49_3_4"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.4" class="v49_3_4">4</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.3.4!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. </span><span class="v49_3_5"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.5" class="v49_3_5">5</span>No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. </span><span class="v49_3_6"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.6" class="v49_3_6">6</span>And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_3_7"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.7" class="v49_3_7">7</span>God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the good news. </span><span class="v49_3_8"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.8" class="v49_3_8">8</span>I am the least important of all God's people. But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that cannot be measured. </span><span class="v49_3_9"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.9" class="v49_3_9">9</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.3.9!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. </span><span class="v49_3_10"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.10" class="v49_3_10">10</span>Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_3_11"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.11" class="v49_3_11">11</span>God did this according to his eternal plan. And he was able to do what he had planned because of all Christ Jesus our Lord had done. </span><span class="v49_3_12"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.12" class="v49_3_12">12</span>Christ now gives us courage and confidence, so we can come to God by faith. </span><span class="v49_3_13"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.13" class="v49_3_13">13</span>This is why you should not be discouraged when I suffer for you. After all, it will bring honor to you.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Christ's Love for Us</h3><p class="par"><span class="v49_3_14"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.14" class="v49_3_14">14</span>I kneel in prayer to the Father. </span><span class="v49_3_15"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.15" class="v49_3_15">15</span>All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from him.<a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.3.15!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v49_3_16"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.16" class="v49_3_16">16</span>God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers </span><span class="v49_3_17"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.17" class="v49_3_17">17</span>and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. </span><span class="v49_3_18"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.18" class="v49_3_18">18</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.3.18!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> I pray that you and all God's people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep.<a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.3.18!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v49_3_19"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.19" class="v49_3_19">19</span>I want you to know all about Christ's love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_3_20"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.3.20-Eph.3.21" class="v49_3_20">20-21</span>I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.15 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">receive their life from him: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “know who they really are because of him.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.18 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">what is called wide or long or high or deep: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This may refer to the heavenly Jerusalem or to God's love or wisdom or to the meaning of the cross.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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