Ephesians 3:11

Amplified Bible

This is in accordance with [the terms of] the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
This agrees with the plan God had since the beginning of time. He did what he planned, and he did it through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revised Standard Version
This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
accordinge to ye eternall purpose which he purposed in Christ Iesu oure lorde

Hebrew Names Version
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Messiah Yeshua, our Lord;

New American Standard Bible
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

New Century Version
This agrees with the purpose God had since the beginning of time, and he carried out his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Update Bible Version
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Webster's Bible Translation
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

English Standard Version
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

World English Bible
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Weymouth's New Testament
Such was the eternal purpose which He had formed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
bi the bifore ordinaunce of worldis, which he made in Crist Jhesu oure Lord.

English Revised Version
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Berean Standard Bible
according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Contemporary English Version
God did this according to his eternal plan. And he was able to do what he had planned because of all that Christ Jesus our Lord had done.

American Standard Version
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Bible in Basic English
Which is seen in his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Complete Jewish Bible
This accords with God's age-old purpose, accomplished in the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.

Darby Translation
according to [the] purpose of the ages, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

International Standard Version
in keeping with the eternal purpose that Godhe">[fn] carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord,Ephesians 1:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
that which he prepared from of old, and which he hath executed by Jeshu our Lord,

Murdock Translation
which [fn] he arranged ages before, and he hath executed it by Jesus the Messiah our Lord;

King James Version (1611)
According to the eternall purpose which he purposed in Christ Iesus our Lord:

New Living Translation
This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

New Life Bible
This was the plan God had for all time. He did this through Christ Jesus our Lord.

New Revised Standard
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Geneva Bible (1587)
According to the eternall purpose, which he wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord:

George Lamsa Translation
Which is the wisdom he prepared in ages past, and has carried out in Jesus Christ our LORD:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
According to a plan of the ages which he made in the anointed Jesus our Lord, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
According to the eternal purpose which he made in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
According to ye eternall purpose which he wrought in Christe Iesus our Lord:

Good News Translation
God did this according to his eternal purpose, which he achieved through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christian Standard Bible®
This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

King James Version
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Lexham English Bible
according to the purpose of the ages which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Literal Translation
according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Young's Literal Translation
according to a purpose of the ages, which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
acordinge to ye eternall purpose, which he hath shewed in Christ Iesu oure LORDE

Mace New Testament (1729)
in pursuance of that dispensation which he made to former ages by Christ Jesus our Lord:

THE MESSAGE
All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!

New English Translation
This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

New King James Version
according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Using regular cowboys was part of God's crazy plan. And he's carrying out his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Legacy Standard Bible
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Contextual Overview

¹For 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— ²assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was entrusted to me [to share with you] for your benefit; ³and that by [divine] revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have already written in brief. ⁴By referring to this, when you read it you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which in other generations was not disclosed to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit; ⁶[it is this:] that the Gentiles are now joint heirs [with the Jews] and members of the same body, and joint partakers [sharing] in the [same divine] promise in Christ Jesus through [their faith in] the good news [of salvation]. ⁷Of this [gospel] I was made a minister by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of His power. ⁸To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God's people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand], ⁹and to make plain [to everyone] the plan of the mystery [regarding the uniting of believing Jews and Gentiles into one body] which [until now] was kept hidden through the ages in [the mind of] God who created all things. ¹⁰So now through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God [in all its countless aspects] might now be made known [revealing the mystery] to the [angelic] rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 1:11, Isaiah 14:24-27, Isaiah 46:10, Isaiah 46:11, Jeremiah 51:29, Romans 8:28-30, Romans 9:11, 2 Timothy 1:9

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 7:21 - according 1 Chronicles 17:19 - according Job 10:13 - I know Ecclesiastes 3:14 - whatsoever Isaiah 23:9 - Lord Zechariah 6:1 - and the Matthew 11:26 - for John 11:52 - the children Romans 16:25 - which Galatians 1:15 - it Ephesians 1:6 - praise 1 Peter 1:20 - verily

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
The LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice].

Psalms 50:21
"These things you have done and I kept silent; You thought that I was just like you. Now I will reprimand and denounce you and state the case in order before your eyes.

Romans 3:20
For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

According to the eternal purpose,.... The whole of salvation, in which is displayed the great wisdom of God, is according to a purpose of his; the scheme of it is fixed in the council of peace; the thing itself is effected in pursuance of it; Christ, the Redeemer, was set forth in it; his incarnation, the time of his coming into the world, his sufferings and death, with all their circumstances, were decreed by God; and the persons for whom Christ became incarnate, suffered, and died, were appointed unto salvation by him; and the application of it to them is according to his purpose; the time when, the place where, and the means whereby souls are converted, are all settled in the decrees of God; the Gospel itself, the preaching of it by such and such persons, its use to make men see the mysteries of grace, and the fellowship of them, and to make known these things to the angels of heaven, are all according to a divine purpose: and this purpose is eternal, or was in the mind of God from all eternity; for no new will can arise in him; no purpose, resolution, or decree can be made by him in time, which was not in his breast from everlasting; and his purpose concerning the salvation of men must be eternal, since a council of peace was held, a covenant of peace was made, a promise of life was given, persons were fixed upon to be saved, a Saviour was appointed for them, and grace, and the blessings of it were put into his hands before the world began.

Which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord; the constitution of it was in him; God was in Christ contriving the scheme of salvation; eye was upon him, his thoughts centred in him, in him are all his promises, and blessings of grace designed and provided for his people; and the execution of this purpose is by him; though some refer this clause to the church in Ephesians 3:10 which he has made in Christ, or by Christ, has built upon him, and united to him; and others, to the manifold wisdom of God displayed in Christ, who is the wisdom of God, and in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

According to the eternal purpose - see the note, Ephesians 1:4. Literally, “the purpose of ages,” or of eternity. Locke, Chandler, and Whitby render this, “according to that disposition or arrangement of the ages which he made in Jesus Christ, or through him.” The object of such an interpretation seems to be to avoid the doctrine that God had a purpose or plan in the salvation of people, and hence such expositors suppose it refers to the arrangement of the “ages” of the world by which the plan of redemption was introduced. On the word rendered here as “purpose” - προθέσις prothesis - see the notes at Romans 8:28; compare Ephesians 1:11. It is rendered “showbread” - the bread of setting before,” Matthew 12:4; Mark 2:26; Luke 6:4; Hebrews 9:2; “purpose,” Acts 11:23; Acts 27:13; Romans 8:28; Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 3:10. It does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. In most of these cases it refers to the “purpose or intention” of God; in not a single case does it mean “arrangement or disposition” in any sense like that of making an arrangement of “ages” or periods of the world; and the interpretation proposed by Whitby, Locke, Clarke, and others, is wholly at variance with the settled use of the word.

The word rendered “eternal” - αἰώνων aiōnōn - may mean “ages;” but it also most usually means eternity; see Ephesians 3:9. Here it may mean “the purpose of ages;” i. e., the purpose formed in past ages; but the word is most commonly used in the New Testament in the sense of “ever, and forever;” compare the following places, where it is so rendered in our common version, and beyond a doubt correctly; Matthew 6:13; Matthew 21:19; Mark 3:29; Mark 11:14; Luke 1:33, Luke 1:55; John 4:14; John 6:51, John 6:58; John 8:35; John 14:16; Romans 1:25; Romans 9:5; Romans 11:36; Romans 16:27; 2 Corinthians 9:9; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Galatians 1:5. The fair meaning of the passage here is, that God had formed a plan which was “eternal” in reference to the salvation of people; that that plan had reference to the Lord Jesus; and that it was now executed by the gospel. It is impossible to get away from the idea that God has a “plan.” It is too often affirmed in the Scriptures, and is too consonant with out’ reason to be disputed. It is as “undesirable” as it is impossible to escape from that idea. Who could respect or honor an intelligent being that had no plan, no purpose, no intention, and that did all things by caprice and hap-hazard? If God has any plan, it must he eternal. He has no new schemes; he has no intentions which he did not always have.

Which he purposed - Literally, “which he made.”

In Christ Jesus - With reference to him; or which were to be executed through him. The eternal plan had respect to him, and was to be executed by his coming and work.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. According to the eternal purpose — κατα προθεσιν των αιωνων. According to the purpose concerning the periods. This seems to refer to the complete round of the Jewish system, and to that of the Gospel. I have often observed, that though the proper grammatical meaning of the word is ever-during or endless duration, yet it is often applied to those systems, periods, governments, c., which have a complete duration, taking in the whole of them, from their commencement to their termination, leaving nothing of their duration unembraced. So, here, God purposed that the Jewish dispensation should commence at such a time, and terminate at such a time that the Gospel dispensation should commence when the Jewish ended, and terminate only with life itself; and that the results of both should be endless. This is probably what is meant by the above phrase.

Which he purposed in Christ Jesus — ην εποιησεν. Which he made or constituted in or for Christ Jesus. The manifestation of Christ, and the glory which should follow, were the grand objects which God kept in view in all his dispensations.