Ephesians 3:9

Amplified Bible

and 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.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
And God gave me the work of telling all people about the plan for his secret truth. That secret truth has been hidden in him since the beginning of time. He is the one who created everything.

Revised Standard Version
and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and to make all men se what the felyshippe of the mistery is which from the begynnynge of the worlde hath bene hid in God which made all thynges thorow Iesus Christ

Hebrew Names Version
and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Yeshua the Messiah;

New American Standard Bible
and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;

New Century Version
And God gave me the work of telling all people about the plan for his secret, which has been hidden in him since the beginning of time. He is the One who created everything.

Update Bible Version
and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages has been hid in God who created all things;

Webster's Bible Translation
And to make all [men] see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

English Standard Version
and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

World English Bible
and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And to let all men see, what is the fellowship of the mystery, which was hidden from the beginning of the world by God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Weymouth's New Testament
and to show all men in a clear light what my stewardship is. It is the stewardship of the truth which from all the Ages lay concealed in the mind of God, the Creator of all things--

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which is the dispensacioun of sacrament hid fro worldis in God, that made alle thingis of nouyt;

English Revised Version
and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which from all ages hath been hid in God who created all things;

Berean Standard Bible
and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was hidden in God, who created all things.

Contemporary English Version
God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind.

American Standard Version
and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things;

Bible in Basic English
And make all men see what is the ordering of the secret which from the first has been kept in God who made all things;

Complete Jewish Bible
and of letting everyone see how this secret plan is going to work out. This plan, kept hidden for ages by God, the Creator of everything,

Darby Translation
and to enlighten all [with the knowledge of] what is the administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God, who has created all things,

International Standard Version
and help everyone see how this secret, which was hidden for ages in God who created all things, has been at work.Psalm 33:6; John 1:3; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3; 3:5; Colossians 1:16,26; Hebrews 1:2;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
which are not searched; and to bring to light unto all men what is the dispensation of the mystery which was hidden from the ages in Aloha, who created all:

Murdock Translation
and should show to all men what is the dispensation of the mystery, which for ages was hid up in God the Creator of all [fn] :

King James Version (1611)
And to make all men see, what is the fellowship of the mysterie, which from the beginning of the world, hath bene hid in God, who created all things by Iesus Christ:

New Living Translation
I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

New Life Bible
I was to make all men understand the meaning of this secret. God kept this secret to Himself from the beginning of the world. And He is the One Who made all things.

New Revised Standard
and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;

Geneva Bible (1587)
And to make cleare vnto all men what the felowship of the mysterie is, which from the beginning of the world hath bene hid in God, who hath created all things by Iesus Christ,

George Lamsa Translation
And that I may enlighten all men that they may see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which for ages had been hidden from the world by God who created all things:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And to bring to light - what is the administration of the sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages in God, who did all things create:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And to enlighten all men, that they may see what is the dispensation of the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God who created all things:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And to bring to lyght to all men what the felowship of the misterie is whiche from the begynnyng of the world hath ben hid in god, which made all thinges through Iesus Christe:

Good News Translation
and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages,

Christian Standard Bible®
and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.

King James Version
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Lexham English Bible
and to enlighten everyone as to what is the administration of the mystery hidden from the ages by God, who created all things,

Literal Translation
and to bring to light all, what is the fellowship of the mystery having been hidden from eternity in God, the One creating all things through Jesus Christ,

Young's Literal Translation
and to cause all to see what [is] the fellowship of the secret that hath been hid from the ages in God, who the all things did create by Jesus Christ,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and to make all men se, what is the fellishippe of the mystery, which fro the begynnynge of the worlde hath bene hyd in God, which made all thiges thorow Iesus Christ:

Mace New Testament (1729)
and display to all the world that mysterious dispensation, which from all past ages has been conceal'd in the secret purpose of God, who created all things:

THE MESSAGE
The Secret Plan of God This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! 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! My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

New English Translation
and to enlighten everyone about God's secret plan—a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things.

New King James Version
and to make all see what is the fellowship [fn] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; [fn]

Simplified Cowboy Version
I am the cowboy he chose to tell everyone about his crazy plan. He'd kept this crazy plan secret since he sunk the first H-brace in this dirt we call home.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

Legacy Standard Bible
and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

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

to: Matthew 10:27, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Mark 16:16, Luke 24:47, Romans 16:26, Colossians 1:23, 2 Timothy 4:17, Revelation 14:6

fellowship: Ephesians 3:3-5, Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 1:10, 1 Timothy 3:16

beginning: Ephesians 1:4, Matthew 13:35, Matthew 25:34, Acts 15:18, Romans 16:25, 1 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 17:8

hid: Colossians 1:26, Colossians 3:3

created: Psalms 33:6, Isaiah 44:24, John 1:1-3, John 5:17, John 5:19, John 10:30, Colossians 1:16, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 3:3, Hebrews 3:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:1 - God Psalms 139:17 - precious Jeremiah 32:17 - there Luke 7:28 - but John 1:3 - General John 1:7 - that Romans 11:25 - this 1 Corinthians 1:30 - wisdom Ephesians 3:5 - in other Philippians 3:8 - the excellency Colossians 2:2 - understanding Colossians 2:3 - hid Revelation 4:11 - for thou

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree]."

Genesis 3:17
Then to Adam the LORD God said, "Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it'; The ground is [now] under a curse because of you; In sorrow and toil you shall eat [the fruit] of it All the days of your life.

Genesis 3:19
"By the sweat of your face You will eat bread Until you return to the ground, For from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

Genesis 3:20
The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living.

Genesis 3:21
The LORD God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Genesis 4:9
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he [lied and] said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Genesis 11:5
Now the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

Genesis 16:8
And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where did you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,.... Or "the dispensation of the mystery" as the Complutensian, and several copies, and the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, read. The mystery is the Gospel; the fellowship of it is the communication of grace by it, a participation of the truths and doctrines of it, communion with Father, Son, and Spirit, which the Gospel calls and leads unto, and that equal concern and interest which both Jews and Gentiles have in the privileges of it. Now men are naturally in the dark about these things, and the ministry of the word is the means of enlightening them, and is indeed the grand design of it; and the ministers of the Gospel do instrumentally enlighten persons, though it is God only that does it efficiently; and for this, gifts of grace were bestowed upon the apostle, even for the enlightening of all men, not every individual person in the world, but some of all sorts, particularly Gentiles, as well as Jews. The word παντας, rendered "all men", is left out in the Alexandrian copy.

Which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God; in the heart of God, in his counsel and covenant; which shows the original and source of the Gospel, and expresses the richness and valuableness of it, as well as its safety and secrecy: here it was hid in some measure from the elect angels, and from Old Testament saints, and altogether from natural men, and especially from the Gentiles, whose times of ignorance God winked at, or overlooked: and this was kept so from ages past, from the beginning of time, till now, and was laid up in the breast of God from all eternity; for it was ordained before the world for the glory, of his people. What the apostle says of the Gospel, the Jews say of the law, that it was hid and treasured up two thousand years before the world was created m; yea, they say n, that many ages before the creation of the world it was written and left, בחיקו של הק'בה, "in the bosom of God": and he is here described, as he

who created all things by Jesus Christ; not as an instrument, but as a co-efficient cause: and this is to be understood, not of the new creation, but of the old, and of all things in it; for without Christ, was not anything made that is made. The phrase, "by Jesus Christ", is left out in the Alexandrian and Claromontane copies, and in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions.

m Zohar in Exod. fol. 20. 4. & in Numb. fol. 66. 3. Targ. Jon. & Jeras. in Gen. iii. 24. n Abot R. Nathan, c. 31. T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 88. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And to make all men see - In order that the whole human family might see the glory of God in the plan of salvation. Hitherto the revelation of his character and plans had been confined to the Jews. Now it was his design that all the race should be made acquainted with it.

What is the fellowship of the mystery - Instead of “fellowship” here - κοινωνία koinōnia - most mss. and versions read οἰκονομία oikonomia - “dispensation;” see Mill. This reading is adopted by Griesbach, Tittman, Rosenmuller, Koppe, and is regarded by most critics as being the genuine reading. The mistake might easily have been made by a transcriber. The meaning then would be, “to enlighten all in respect to rite dispensation of this mystery;” that is, to cause all to understand the manner in which this great truth of the plan of salvation is communicated to people. If the word “fellowship” is to be retained, it means that this doctrine, or secret counsel of God, was now “common” to all believers. It was not to be confined to any class or rank of people. Locke renders it,” and to make all people perceive how this mystery comes now to be communicated to the world.” Dr. Whately (Errors of Romanism, chapter ii. section 1) renders it, the common participation of the mystery;” that is, of truths formerly unknown, and which could not be known by man’s unaided powers, but which were now laid open by the gracious dispensation of Divine Providence; no longer concealed, or confined to a few, but to be partaken of by all.

The allusion, according to him, is to the mysteries of the ancient pagan religions; and he supposes that the apostle designs to contrast those “mysteries” with Christianity. In those “mysteries” there was a distinction between the initiated and uninitiated. There was a revelation to some of the worshippers, of certain holy secrets from which others were excluded. There were in some of the mysteries, as the Elensinian, “great and lesser” doctrines in which different persons were initiated. In strong contrast with these, the “great mystery” in Christianity was made known to all. It was concealed from none and there was no distinction made among those who were initiated. No truths which God had revealed were held back from any part, but there was a common participation by all. Christianity has no hidden truths for a part only of its friends; it has no “reserved” doctrines; it has no truths to be entrusted only to a sacred priesthood. Its doctrines are to be published to the wide world, and every follower of Christ is to be a partaker of all the benefits of the truths which Christ has revealed. It is difficult to determine which is the true reading, and it is not very important. The general sense is, that Paul felt himself called into the ministry in order that all people might understand now that salvation was free for all - a truth that had been concealed for ages. Bearing this great truth, he felt that he had a message of incalculable value to mankind, and he was desirous to go and proclaim it to the wide world. On the word “mystery,” see the notes on Ephesians 1:9.

Hath been hid in God - With God. It has been concealed in his bosom. The plan was formed, but it had not before been made known.

Who created all things - This is plain enough; but it is not quite so plain why the declaration is introduced in this place. Locke and Rosenmuller suppose that it refers to the new creation, and that the sense is, that God frames and manages this new creation wholly by Jesus Christ. But the expression contains a truth of larger import, and naturally conveys the idea that all things were made by God, and that this was only a part of his great and universal agency. The meaning is, that God formed all things, and that this purpose of extending salvation to the world was a part of his great plan, and was under his control.

By Jesus Christ - As this stands in our common Greek text, as well as in our English version, there is a striking resemblance between the passage and that in Colossians 1:15-16. But the phrase is missing in the Vulgate, the Syriac, the Coptic, and in several of the ancient mss. Mill remarks that it was probably inserted here by some transcriber from the parallel passage in Colossians 1:16; and it is rejected as an interpolation by Griesbach. It is not “very” material whether it be retained in this place or not, as the same sentiment is elsewhere abundantly taught; see John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2. If it is to be retained, the sentiment is that the Son of God - the second person of the Trinity - was the great and immediate agent in the creation of the universe.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. And to make all men see — και φωτισαι παντας. And to illuminate all; to give information both to Jews and Gentiles; to afford them a sufficiency of light, so that they might be able distinctly to discern the great objects exhibited in this Gospel.

What is the fellowship of the mystery — The word κοινωνια, which we properly translate fellowship, was used among the Greeks to signify their religious communities; here it may intimate the association of Jews and Gentiles in one Church or body, and their agreement in that glorious mystery which was now so fully opened relative to the salvation of both. But instead of κοινωνια, fellowship, οικονομια, dispensation or economy, is the reading of ABCDEFG, and more than fifty others; both the Syriac, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Slavonian, Vulgate and Itala, with the chief of the Greek fathers. Some of the best printed editions of the Greek text have the same reading, and that in our common text has very little authority to support it. Dispensation or economy is far more congenial to the scope of the apostle's declaration in this place; he wished to show them the economy of that mystery of bringing Jews and Gentiles to salvation by faith in Christ Jesus, which God from the beginning of the world had kept hidden in his own infinite mind, and did not think proper to reveal even when he projected the creation of the world, which had respect to the economy of human redemption. And although the world was made by Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer, yet at that period this revelation of the power of God, the design of saving men, whose fall infinite wisdom had foreseen, was not then revealed. This reading Griesbach has received into the text.

Who created all things by Jesus Christ — Some very judicious critics are of opinion that this does not refer to the material creation; and that we should understand the whole as referring to the formation of all God's dispensations of grace, mercy, and truth, which have been planned, managed, and executed by Christ, from the foundation of the world to the present time. But the words δια ιησου χριστου, by Jesus Christ, are wanting in ABCD*FG, and several others; also in the Syriac, Arabic of Erpen, Coptic, AEthiopic, Vulgate, and Itala; as also in several of the fathers. Griesbach has thrown the words out of the text; and Professor White says, "certissime delenda," they are indisputably spurious. The text, therefore, should be read: which from the beginning of the world had been hidden in God who created all things. No inferiority of Christ can be argued from a clause of whose spuriousness there is the strongest evidence.